The Best Quick and Creamy Homemade Classic Tartar Sauce
Make superior homemade tartar sauce in under 10 minutes. This creamy, tangy dipping sauce uses simple ingredients and is the best sauce for fish and chips, crab cakes, and fried shrimp.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 10 min
- Yield: About 1 1/4 cups 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, drained
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish, drained
- 1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients. You need a medium bowl for mixing.
- Place the mayonnaise in the bowl. This forms the creamy base for your sauce.
- Add the sweet pickle relish and dill pickle relish to the mayonnaise. Make sure to drain them well first to control the moisture.
- Stir in the finely chopped capers and the fresh lemon juice. The lemon juice adds necessary tang.
- Add the Dijon mustard and black pepper. If you are using fresh dill, mix it in now.
- Stir all ingredients together until they are fully combined and the sauce looks uniform.
- Taste the sauce. If you want more tang, add a few more drops of lemon juice.
- Cover the bowl and chill the tartar sauce for at least 15 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to blend.
Notes
- For a slightly lighter sauce, you can substitute 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
- If you prefer a sharper flavor, use finely minced fresh onion or shallot instead of extra relish.
- This homemade tartar sauce recipe keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
- Calories: 175
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 19
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 16
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 10