Classic Tartar Sauce made with just a few ingredients and in just a few minutes, you’ll never buy bottled sauce again!
You’ll love this tartar sauce with our Crispy Baked Fish Sticks, Beer Battered Fish and even for your kids on Beer Battered Crispy Fish Tacos. It is the PERFECT swap for the bottled sauce.
CLASSIC TARTAR SAUCE
Classic Tartar Sauce wasn’t a recipe I sought out to learn for the heck of it one day. A few years ago we had some pretty bad luck with our fridge and it didn’t end so well for all the food inside.
So I cleaned it out completely and had to start over. A month or so later, I had made some fried shrimp and of course I hadn’t thought to replace my jar of tartar sauce that seemed to live on the door of my fridge forever.
So off to the internet I went! I found a few recipes and made them all, at once, because yes, I am a food scientist at heart. Also, I love GOOD tartar sauce, and no offense to the pre-made variety, but we can do better.
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This Classic Tartar Sauce was a version of all three of them that I sort of randomly came up with and it makes for the PERFECT tartar sauce replacement. I haven’t bought another jar of tartar sauce since.
The recipe, if you can even call it one, is so simple that the only thing I want to warn you about is that you really want to give it a bit of time to rest so the flavors can really come together. If you don’t you basically just have pickle mayo, which is fine, but it won’t taste like tartar sauce.
I’ve seen a few other variations of Classic Tartar Sauce on the web which you can totally incorporate into your recipe:
- Instead of dill pickles you can chop up bread and butter pickles.
- Instead of pickles, you can use sweet relish.
- Instead of pickle juice you can use 1/2 the amount of lemon juice.
- Instead of minced onion, use 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder.
- If you really still don’t want to make your own, this is the prepared one I loved.
We’re going to serve this tartar sauce on all the delicious seafood we can eat this summer including Coconut Shrimp and more.
Classic Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dill pickles minced
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
Instructions
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Mix ingredients together in a small bowl.
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Chill in refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours for the best flavor.
This was good, but I, personally, like the addition of capers. It makes it taste authentic. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thanks for the suggestion.
I’m sorry, the cream of tartar was what I was commenting on! lol Cream of tartar is still used in Snickerdoodle recipe.
Haha, no worries.
It is actually used in Snickerdoodles.
My wife said this is the best Tartar Sauce she’s ever had. I agree.
You can add a little more minced dill pickle and pickle juice, which I did, and it’s even better.
For those who have Miracle Whip on hand, instead of mayonnaise, Miracle Whip works just as well.
Thanks so much for the 5 stars, Wayne.
The only difference between your tarter sauce is I use sweet pickles.
I will try this, I love tartar sauce!
This is a fine recipe. I used the onion powder suggested as a substitute. No problem. I’ve never found a tartar sauce on the grocery store shelves that I like. All at my dinner table said the Classic Tarter Sauce was great. I’ll definitely stick with this recipe.
Just so you’re aware: Tablespoon is always capitalized in a recipe, teaspoons always use the lower case.
I’m 74 years old, and I’ve never tasted tarter sauce with dill pickles. I’ve lived almost all of my life in San Francisco, CA. We use sweet or Bread & Butter pickles chopped.
Tablespoon is not a proper noun ergo is not to be capitalized. I am not a yellow mustard kind of person. Can I get away with other types of mustard?
This recipe doesn’t use any mustard. Just mayo, dill pickles, pickle juice, and minced onion. Enjoy!
My tartar sauce is basically the same as yours. I add horseradish, yellow mustard and use sweet pickle relish. Just can’t go wrong with made from scratch tartar sauce…Mayo and chopped onion is a must for me.
Super easy and very good! Everyone at the table enjoyed it. Used the onion powder option. It was very tasty on our fish sandwiches. No need to buy tartar sauce in a bottle anymore – thanks so much!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Going to try this for my salmon tonight thank you so much.
This was the best tartar sauce ever!!! I’ll never buy another jar again. My husband and sister in law loved this tartar sauce!!
Yay!!
I don’t know why you wiouldn’t make shrimp sauce rather than tartar scauce you only need ketchup whorshire scauce and horseradish mix it to taste if you want it to have heat add extra horseradish easy peaze.
I usually make both. Sometimes I will also put out a garlic butter sauce. Seems to depend on what kind of seafood we’re having, but my family loves all of them!
Because some people don’t like cocktail sauce! That’s why I am looking at a recipe for tartar sauce!
Usually when i look for a shrimp sauce recipe i search, shrimp sauce and not tartar sauce! Crazy thought!!!
Thanks for another amazing recipe! I find when i buy tartar sauce i use it once and it sits in the fridge and expires, not this!! Was all gone by the end of dinner! Will be using this for now on. And how far you go wrong with these simple ingredients?!? This is a winner!! Thankyou!!
Yes, so nice not have the waste! Glad you enjoyed it.
Quick and easy!
Can’t understand why readers want to add their own Twist to a recipe a person is willing to share with others. This is very Rude. If You feel like Changing someone’s recipe then I would suggest, you get (Your own site) and print out (Your Favorite Recipe) the way (You see fit) and Not try changing the person’s original recipe to (suite you).
I don’t think it’s about changing the recipe. It’s putting your own twist to something that is already good and making it to suit you and your families taste. Life if full of little surprises…
So ya know, I don’t care what word you start your sentences with. I can’t wait to make this. I buy this tiny jar of non gmo tater sauce for nearly $4 and I don’t think I’ll ever do that again after I make this. Looking at some of your recipes too, can’t wait to try them out. Keeping cooking sister!!!!
Thank you!
I use the same ingredients as you do. But don’t use pickle juice instead I put in a little prepared yellow mustard. Gives it just a little kick.
Only chopped onions,dill relish,mayo,a little cream of tarter.No exceptions.A very famous fried catfish place in oklahoma makes it like this.Been cooking fish for 60 yrs!!!
My husband makes his like this and adds a little hot sauce…delicious!
Such a great addition for a bit of heat! Love it!
I do not like sweet tarter sauce, so Ive made my own for years.
Mayo, 2 cups, i/4 cup chopped dill pickle or dill relish, 3 tablespoons dill pickle juice, good dash of hot sauce or Cajun seasoning salt.
I add fresh dill and about a tbs of lemon juice to this mixture. My favorite! I don’t really care for the sweet version.
Loved this recipe but I did spiced it up a bit. Did the mayo, pickle juice and pickles. But used onion powder, garlic powder, few dashes of worcestershire, and some dill. KILLER!! Even my 1year old ate it ?
Yay!! Love when even the little ones get to enjoy it!
I add Mustard to mine
Gentle suggestion, Starting your sentences with the word , “So” makes you sound less professional. Otherwise, good job.
So this is a cooking/recipe site..not a school room..i sure never noticed..really???
The tartar sauce is SO versatile, can add other seasonings to your taste.
Grammar Police?
Gentle suggestion, well pat you on the back . Couldn’t you find anything (GOOD) about her recipe????
Thank you Glenda my sentiments EXACTLY! About to try the tartar sauce now. Thanks so much for this easy recipe!!
try adding a couple of drops of liquid Old Bay Seasoning and reduce the onions. Yummy!
Thanks for the suggestion!
I love Old Bay but have never seen it in a liquid form. I am going to search Amazon and see if I can get it. Thanks!
This came RIGHT in time! My daughter asked me to make her fish fingers and I was thinking of something to serve with it besides ketchup. Will give this a go, thanks!
Enjoy!
Perfect timing for this recipe! I’ve got some summer parties this will be a huge hit at!!
Perfect!
This Tartar Sauce looks so flavorful and creamy. The perfect dip indeed!
Thanks for the 5 star rating!
“Classic tartar sauce” was always made with cream of tartar. I know I am dating myself but it really does add a unique taste and acidity. I do not see any recipes for it now and I wonder why.
Hmm, I’m not quite sure. I’ve never made it with cream of tartar.
I love how simple this recipe is! Just perfect for when I need a quick sauce!
This is so creamy and looks like a delicious dip with any starters. Love the flavors to it.
So perfect for apps!
I like to add black pepper to it or depending on the dish pickled jalapeno. Delicious!
Sounds delicious!
I,’m a devoted follower of your recipes. Tried many and every one came out perfectly great. Now I an going to make tartar sauce from your recipe. I made some before and it was OK but was missing something. Pickle juice?????. I will try this one of yours. Thanks for every recipe I have of yours. Carole
So glad you’re enjoying the site. Enjoy!
How long will it last in the frig after you make it?
If stored properly, it should last up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Made this for years and years. Had a backyard full of neighborhood friends grilling fresh fish many years ago in Idaho. Guests raved about my tarter sauce. Wanted the recipe but I told them it was an old secret family recipe and couldn’t give it out to anyone upon penalty of death! (Not true…but it was all in fun and I ended up telling them how I made it.
Haha, I love it!