If you want a creamy, tangy tartar sauce that tastes fresher than anything from the store, make it at home. This easy tartar sauce recipe uses just five ingredients: mayonnaise, lemon juice, white onion, capers, and dill pickle relish, and it comes together in minutes. The flavor is bright and briny, with a little crunch, so it lifts fried fish and shrimp instead of covering them up. The key is a short rest in the refrigerator. Hence, the onion softens slightly and the flavors blend into a balanced, restaurant-style sauce you can use for dipping, spreading on sandwiches, or serving your favorite seafood dishes.
Why this recipe works
This homemade tartar sauce strikes the perfect balance of creamy, tangy, and savory flavors. The combination of crisp white onions, briny capers, zesty pickles, and fresh lemon juice creates a depth of flavor that store-bought versions can’t match. By allowing the ingredients to meld in the refrigerator for a few hours, the flavors develop and intensify, resulting in a condiment that enhances rather than overpowers your seafood. This is the perfect sauce for fish sticks, fried fish, or crab cakes.
How to make an easy tartar sauce
This recipe is so delicious and easy at the same time. You need only 5 ingredients:
- Mayonnaise – Creates the creamy base and rich texture
- Lemon juice – Adds brightness and acidity that balances the creaminess
- White onions – Provide crisp texture and mild pungency
- Capers – Contributes the distinctive briny flavor and complexity
- Dill pickle relish – Delivers tanginess and sweet-sour notes
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Finely dice the white onion until you have the amount needed.
- Measure all ingredients and add them to a medium mixing bowl.
- Stir until thoroughly combined and all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Transfer to an airtight container.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to develop.
- Stir again before serving.
Storage and freshness information
- Best Quality: Flavors peak after 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze in small portions for up to 1 month.
- Signs of Spoilage: Discard if you notice any odors, discoloration, or separation that does not recombine with stirring.
5-Ingredient Homemade Tartar Sauce (Better Than Store-Bought)
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon chopped white onion
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, white chopped onion, capers, and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Store in an airtight container for a few hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- White onions are specifically recommended for their milder, cleaner flavor compared to yellow onions when used raw
- For the best texture, make sure to dice the onions very finely
- The sauce tastes even better on the second day as flavors continue to develop
- If the sauce seems too thick, add a small splash of lemon juice or a teaspoon of water
- For a richer flavor, add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
Nutrition
Love Tartar Sauce? Try these recipes!
More homemade sauce recipes
- Cocktail Sauce
- Sweet Hot Mustard
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Crostini
- Homemade Peanut Butter
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Caramel Syrup
- French Vanilla Creamer
- Vanilla Sugar
Be sure to check out more of my easy sauce recipes and the best DIY recipes here on CopyKat.com!
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I am not a seafood eater but with tartar sauce I can do it. This is definitely one tartar sauce that works. It is easy and delicious. I used dill pickles instead of the relish and a shallot instead of white onion. This will be my go to tartar sauce.
CAN YOU COPY LONG JOHNS SILVERS TARTER SAUCE ? MY WIFE LOVES THIS TARTER SAUCE.
Thank you for your suggestion!
Not one comment identified a couple of finely chopped hard-boiled eggs to this recipe. I do, and the taste is Wunderbar!!! I also use Miracle whip salad dressing instead of Mayonaise and I always divide the amount (1 cup) between sour-cream and the salad dressing. I choose sweet pickle relish over the dill relish because the lemon juice gives me all the tartness I desire in taste.
Lots of great suggestions! I will have to give your way a try!
Have you ever tried the tarter sauce from the Market Broiler. My absolute favorite.
I am sorry I haven’t tried this before. When I travel I will have to keep it in mind.
I never measure anything when making tartar sauce. I also use homemade sweet pickle relish instead of dill. I’ve never tried adding capers.
Have several family members deathly allergic to capers.. need to test first before using!! 🙂
Sounds just like what I make at home except I leave out the capers.
Capers are SUCH a nice add to so many recipes! Always in the refrig. Experiment!!
I’m a owner of a seafood restaurant and when I first started out in the restaurant business I had a very simple tarter sauce. One of my customers told me I had the best fish she had ever eaten and she mentioned that 8f I could come up with a good tarter sauce it would improve my fish even more. Make a long story short my food supplier Ben E Keith company sales rep told me it was the best tarter sauce she had ever eaten and I needed to get it in super market. She also told me that I could sell the recipe to them for 10-k but I knew that would be a mistake. Our restaurant was going through 2-3 gallons per day and a couple times I ran out and my customers got up set. My question is who can I go to for getting it bottled and put in stores
Might be a good idea to contact a name brand mfg. like Kraft or one of the other biggies.
Shark Tank
I add horseradish sauce, a little whole grain mustard and a dash of hot sauce as well!
I love this suggestion!
Girl, this is fantastic!! The variations sound good too, but this is really yummy. I never thought of adding the capers either. Thanks!
Capers are often forgotten about, but I personally love capers.
This was delightful. I cheated and added a tablespoon of horseradish “sauce” and came up with a WIN! WIN! so thanks
Ooo, I bet that was delicious! I need to try that.
I worked for Morrison’s Cafeteria in 1979, and made their tartar sauce daily. In addition to mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish their version also contained finely minced cabbage, and a bit of onion. The difference in texture is interesting.
I want to try the minced cabbage. I wonder if they did this for texture or for food cost reasons.
It was for texture, adding the cabbage and onion also adds cost. Morrison’s goes through a lot of tartar sauce , it wasn’t unusual to make 5 or more gallons each day.
Morrison’s tartar sauce was so good. I never tasted cabbage.
Sometimes if people chop it up very fine you can’t really taste it, but it adds bulk and texture.
Would love to have the recipe.
I make almost the same thing but I never thought to add the capers before! Next time I have some on hand I will add them in, thanks for the recipe.
I love capers, and if you buy them at Costco, they are reasonably priced.
What do you like to serve your fish with?
Found this recipe for Morrison Cafeteria tarter sauce. Says authentic
https://www.cltampa.com/food-drink/article/20728460/morrisons-cafeteria-as-theatre-memories-of-perfect-shrimp-and-tartar-sauce#.VbjYRPn1LR4