This homemade tartar sauce is packed with flavor and so much tastier than anything you can buy off the shelf. It’s ready in 5 minutes and divine as a dip!
This tartar sauce recipe is wonderful as a dip for chips or fries! If you happen to have some crumbed nuggets of any description then it makes an amazing dip for those too!
The homemade version is SO much better than the store-bought variety and after you taste it you will likely never buy it off the shelf again. It’s also so easy to whip up using simple ingredients that you likely have on hand anyway, so it’s a case of why the heck not.
And if you love this tartar sauce then also check out our homemade ranch dressing, buffalo ranch dressing and vegetarian caesar dressing.
How To Make Homemade Tartar Sauce
Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- It’s so easy to make!
- Just add mayonnaise to a mixing bowl and then add finely chopped dill pickles, dried dill, finely chopped onion, dijon mustard, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Mix it together and you have tartar sauce!
Recipe Tips
We used finely chopped onion which adds flavor and texture! But it should be very finely chopped. Alternatively you can substitute ½ teaspoon of onion powder instead.
Dijon mustard is a great flavor boost but you can also substitute a different type of mustard if that’s what you have on hand. It must be prepared mustard though and not a mustard powder.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is more flavorful than the bottled variety but either/or will do as well.
How To Serve Tartar Sauce
It’s delicious served with chips or french fries. It’s also really delicious as a dip for any kind of crumbed nugget. In these photos we have some veggie chick’n nuggets which was really divine dipped into this sauce.
Make It Vegan
This is actually really easy to make vegan as all you have to do is use a vegan mayonnaise and there are some really good vegan mayo options around nowadays. Just Mayo is a good one and Hellman’s also have a vegan mayonnaise option now.
Make Ahead and Storage
This is a great dip to make ahead of time as it actually gets even more tasty after a few hours chilling in the fridge. So you can make it a few hours before you need to serve it or even the day before.
You can also store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge where it will stay good for up to a week.
Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp Dill Pickle Finely Chopped
- 1 Tbsp Dried Dill
- 1 Tbsp Onion Finely Chopped*
- ½ tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- Pinch Salt
- Pinch Black Pepper
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise to a mixing bowl along with the finely chopped dill pickle, dried dill, finely chopped onion (or sub onion powder, see notes*), dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Mix together well.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving for the flavors to blend perfectly.
Video
Notes
- We used finely chopped onion in this tartar sauce which provides flavor and texture, but you can substitute it for ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Make it Vegan: It’s super easy to make this tartar sauce vegan, just use a vegan mayonnaise like Just Mayo.
- This is ideal to make ahead as it gets even tastier after a few hours chilling in the fridge. So you can make it a few hours before you need it or even the day before.
- Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge and consume within a week.
I love this recipe …only difference is I use dill relish instead of pickles…lots easier
Thanks for sharing and for your great review!
I feel this is a good recipe but it needs more onion to bulk it up.
I add a little sour cream and finely chopped celery to this recipe and my family and friends love it. If I have it, I have also added chopped parsley. We eat a lot of seafood here in Maine. Some people prefer sweet tartar sauce and if so, just substitute sweet pickles for the dill; however, in my opinion, dill is definitely the best!
Thanks for sharing Sandra, that sounds great!
Absolutely delicious and perfect with pan seared grouper! A definite keeper!
So happy you enjoyed it Martha! Thanks for the wonderful review!
I’m used to a sweeter sauce, however this was really refreshing, time was short, and I loved it. Just a quick tip for all, that I (retired Dietitian and Chef!) learned from my over 50 daughter! If a recipe calls for “finely chopped onion”, grate it!!! If her fussiest sister doesn’t see it, onions are “grate” (sorry…devil made me do it!). Blessings!!!
So glad you enjoyed it Nikki! And thanks for that great tip! 🙂
My mom did the same thing with potato salad when we were little for the same reason! It worked.
I forgot to buy tartar sauce at the store and was making fish. I cook for my dad who never notices anything whether it’s homemade or store bought! I made this because I had all the ingredients. And guess what? Without me saying it’s homemade, he said this is the best tartar sauce! It was perfect so I will never buy it in a jar again, thank you!
That is so awesome! Thanks for the amazing review Diane!
I make tartar sauce with pickles chopped, Hellman’s Mayo and little pickle juice. And fridge it till needed it’s awesome!
I use mayo and sweet pickle relish. It’s great
Hi we owned a seafood restaurant and made our own tartar as well but just use mayo and dill pickles chopped with a little of the pickle juice and mixed it up and made our own cocktail as well. Was always told we had the best.
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing!
Hits the spot perfectly. Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Thanks for the great review Jessie!
I can’t wait to try this. It looks so good!!
Thanks Jean! Hope you enjoy it!