Tartar Sauce
This homemade tartar sauce is creamy, tangy, and way better than anything from a jar! Made with mayo, lemon, cornichons, and capers, it comes together in minutes and pairs perfectly with fried fish, seafood, or sandwiches.
If you’ve only ever had store-bought tartar sauce, you’re in for a real treat. This homemade tartar sauce is fresh, tangy, and packed with so much more flavor than anything you’ll find in a jar. It’s made with simple ingredients like mayo, lemon, crunchy cornichons, and briny capers — and it takes no more than 10 minutes to fix. A little chill time lets everything meld into a creamy, punchy sauce that’s perfect for fried fish, crab cakes, shrimp, or even as a zesty spread for sandwiches. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to the bottled kind!
Ingredient Notes
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base—use good-quality mayo for the best flavor and texture.
- Cornichons: These tiny, tangy French pickles add crunch and a pleasant sharpness. You can use dill pickles as a substitute if needed.
- Capers: Bring briny, savory notes that balance out the richness of the mayo.
- Dijon Mustard: Adds a gentle, zesty kick. The optional whole grain mustard gives extra texture and depth.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice brightens up the sauce and adds tang.
- Herbs: Dill or parsley gives a pop of freshness—dill for classic flavor, parsley for a milder, green note.
- Garlic Powder: Adds savory undertones without overpowering the sauce. A tiny bit of finely minced fresh garlic works, too.
- Salt & Pepper: Season to taste for balance.
Steps to Make Tartar Sauce
Combine the ingredients
Combine the mayonnaise, chopped cornichons, mustard, lemon juice, dill, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust.
Chill and serve
Cover and chill before serving with fried fish or seafood, or as a sandwich spread.
Homemade Tartar Sauce Variations
- With Minced Shallot: Stir in 2 teaspoons of finely minced shallot for a mild onion flavor.
- Slightly Sweet: Add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar or honey for a hint of sweetness.
- Dill Pickle: Swap out finely chopped dill pickle for the cornichons.
- More Lemon Flavor: Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest.Herbs: Try different herbs, such as fresh tarragon or parsley.
- Briny: Double the amount of capers for a more salty, briny flavor.
Serving Ideas
- Fried fish and seafood: Serve tartar sauce with fish and chips, fried oysters or shrimp, clam cakes, calamari, or crab cakes.
- Baked or grilled fish: Spoon it over baked halibut, haddock, salmon, or tilapia for a bright, creamy flavor contrast.
- Crab or Shrimp Salad: Mix a spoonful into seafood salad for wraps or lettuce cups.
- Chicken tenders: Tartar sauce makes a surprisingly tasty dipping sauce for crispy chicken tenders, wings, or nuggets.
- Sandwich spread: Replace regular mayonnaise with tartar sauce for sandwiches featuring roast beef, turkey, or ham for an extra burst of flavor.
- Deviled eggs: Replace some of the mayo in your deviled eggs with tartar sauce for a tangy twist.
How to Store
Refrigerate homemade tartar sauce in a tightly covered container. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze? Freezing is not recommended, as the mayo base may separate and change texture.
Always stir before serving, and discard if you notice any off odors or separation.
Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons cornichons, finely chopped , or more if you love extra tang
- 1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon whole grain mustard, optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or a tiny bit of fresh garlic grated on a microplane grater
- Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine ingredients – In a bowl, combine the mayo, chopped cornichons, capers, mustard, lemon juice, parsley (or dill), and garlic powder.
- Stir and taste – Adjust the seasonings with more lemon juice, mustard, or salt and pepper as needed.
- Chill and serve – Refrigerate the covered tartar sauce for at least 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
