Looking for a new and creamy tartar sauce? This Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe has only 5 ingredients and is perfect for dipping or spreading on your sandwich. You’ll never buy tartar sauce again!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
How many times have you wanted to serve up some fish and noticed you were missing tartar sauce? I hate going to the store for just one thing, so for me being able to whip up a batch of tartar sauce is something that works for me.
And this homemade version is so much better than a store-bought jar. Scroll down to see my video on this tartar sauce recipe!
How to Make Tartar Sauce
This recipe is so delicious and easy at the same time. You need only 5 ingredients:
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon Juice
- White Onions
- Capers
- Dill Pickle Relish
Simply combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
Recipe Variations
- You can toss fresh herbs in homemade tartar sauce like parsley, chervil, chives, and some green onion tops.
- Add a dash of Tabasco for extra flavor.
Recipe Notes
- It’s best to use white onions for this recipe. White onions tend to have less heat than yellow onions. I feel if you are going to be eating raw onions you should always use white over yellow onions.
- Capers are a wonderful addition to tartar sauce. It comes from the caper plant has a unique flavor that works well in this sauce. You can also use capers in Chicken Piccata.
- Make this recipe a few hours in advance. The extra time allows the flavors to develop. It tastes even better the second day.
- Homemade tartar sauce stays fresh for 4 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Use this tartar sauce on a hamburger instead of your traditional mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup.
I hope you give this recipe I try. I bet once you see how easy this is to make you won’t buy the sauce in the jar anymore.
Love Tartar Sauce? Try these recipes!
More DIY 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!
Did you make and love this recipe? Give your review below. And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce
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
- You can toss fresh herbs in homemade tartar sauce like parsley, chervil, chives, and some green onion tops.
- Add a dash of Tabasco for extra flavor
- Homemade tartar sauce says fresh for 4 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Phillip M. Freeman
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.
Stephanie
Lots of great suggestions! I will have to give your way a try!
Kathy
Have you ever tried the tarter sauce from the Market Broiler. My absolute favorite.
Stephanie
I am sorry I haven’t tried this before. When I travel I will have to keep it in mind.
James Lindley
I never measure anything when making tartar sauce. I also use homemade sweet pickle relish instead of dill. I’ve never tried adding capers.
Icydawg
Have several family members deathly allergic to capers.. need to test first before using!! 🙂
MaryLou
Sounds just like what I make at home except I leave out the capers.
Ed
Capers are SUCH a nice add to so many recipes! Always in the refrig. Experiment!!
Terry Roberson
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
MaryLou
Might be a good idea to contact a name brand mfg. like Kraft or one of the other biggies.
Doug
Shark Tank
Lisa Dawson
I add horseradish sauce, a little whole grain mustard and a dash of hot sauce as well!
Stephanie Manley
I love this suggestion!
Nancybbc
Girl, this is fantastic!! The variations sound good too, but this is really yummy. I never thought of adding the capers either. Thanks!
Stephanie Manley
Capers are often forgotten about, but I personally love capers.
JetfireK
This was delightful. I cheated and added a tablespoon of horseradish “sauce” and came up with a WIN! WIN! so thanks
Stephanie Manley
Ooo, I bet that was delicious! I need to try that.
kevin1
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.
Stephanie Manley
I want to try the minced cabbage. I wonder if they did this for texture or for food cost reasons.
kevin1
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.
Tim
Morrison’s tartar sauce was so good. I never tasted cabbage.
Stephanie
Sometimes if people chop it up very fine you can’t really taste it, but it adds bulk and texture.
Debra
Would love to have the recipe.
Maria
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.
Stephanie Manley
I love capers, and if you buy them at Costco, they are reasonably priced.
Stephanie Manley
What do you like to serve your fish with?
Kathy
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