Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe (2024)

Home » Dips and Sauces » Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

December 28, 2014 by Stephanie Manley, Last Updated January 19, 2021 30 Comments

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Looking for a new and creamy tartar sauce? This Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe has only 5 ingredients and is perfect for dipping or spreading on your sandwich. You’ll never buy tartar sauce again!

Table of Contents

Why This Recipe Works

How many times have you wanted to serve up some fish and noticed you were missing tartar sauce? I hate going to the store for just one thing, so for me being able to whip up a batch of tartar sauce is something that works for me.

And this homemade version is so much better than a store-bought jar. Scroll down to see my video on this tartar sauce recipe!

How to Make Tartar Sauce

This recipe is so delicious and easy at the same time. You need only 5 ingredients:

Mayonnaise
Lemon Juice
White Onions
Capers
Dill Pickle Relish

Simply combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

Recipe Variations

You can toss fresh herbs in homemade tartar sauce like parsley, chervil, chives, and some green onion tops.
Add a dash of Tabasco for extra flavor.

Recipe Notes

It’s best to use white onions for this recipe. White onions tend to have less heat than yellow onions. I feel if you are going to be eating raw onions you should always use white over yellow onions.
Capers are a wonderful addition to tartar sauce. It comes from the caper plant has a unique flavor that works well in this sauce. You can also use capers in Chicken Piccata.
Make this recipe a few hours in advance. The extra time allows the flavors to develop. It tastes even better the second day.
Homemade tartar sauce stays fresh for 4 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Use this tartar sauce on a hamburger instead of your traditional mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup.

I hope you give this recipe I try. I bet once you see how easy this is to make you won’t buy the sauce in the jar anymore.

Love Tartar Sauce? Try these recipes!

Red Lobster Tartar Sauce Recipe
McDonalds Tartar Sauce Recipe
Tartar Sauce with Olives

More DIY Recipes

co*cktail Sauce
Sweet Hot Mustard
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Crostini
Homemade Peanut Butter
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Caramel Syrup
French Vanilla Creamer
Vanilla Sugar

Be sure to check out more of my easy sauce recipes and the best DIY recipes here on CopyKat.com!

Did you make and love this recipe?Give your review below.And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!

Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce

You can make great tasting tartar sauce at home. No need to buy tartar sauce in the jar.

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Sauces

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Tartar Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 153kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
1 tablespoon chopped white onion
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, white chopped onion, capers, and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Store in an airtight container for a few hours before serving.

Video

Notes

You can toss fresh herbs in homemade tartar sauce like parsley, chervil, chives, and some green onion tops.
Add a dash of Tabasco for extra flavor
Homemade tartar sauce says fresh for 4 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Yes, you CAN make it at home!I'll show you how.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Karen M.
April 30, 2023 at 7:29 pm

I am not a seafood eater but with tartar sauce I can do it. This is definitely one tartar sauce that works. It is easy and delicious. I used dill pickles instead of the relish and a shallot instead of white onion. This will be my go to tartar sauce.
Reply
MARVIN RAINES
August 22, 2022 at 5:52 pm
CAN YOU COPY LONG JOHNS SILVERS TARTER SAUCE ? MY WIFE LOVES THIS TARTER SAUCE.
Reply
- Stephanie Manley
  August 23, 2022 at 6:57 am
  Thank you for your suggestion!
  Reply
Phillip M. Freeman
July 5, 2020 at 9:03 am
Not one comment identified a couple of finely chopped hard-boiled eggs to this recipe. I do, and the taste is Wunderbar!!! I also use Miracle whip salad dressing instead of Mayonaise and I always divide the amount (1 cup) between sour-cream and the salad dressing. I choose sweet pickle relish over the dill relish because the lemon juice gives me all the tartness I desire in taste.
Reply
- Stephanie
  July 5, 2020 at 9:25 am
  Lots of great suggestions! I will have to give your way a try!
  Reply
Kathy
May 6, 2017 at 4:03 am

Have you ever tried the tarter sauce from the Market Broiler. My absolute favorite.
Reply
- Stephanie
  March 16, 2019 at 5:47 am
  I am sorry I haven’t tried this before. When I travel I will have to keep it in mind.
  Reply
James Lindley
December 29, 2016 at 4:39 pm

I never measure anything when making tartar sauce. I also use homemade sweet pickle relish instead of dill. I’ve never tried adding capers.
Reply
- Icydawg
  November 11, 2018 at 4:24 pm
  Have several family members deathly allergic to capers.. need to test first before using!! 🙂
  See Also
  11 BEST Tartar Sauce Substitutes + 2 To Avoid - Pantry & Larder
  Reply
MaryLou
April 8, 2016 at 11:05 am

Sounds just like what I make at home except I leave out the capers.
Reply
Ed
March 17, 2016 at 3:05 pm
Capers are SUCH a nice add to so many recipes! Always in the refrig. Experiment!!
Reply
Terry Roberson
February 13, 2016 at 6:42 am
I’m a owner of a seafood restaurant and when I first started out in the restaurant business I had a very simple tarter sauce. One of my customers told me I had the best fish she had ever eaten and she mentioned that 8f I could come up with a good tarter sauce it would improve my fish even more. Make a long story short my food supplier Ben E Keith company sales rep told me it was the best tarter sauce she had ever eaten and I needed to get it in super market. She also told me that I could sell the recipe to them for 10-k but I knew that would be a mistake. Our restaurant was going through 2-3 gallons per day and a couple times I ran out and my customers got up set. My question is who can I go to for getting it bottled and put in stores
Reply
- MaryLou
  April 8, 2016 at 11:04 am
  Might be a good idea to contact a name brand mfg. like Kraft or one of the other biggies.
  Reply
- Doug
  June 17, 2017 at 9:11 am
  Shark Tank
  Reply
Lisa Dawson
March 20, 2015 at 8:53 am
I add horseradish sauce, a little whole grain mustard and a dash of hot sauce as well!
Reply
- Stephanie Manley
  March 24, 2015 at 4:15 am
  I love this suggestion!
  Reply
Nancybbc
March 19, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Girl, this is fantastic!! The variations sound good too, but this is really yummy. I never thought of adding the capers either. Thanks!
Reply
- Stephanie Manley
  March 24, 2015 at 4:15 am
  Capers are often forgotten about, but I personally love capers.
  Reply
JetfireK
January 14, 2015 at 3:21 am
This was delightful. I cheated and added a tablespoon of horseradish “sauce” and came up with a WIN! WIN! so thanks
Reply
- Stephanie Manley
  January 30, 2015 at 7:45 pm
  Ooo, I bet that was delicious! I need to try that.
  Reply
kevin1
January 10, 2015 at 7:20 pm
I worked for Morrison’s Cafeteria in 1979, and made their tartar sauce daily. In addition to mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish their version also contained finely minced cabbage, and a bit of onion. The difference in texture is interesting.
Reply
- Stephanie Manley
  January 11, 2015 at 8:08 am
  I want to try the minced cabbage. I wonder if they did this for texture or for food cost reasons.
  Reply
  - kevin1
    January 11, 2015 at 9:16 am
    It was for texture, adding the cabbage and onion also adds cost. Morrison’s goes through a lot of tartar sauce , it wasn’t unusual to make 5 or more gallons each day.
- Tim
  July 29, 2016 at 4:32 am
  Morrison’s tartar sauce was so good. I never tasted cabbage.
  Reply
  - Stephanie
    July 29, 2016 at 6:04 am
    Sometimes if people chop it up very fine you can’t really taste it, but it adds bulk and texture.
- Debra
  October 16, 2016 at 2:17 pm
  Would love to have the recipe.
  Reply
Maria
January 10, 2015 at 7:55 am
I make almost the same thing but I never thought to add the capers before! Next time I have some on hand I will add them in, thanks for the recipe.
Reply
- Stephanie Manley
  January 11, 2015 at 8:10 am
  I love capers, and if you buy them at Costco, they are reasonably priced.
  Reply
Stephanie Manley
December 28, 2014 at 9:25 pm
What do you like to serve your fish with?
Reply
- Kathy
  November 12, 2021 at 6:28 am
  Found this recipe for Morrison Cafeteria tarter sauce. Says authentic
  https://www.cltampa.com/food-drink/article/20728460/morrisons-cafeteria-as-theatre-memories-of-perfect-shrimp-and-tartar-sauce#.VbjYRPn1LR4
  Reply

5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)