Homemade Tartar Sauce tastes so much fresher than store-bought, and learning how to make Tartar Sauce at home is simple. This easy Tartar Sauce Recipe just requires a few ingredients and some mixing. It’s the perfect sauce for fish and seafood recipes, like these tasty Crab Cakes. I just love the way the flavors of classic tartar sauce mix together with fresh seafood!

Homemade tartar sauce recipe in glass jar

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

This homemade tartar sauce recipe is so fresh and flavorful! Learn how to make tartar sauce at home for your next seafood dish.

Homemade Tartar Sauce is filled with so many bold flavors, and that’s what I love about it! It’s so creamy and tart, and it’s the best flavor combo when mixed with seafood. I love fresh seafood, especially grilled or baked fish. And crab cakes…I could eat those all day! This Tartar Sauce recipe just enhances the flavor of my favorite seafood dishes. It’s such a classic!

I’ve been making a lot of homemade classics lately, because homemade sauces and dressings really just taste better. And they’re all so easy to make! You can make ranch dressing, Caesar salad dressing, and basil walnut pesto…now you can learn how to make tartar sauce too!

This is the best tartar sauce recipe to make at home, and it tastes so incredibly delicious with baked, battered, and fried seafood dishes!

Learn How to Make Tartar Sauce with this flavorful Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe. It’s so creamy and tasty with crab cakes, battered fish, and lots of other seafood dishes!

Tartar sauce in a glass jar, next to 3 dill pickles

Homemade tartar sauce in a jar, sitting on a dish towel

Homemade Tartar Sauce Ingredients 

This Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe has all the best, classic tartar sauce ingredients! I just love the creamy, bold, tart flavor of this sauce.

Tartar Sauce Ingredients:

  • Mayonnaise
  • Dill pickles
  • Lemon juice or white wine vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Fresh chives
  • Shallots or green onions

How to Make Tartar Sauce

Making tartar sauce is easy. Like, you don’t even need instructions kind of easy. Once you’ve got the ingredient list, you’re just about done. That’s the kind of recipe I like! Quick, simple, straightforward, and easy to make any time. In case you do want instructions, though, here they are:

  1. Gather your ingredients
  2. Whisk everything together in a bowl
  3. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving

This homemade tartar sauce is too easy! Prepare it for every seafood dinner, or serve it along with the best seafood appetizers.

Teal spoon sitting in a jar of tartar sauce

What goes with Tartar Sauce?

This tartar sauce recipe goes with all the seafood dishes you can think of! First and foremost, I think it is the absolutely perfect sauce to serve with the best crab cakes. I can’t get over that flavor combination…fresh crab, crispy batter, and creamy tartar sauce. Yum! But this sauce goes well with plenty of other dishes too.

Try out these seafood recipes with this homemade tartar sauce:

It would also taste so amazing with fish and chips or any battered fish recipe. I love crunchy fried fish dipped in tartar sauce!

How long does tartar sauce keep in the fridge?

This homemade tartar sauce recipe will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to one week. This sauce is something you’ll want to make fresh for your seafood dishes, but you can certainly save any extra for a few days without any problems.

How do you make tartar sauce without lemon juice?

If you don’t have lemon juice, just substitute white wine vinegar in its place.

How do you make tartar sauce without relish?

You really don’t need relish to make tartar sauce. Just use fresh dill pickles instead. Mince the pickles and you have a proper replacement. The fresh pickles taste better anyways!

how to make tartar sauce at home

Don’t forget to add this Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe to your next seafood dish! It’s creamy, tart, and so full of flavor. You’re going to love it!

See the recipe card below for full details on How to Make Tartar Sauce at home. Enjoy!

Recipe Card

Homemade Tartar Sauce

4.74 from 76 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 24
Author: Becky Hardin
Homemade Tartar Sauce tastes so much fresher than store-bought, and learning how to make Tartar Sauce at home is simple. This easy Tartar Sauce Recipe just requires a few ingredients and some mixing. It's the perfect sauce for fish and seafood recipes, like these tasty crab cakes. I just love the way the flavors of classic tartar sauce mix together with fresh seafood!
Homemade Tartar Sauce tastes so much fresher than store-bought, and learning how to make Tartar Sauce at home is simple. This easy Tartar Sauce Recipe just requires a few ingredients and some mixing. It's the perfect sauce for fish and seafood recipes, like these tasty crab cakes. I just love the way the flavors of classic tartar sauce mix together with fresh seafood!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons minced dill pickles
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot or green onions
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon hot sauce optional
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley optional

Instructions 

  • Whisk all ingredients in a medium-mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
  • The tartar sauce will keep up to one week refrigerated.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 63kcalFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 78mgPotassium: 3mgVitamin A: 15IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.74 from 76 votes (69 ratings without comment)
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16 Comments
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Anita
Anita
July 26, 2024 10:50 pm

So yummy, love the addition of hot sauce, I did add a tablespoon of chopped fresh dill, put it over the top, it was great on veggies as well.5 stars

Nan
Nan
July 12, 2024 5:17 pm

Finally a home made recipe with easy ingredients and an authentic taste. I only had dried dill but it was still delicious.5 stars

Peter Coulton
Peter Coulton
September 22, 2023 5:12 pm

Do you have recipe for canning Tarter sauce. We get a large number of eggs sometimes and also i want keep as few things in my fridge at time. So we wanted to make it ahead of time to premaking it and storing in our pantry5 stars

Samantha Marceau
September 26, 2023 10:00 am
Reply to  Peter Coulton

Hi Peter, we do not unfortunately! None of us here are canners, so we wouldn’t feel comfortable trying to share a recipe.

Mizzboz
Mizzboz
May 15, 2022 11:27 am

This recipe sounds delicious however, I can’t have mustard of any kind. Can I make it without it and still be good?

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
May 16, 2022 4:06 pm
Reply to  Mizzboz

It will alter the taste!

Graphista
Graphista
April 3, 2022 12:12 pm

This is the recipe I’ve been looking for! It’s a fav condiment but couldn’t find the right flavor. This recipe has so much flavor and comes together so easily. My only regret was making a half batch the first time.5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
April 4, 2022 10:58 am
Reply to  Graphista

Thanks for sharing!!

Chris D
Chris D
March 4, 2022 5:13 pm

This was easy to whip up with what I had in the kitchen. I did have to improvise some ingredients. It has a great flavor and I can’t wait to eat.5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
March 8, 2022 1:21 pm
Reply to  Chris D

Thanks for sharing, Chris!

Melina
Melina
February 23, 2022 5:11 pm

I really think the shallots give this a wonderful flavor that makes this so much better then regular tartar sauce! My husband says thank you and it’s Amazing! He put it on the baked potato and asparagus I cooked with the fish.5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
February 28, 2022 9:13 am
Reply to  Melina

I love to hear that!!

Bill Greene
Bill Greene
May 13, 2020 9:21 pm

VERY GOOD RECIPE

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
May 13, 2020 10:10 pm
Reply to  Bill Greene

Thank you, Bill!!

Wilma
Wilma
August 7, 2019 10:04 am

Sure sounds good to me. Will try this recipe when I do fish, for dipping.5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
August 9, 2019 10:24 am
Reply to  Wilma

Thank you, Wilma!