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    Home » Dips and Dressings

    Homemade Tartar Sauce

    Published: Feb 11, 2020 Updated: Apr 9, 2020 by Alison Hope · This post may contain affiliate links · 18 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Tartar Sauce

    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!

    Homemade tartar sauce in a black bowl with fries and nuggets.

    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.

    Tartar sauce in a black bowl with nuggets and fries.

    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!
    Step by step process photo collage of making homemade 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.

    Tartar sauce topped with sliced pickles in a black bowl.

    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.

    A veggie nugget dipping into a bowl of homemade tartar sauce.
    Tartar sauce

    Tartar Sauce

    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!
    4.93 from 13 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dip, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 16 Tablespoons
    Calories: 97kcal
    Author: Alison

    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
    US Customary – Metric

    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

    1. 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. 
    2. Make it Vegan: It’s super easy to make this tartar sauce vegan, just use a vegan mayonnaise like Just Mayo. 
    3. 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.
    4. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge and consume within a week.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Tablespoon | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @gimmethatflavor on Instagram and hashtag it #gimmethatflavor
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    About Alison Hope

    Hi I'm Alison, I'm the voice and cook behind Gimme That Flavor. I am a big time foodie and probably cooking up a storm in my kitchen right now! I'm also a cat mom. And a sweet tooth. Binge watcher of TV shows. Terrible sleeper always staying up too late....Find out more about me here.

    Gimme That Flavor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Gimme That Flavor will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Luke

      July 05, 2022 at 6:40 am

      I feel this is a good recipe but it needs more onion to bulk it up.4 stars

      Reply
    2. Sandra Lewis

      October 18, 2021 at 12:28 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        October 18, 2021 at 2:05 pm

        Thanks for sharing Sandra, that sounds great!

        Reply
    3. Martha

      July 09, 2021 at 1:34 am

      Absolutely delicious and perfect with pan seared grouper! A definite keeper!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        July 09, 2021 at 11:33 am

        So happy you enjoyed it Martha! Thanks for the wonderful review!

        Reply
    4. Nikki Krakauer “JustTabandMe”

      March 02, 2021 at 6:46 pm

      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!!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        March 03, 2021 at 9:13 am

        So glad you enjoyed it Nikki! And thanks for that great tip! 🙂

        Reply
      • Sarah

        October 04, 2021 at 6:39 pm

        My mom did the same thing with potato salad when we were little for the same reason! It worked.

        Reply
    5. Diane

      February 23, 2021 at 1:46 pm

      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!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        February 23, 2021 at 1:48 pm

        That is so awesome! Thanks for the amazing review Diane!

        Reply
    6. Jean

      January 30, 2021 at 5:56 pm

      I make tartar sauce with pickles chopped, Hellman’s Mayo and little pickle juice. And fridge it till needed it’s awesome!

      Reply
    7. Mary J

      December 29, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      I use mayo and sweet pickle relish. It’s great

      Reply
    8. Ginger Watts

      May 07, 2020 at 12:06 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        May 07, 2020 at 12:07 pm

        Sounds great! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    9. Jessie

      February 17, 2020 at 9:44 am

      Hits the spot perfectly. Thanks for this delicious recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        February 17, 2020 at 9:47 am

        Thanks for the great review Jessie!

        Reply
        • Jean

          May 07, 2020 at 3:23 am

          I can’t wait to try this. It looks so good!!

          Reply
          • Alison Hope

            May 07, 2020 at 10:58 am

            Thanks Jean! Hope you enjoy it!

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    Alison Hope Author

    Hi! I'm Alison! Big time foodie. I'm probably cooking up a storm in my kitchen right now. I'm also a cat mom. And a sweet tooth. Binge watcher of TV shows. Terrible sleeper always staying up too late.... 

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