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    Home » Recipes » Condiment Recipes

    Homemade Tartar Sauce

    Published: Jul 22, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

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    5 from 38 votes
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    Pinterest image for tartar sauce.

    My Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe will elevate your favorite seafood dishes and couldn’t be easier to make. And I’ve got the secret to making restaurant-quality seafood sauce better than your favorite seafood restaurant.

    tartar sauce in glass bowl.

    My creamy tartar sauce only takes a few minutes to make, and once you taste it you’ll never buy the jarred variety again.

    close up of golden brown fried shrimp on a white plate with tarter sauce, cocktail sauce and lemon slices

    I love fried seafood, and one of the easiest dishes to make is my Restaurant-Quality Crispy Fried Shrimp. I promise they’ll be better than your favorite seafood restaurant, and my classic tartar sauce recipe will make the experience even more delicious!

    If you prefer cocktail sauce, make sure to check out my recipe for the secret ingredient, you’ll be glad you did.

    Table of Contents:

    • Ingredients to make tartar sauce
      • Made with simple ingredients
    • How to make homemade tartar sauce
    • Recipe FAQ’s
    • More Recipes You’ll Love!
    • Restaurant Quality Tartar Sauce
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Notes
      • Nutrition

    Ingredients to make tartar sauce

    ingredients to make recipe.

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Homemade Tartar Sauce. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Made with simple ingredients

    The secret to making exceptional tartare sauce is using both dill pickles (or dill relish) and sweet pickle relish (or sweet pickles). The other ingredients I use to make my creamy tartar sauce is good-quality mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, died dill weed (or fresh dill), shallots, salt, and black pepper.

    You can leave the mustard out; it’s not essential, but it will add more flavor to this delicious sauce. But please don’t add Worcestershire sauce or any other seasonings; they aren’t needed.

    I like to add a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce as it enhances the flavor, but if you’re not a fan of sugar, you can leave it out.

    How to make homemade tartar sauce

    collage showing how to make recipe.
    • Add the mayonnaise, sweet relish, chopped dill pickles, chopped shallots, Dimon mustard, fresh lemon juice, dried dill, salt, sugar, and black pepper to a small bowl.
    • Whisk the ingredients to combine fully. Cover with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, refrigerated until ready to use.
    tartar sauce in glass bowl.

    I know after tasting my easy homemade tartar sauce, you’ll agree it’s the best tartar sauce you ever had and the perfect accompaniment for your favorite seafood dishes.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    What does tartar sauce taste like?

    This classic mayonnaise base seafood sauce has a creamy texture with a tangy and slightly sweet flavor. The tanginess comes from the pickles and lemon juice, while the sweetness often comes from the mayonnaise and sometimes a touch of sugar.

    Is homemade tartar sauce better than store-bought?

    Most definitely, it’s a night and day comparison. And making your own from scratch allows you to customize the ingredients and flavors to your liking.

    How long does homemade tartar sauce last?

    Since it doesn’t have all the preservatives that store-bought sauce has, your homemade sauce should only be kept for 7-10 days. Store refrigerated in a well-sealed airtight container.

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    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    tartar sauce in glass bowl.
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    5 from 38 votes

    Restaurant Quality Tartar Sauce

    My Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe will elevate your favorite seafood dishes and is easy to make using my simple recipe and secret ingredients.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time0 minutes mins
    Total Time10 minutes mins
    Course: condiment, Sauce
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 262kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup mayonnaise Hellmans, Dukes, or another premium brand.
    • 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish drained – too much liquid will make the relish watery.
    • 1 tablespoon dill pickles finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon shallots finely minced
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard optional
    • 1 teaspoon dill weed dried or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
    • ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste
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    Instructions

    • Add the mayonnaise, minced shallots, sweet relish, chopped dill pickle, mustard, lemon juice, dill, black pepper, and salt to a small bowl.
    • Whisk the ingredients to combine. Taste and reseason if needed.
    • Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
      Keep the tartar sauce refrigerated in a well-sealed container for up to 1 week.

    Notes

    You can use chopped sweet pickles (bread and butter pickles) instead of the sweet pickle relish and substitute dill relish for the chopped dill pickles.
    I like using dried dill but if you want to use fresh dill, double the amount to 2 teaspoons.
    I like to add one teaspoon of sugar to the tartar sauce. It’s a natural flavor enhancer, but you can leave it out if you’re watching your sugar intake.  Spread over the six servings it has a minimal impact.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 384mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 62IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    My name is Dennis Littley or “Chef Dennis” as I’m known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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