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    🏠Home » Recipes » Sauces, Rubs, and Seasonings Recipes

    Homemade Tartar Sauce

    May 11, 2013 · Modified: May 4, 2021 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · Leave a Comment

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    3.82 from 44 votes

    An easy homemade tartar sauce using only four ingredients you already have in your kitchen. Add some great taste to that fish dish tonight.

    tarter sauce in white bowl

    Jump To:
    • 📋Ingredients
    • Variations
    • ❄️Storage
    • 📖Fish Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    Tartar sauce is a condiment that is generally used for fish.  It is mayonnaise frequently with capers, along with gherkins or other varieties of pickles, and lemon juice. Commonly herbs such as dill and parsley are added.

    I broke this out of my Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia post so I could refer to it better from other recipes.

    This simple sauce is great with baked or fried fish, and crab or salmon cakes

    My Rating

    My rating system of a 4 out of 5 so very nice.

    Very nice for what it is. I much prefer this to the commercial variety and can whip this up in a few minutes with pantry staples.

    📋Ingredients

    This is a mayonnaise-based sauce, so use the mayonnaise that you like. It can be full fat or lower fat, but please avoid the fat-free. I suggest avoiding Miracle Whip or flavored Mayo since they will add other tastes.

    Other standard flavors are the onion powder and lemon juice. You can switch those out for fresh, but you will be tossing of the lemon or onion.

    I like sweet pickle relish and used that here. You can do a one to one substitute for dill relish.

    Variations

    While this recipe is for what I want and generally have on hand. But there are some options that others will want.

    The common other flavors are capers and dill that are added.

    Capers

    This recipe is without capers, which I never have when I want them. Most current recipes do not include capers, but they are traditionally used.

    To make tartar sauce with capers in my small recipe, drain, and finely chop 1 teaspoon of capers. Increase proportionately for larger amounts.

    One final note on capers, general they are combined with a dill flavor.

    Dill

    They are several ways to make this a dill tartar sauce. First, skip the sweet pickle relish, then try one of these options.

    -Dill relish: 1 teaspoon (the suggested method)
    or
    -Dill Weed: 1 teaspoon
    or
    -Dill Pickle: 1 tablespoon chopped

    ❄️Storage

    Should be sealed well without air. Good refrigerated for 1 week. Do not freeze.

    📖Fish Recipes

    Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia

    Grilled Blackened Tilapia

    Grilled Lemon Butter Tilapia

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Fish Recipes, Sauces, Rubs, and Seasonings Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    mayo with lemon juice and rellish

    Combine ⅓ cup mayo, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish, and ¼ teaspoon onion powder. Mix well.

    mixing tarter sauce in white bowl

    Refrigerate until needed. Better if set for 20-30 minutes.

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    📝Recipe

    tarter sauce in white bowl

    Homemade Tartar Sauce

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    An easy homemade tartar sauce using only four ingredients you already have in your kitchen. Add some great taste to that fish dish tonight.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    3.82 from 44 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
    • ¼ teaspoon onion powder

    Options

    • 1 teaspoon Capers - drained and finely chopped
    • Dill
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine ⅓ cup mayo, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish and ¼ teaspoon onion powder. Mix well.
      mayo with lemon juice and rellish
    • Refrigerate until needed. Better if set for 20-30 minutes
      mixing tarter sauce in white bowl
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. This is a very small recipe making only 6 tablespoons, which I’m calling 4 servings. Most recipes will make three times that amount. So adjust to the amount you need.
    2. The quality of the ingredients is important.
    3. If you add the optional capers, use a dill option and skip the sweet pickle relish.
    4. Dill options: Switch out the sweet relish for: 1 teaspoon of dill relish. Or add 1 teaspoon of dill weed (fresh preferred). Or add 1 tablespoon chopped dill pickle.
    5. Should be sealed well without air. Good refrigerated for 1 week. Do not freeze.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Homemade Tartar Sauce
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 78 Calories from Fat 63
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 7g11%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
    Monounsaturated Fat 2g
    Cholesterol 5mg2%
    Sodium 152mg6%
    Potassium 3mg0%
    Carbohydrates 6g2%
    Fiber 0.01g0%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 0.2g0%
    Vitamin A 50IU1%
    Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
    Calcium 1mg0%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Rubs and Sauces
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally Published May 11, 2013. Updated with expanded discussion with options and re-edited photos. Table of contents added for navigation.

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    More Sauces, Rubs, and Seasonings Recipes

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    • All-Purpose Seasoning Recipe
    • BBQ Dry Rub for Ribs, Brisket, or Pulled Pork
    • How to Make Gravy from Scratch—Quick & Easy

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