Best Tartar Sauce

Perfect creamy and tangy sauce for seafood.

The best creamy and tangy tartar sauce made with a short list of ingredients. Great for fried seafood, as a dip, or anything your heart desires.

What is Tartar Sauce

Tartar sauce is a tangy seafood sauce often made with mayonnaise and dill relish as the base. It actually originated in France!

Living on the coast of Florida, seafood restaurants are on just about every corner along the beaches. Some serve tartar sauce from a bottle and others invest in a homemade version. My mom and I have tried just about every store bought option and still can’t name a winner.

Tartar sauce is quick to whip up and I promise it’s better than store bought!

What Makes this the Best Tartar Sauce

I find condiments and sauces are one of the last things we think to make homemade, with the endless store bought options, it’s obviously the easier route. After trying many bottled options, I finally ventured to making my own.

One thing that took me awhile to figure out is how to get a good onion flavor without the harshness of fresh onion. Not only for myself, but I know many do not prefer a strong, raw onion bite. I actually went down a rabbit hole of how McDonald’s makes their tartar sauce and they use dried minced onion – I would have never guessed.

Now we’re not making a McDonald’s copycat here but it solved one of my conundrums. I also didn’t want it to be super herb heavy – that’s just not what I think of when looking for a classic seafood tartar sauce.

Now to why this is the best tartar sauce – with the combination of mayonnaise, dill relish, minced onion, capers, chives and a few other ingredients – I can say it’s the tastiest version I have made thus far while keeping a classic feel. Not only tasty, others really enjoy it – even some of the pickier eaters in my life & that says a lot.

Ingredients

Many of the basic ingredients you probably already have on hand. A few things are also interchangeable.

Let’s get into it:

• mayonnaise – use light or regular!
• dill pickle relish – definitely needs to be dill here, not sweet
• capers – minced! use a garlic mincer or finely dice them
• dried minced onion – if you prefer raw onion, you can use it, but the sauce will be much more onion forward
• lemon juice – use fresh or the bottle (try to avoid a concentrate, if you use it, start with less and taste)
• milk, half and half, or cream – milk (of any kind) is preferred, but use what you have on hand
• fresh chives – these add fantastic flavor, you don’t have to add them, but it may not make it the best tartar sauce

What to Serve with Tartar Sauce

I would argue tartar sauce can be used with more than you might be thinking!

My number one use is fried fish (are you surprised) – that tangy, creamy kick compliments it so well. I love to make fried cod sandwiches on brioche buns with a hefty smear – yum!

Some other ideas:

• fried white fish (cod, halibut, tilapia, haddock)
• fried shrimp or popcorn shrimp
• dip for roasted potatoes or french fries
• mix it in with tuna for a quick lunch
• mix it with iceberg lettuce or slaw mix and top your fish tacos or sandwiches

How to Serve Tartar Sauce

Tartar sauce seems to be widely enjoyed but I always recommend to leave sauces and dips on the side when serving to a crowd. Some also like a lot of sauce or just a smear – let them add it themselves.

If it’s going to be sitting out at a party or gathering, add the sauce to a small dish. Add ice to a larger dish and place the small dish on top of the ice – there is something just not right about an already warm mayonnaise sauce. It helps keep it more appealing and fresh.

Storage Tips

If you have leftover tartar sauce, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. I like to use it within 72 hours for best flavor and freshness.

If you’re making it ahead, leave out the chives until just before serving so they don’t wilt.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use fresh lemon juice?

I use a fresh lemon or the bottled pure lemon juice. If you only have concentrate, start with very little and taste to ensure it doesn’t overpower the sauce.

I don’t have any fresh chives, what can I use instead?

You can omit them! Although they do contribute to making this the best tartar sauce – add them if you can!

I am looking for a tangier flavor, should I add something?

If you like a tangier or heavier pickle flavor, add some extra juice from the dill pickle relish jar.

I have leftover tartar sauce, what should I do?

Dip fries or roasted potatoes or mix into hardboiled eggs or tuna and make a sandwich!