Tartar Sauce Recipe

If you're serving fried fish any time soon, you'll want to have this easy, homemade tartar sauce recipe on standby! With only 5 minutes of prep time, store-bought tartar sauce is soon to be a thing of your past.

Traditional tartar sauce gets an instant upgrade when you bring in a simple ingredient like fresh lemon juice and--of course--loads of dill flavor. This is the result: rich and tangy creaminess, so perfect for homemade fried fish and a great way to spruce up a weeknight go-to, like frozen fish sticks!

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS EASY TARTAR SAUCE

The key to a successful sauce is all about balance. This recipe has been tested multiple times to ensure you'll be adding just the right amount of everything to land you the perfect tartar sauce next to your favorite seafood dishes.

We've tested other recipes, and frankly, they leave something to be desired. If you're going to make a homemade tartar sauce, don't you want it to be worth your time?

This recipe has the most flavor and the best consistency yet remains extremely easy to make. I whipped this up the last time we had friends over for my famous oven-baked fried fish, and they literally could not get enough; almost had to make a second batch!

TARTAR SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• Mayonnaise | Mayonnaise is the standard base for any recipe for tartar sauce. It's smooth and creamy and just a bit tangy.
• Lemon Juice | The juice adds fresh flavor to from-scratch tartar sauce. It's a big difference maker when it comes to homemade vs. the bottle.
• Pickles | Rather than using relish, we prefer chopped pickles instead! They add more flavor to every bite. This recipe calls for dill pickles. I recommend a high-quality Kosher dill like Claussen for added freshness and optimal flavor. You can use sweet pickles if you prefer a sweeter tartar sauce.
• Capers | This ingredient is great for adding depth of flavor. Capers are similar to olives but a bit brighter and lemonier. It elevates a simple tartar sauce to gourmet instantaneously.
• Dill | The great thing about this recipe is you can use dried dill, which you might already have in your cabinet! And if you don't, I promise it's worth having in your spice stash for many more tartar sauce-making occasions to come! Its flavor profile is sweet and grassy and a little citrusy. If you'd rather use fresh dill, triple the amount of dried dill called for in the recipe.

CAN I USE RELISH?

If you'd like to use relish rather than chopped pickles, feel free to sub it in! Doing this will add more liquid to the sauce, and possibly make it a bit thinner. Use about three tablespoons of your favorite sweet or pickled relish.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE TARTAR SAUCE

There's not much to making homemade tartar sauce! Simply add the ingredients and stir.

Serve this easy tartar sauce with just about any fish recipe for a delicious fish sauce. It's also delicious with steamed shrimp.

CAN I MAKE IT AHEAD?

Yes! This sauce actually gets better as it sits. You can make it 24-48 hours in advance. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.