This Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce recipe is so simple to make, and so delicious that you may never want the store-bought stuff again!
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Why Make Your Own?
The number one reason for making this easy tartar sauce recipe: it's just simply delicious. Nothing from the store can compare.
Secondly, it takes 5 minutes to make. It's great to whip up a small batch while your Air Fryer Salmon is cooking. You will also love tartar sauce with other seafood recipes, like Cajun Crab Cakes or Salmon Cakes .
Finally, this recipe contains only a few simple ingredients that you possibly already have in your kitchen.
What Are The Ingredients?
- Mayonnaise For best results use full-fat, real mayonnaise.
- Capers Capers are actually the tiny flower buds of the caper bush, which is native to the Mediterranean. They have a salty/sour taste that works perfectly in tartar sauce. If you don't have capers, you can substitute a finely chopped dill pickle.
- Lemon Juice Real lemon juice is essential.
- Fresh Dill Fresh dill really shines here, but if you don't have it, go ahead and used dried dill.
- Dried Onion Dried flaked onion, or onion powder is perfect because you won't need to cut a whole onion for the small quality required for the recipe.
How To Make It
Simply combine all the ingredients, then keep it in the fridge in a covered container until you're ready to use it. It's that easy!
FAQs
If you don't have capers, you can finely chop a dill pickle. Your tartar sauce won't be exactly the same, but it will still be delicious.
Substitute 1 teaspoon of dried dill for the fresh dill. Tip: you can also add a teaspoon of dill pickle juice instead.
This sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Yes! This recipe makes a small batch, but if you can easily double the recipe if you want more.
Recipe Tips
- Homemade tartar sauce is delicious enough to use right away but even better if you can store it in the fridge for an hour before using it.
- Make sure your ingredients are cold. Tartar sauce is best when it's chilled.
- Taste and add more capers and or dill, if you choose.
- You can also add a dash of hot sauce, like tabasco if you want a bit more zing.
- Store homemade tarter sauce in a glass jar with a lid. A half-pint jar is the perfect size.
How To Enjoy It:
Homemade tartar sauce is delicious for many things other than just fish! Use it for dipping vegetables, spreading on burgers, or any of these:
Recipe
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Homemade Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup real mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon capers chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes or onion powder
- ½ lemon juice and zest
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Homemade tartar sauce is delicious enough to use right away, but even better if you can store it in the fridge for an hour before using it.
- Make sure your ingredients are cold. Tartar sauce is best when it's chilled.
- Taste your finished sauce and add more capers and or dill, if you would like.
- You can also add a dash of hot sauce, like tabasco, if you want a bit more zing.
- Store homemade tarter sauce in a glass jar with a lid. A half-pint jar is the perfect size.
Alex
Lovely stuff - I really like tartare sauce and don't make it often enough. We also have fresh dill growing now in our little herb garden so I'll be trying this easy recipe soon!
Colleen
Hi Alex! I think you will love this and would love to hear back how it went!
Sabrina
Delicious, this is just the way I like it. Thanks for another great recipe!
Colleen
You're very welcome, Sabrina! I'm so happy that you enjoyed it!
Terri Gilson
OMG I LOVE homemade tartar sauce! I am caper crazy so I love that you have added capers to this - it completely elevates it! Going on my tuna burgers next 🙂
Colleen
Hi Terri, I know, I'm caper crazy, too. Tuna burgers sound like the perfect match!
Ramona
I love tartar sauce and this seems like a great recipe for it! I will definitely be trying this out for a recipe I'm going to be making, and this would go really well with it. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Colleen
Hi Ramona, I would love to hear how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
Sharon
Great idea! Who doesn't love tartar sauce? And homemade is always so much better than storebought. I'm going to source out some capers and make this sauce ASAP. Thanks!
Colleen
Hi Sharon. You can find capers in the grocery store where the pickles are. Enjoy!
Jacqueline Debono
I've been wanting to make my own tartar sauce for ages. This was so easy and so delicious. I'll never buy ready made again!
Colleen
I'm super happy that you loved it Jacqueline! Thanks for letting me know!
Lisa
This looks really good, Colleen! I love how easy it is to make and with such simple ingredients. Thanks for sharing this!
Colleen
You're welcome, Lisa! Enjoy!
Tammy
Tartar sauce is one of my favorites and homemade is always better. Love how easy it is to make too!! 😀
Colleen
Hi Tammy, yes homemade is always better, and this tartar sauce is so easy there's no reason not to make it!
Veronika
I love tartar sauce but never maid it myself. Going to use your recipe next time I need it, it looks so delicious!
Leslie
This is such a classic tarter sauce recipe. Homemade is always so much better than store bought!
Colleen
Hi Leslie, yes, it really is a classic and so much better than store-bought!
Jen
I always have shop-bought tartar sauce with fish and chips so I was delighted when I stumbled across this homemade recipe. It was super delicious and easy to follow!
Colleen
I'm so happy that you liked the recipe, Jen, and it's great to know that it was easy to follow, too. Thanks for letting me know!