I keep a jar of Homemade Tartar Sauce ready in minutes from a handful of pantry ingredients, so my fridge door is less cluttered and bottled sauce stays off my shopping list.
I never thought a tiny jar of sauce could feel like a cheat code, but I swear this Easy Tartar Sauce does. I make it when I want something bright and a little sneaky; it leans on creamy mayonnaise and sharp chopped dill pickles, and somehow turns a bland meal into dinner people actually talk about.
It’s one of those Homemade Condiments that makes store bottles look sad, like why was I buying those for years? I still catch myself tasting it off a spoon, wondering if I should keep the recipe secret or shout it from the porch.
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise: creamy base, mostly fat and calories, its what makes it rich.
- Dill pickles or relish: tangy, low calorie, adds crunch and sweet sour notes.
- Capers: briny little buds, very low calorie, add salty sharpness and umami.
- Shallot or red onion: mild bite, some fiber and vitamin C, a touch of sweetness.
- Lemon juice and zest: bright sour flavor, vitamin C, low calorie, lifts everything.
- Dijon mustard: tiny calories, tangy complexity, helps emulsify and sharpen the sauce.
- Dill or parsley: fresh green flavor, adds color and antioxidants, keeps it fresh.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 cup mayonnaise (full fat or light works)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles or sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot or red onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice about half a lemon, plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or parsley
- 1 small clove garlic minced optional
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey optional
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
How to Make this
1. Gather everything: mayo, finely chopped dill pickles or relish, chopped capers, minced shallot or red onion, fresh lemon juice (and zest if you want), Dijon mustard, chopped fresh dill or parsley, minced garlic if using, a little sugar or honey if you like, salt and black pepper.
2. Finely chop the pickles, capers and herbs; mince the shallot and garlic. If you use sweet relish you can skip chopping, but taste it cause some relishes are sweeter than others.
3. In a bowl whisk together 1 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon Dijon, and about 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus the optional teaspoon lemon zest until smooth, add the optional teaspoon sugar or honey now if using.
4. Stir in the chopped pickles, capers, shallot, garlic and herbs until everything is evenly mixed.
5. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper but go easy on the salt since capers are salty already.
6. Adjust flavors: more lemon for brightness, more Dijon for tang, more sugar to round acidity, or a splash of water or milk to thin if it feels too thick.
7. Chill at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld, stir again before serving. Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Equipment Needed
1. Large mixing bowl
2. Whisk
3. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
4. Cutting board
5. Chef’s knife
6. Microplane or citrus zester (for lemon zest)
7. Small fine-mesh strainer (to drain capers)
8. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon (for stirring)
9. Airtight container or jar for chilling and storing
FAQ
Easy Tartar Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Mayonnaise: swap with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream for a tangy, lower fat option, or use mashed avocado for a creamy, dairy free twist — yogurt keeps it bright, avocado will turn it a little green but it still tastes great.
- Finely chopped dill pickles or sweet pickle relish: use chopped cornichons or chopped green olives for a similar briny crunch, or grated cucumber if you want something fresher and less sweet.
- Capers: replace with chopped green olives or a tiny bit of minced anchovy for extra umami, or simply add more chopped pickles if capers arent on hand.
- Fresh lemon juice: bottled lemon juice works fine in a pinch, or substitute white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar using about half the vinegar amount to start and then taste and adjust.
Pro Tips
1) Taste before you salt. Capers and pickles can be super salty so sometimes I rinse the capers quick or use less added salt, then taste again after it sits a bit. You can always add salt later but you cant take it out.
2) Don’t skip chilling. Letting it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes makes the flavors mellow and actually taste brighter the next day, so if youre short on time make it the night before.
3) Watch the texture. If it feels too thick, thin with a teaspoon or two of milk or water, or fold in a little plain yogurt for a lighter, tangier mayo. But add liquids slowly, otherwise it can go runny fast.
4) Chop small or blend for smoothness. Finely mince the pickles, capers and shallot so you dont get giant bites of one flavor, or pulse everything once in a food processor or with an immersion blender for a creamier, more uniform sauce.
Easy Tartar Sauce Recipe
I keep a jar of Homemade Tartar Sauce ready in minutes from a handful of pantry ingredients, so my fridge door is less cluttered and bottled sauce stays off my shopping list.
8
servings
190
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large mixing bowl
2. Whisk
3. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
4. Cutting board
5. Chef’s knife
6. Microplane or citrus zester (for lemon zest)
7. Small fine-mesh strainer (to drain capers)
8. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon (for stirring)
9. Airtight container or jar for chilling and storing
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise (full fat or light works)
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles or sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon capers, drained and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot or red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice about half a lemon, plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or parsley
1 small clove garlic minced optional
1 teaspoon sugar or honey optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Gather everything: mayo, finely chopped dill pickles or relish, chopped capers, minced shallot or red onion, fresh lemon juice (and zest if you want), Dijon mustard, chopped fresh dill or parsley, minced garlic if using, a little sugar or honey if you like, salt and black pepper.
- Finely chop the pickles, capers and herbs; mince the shallot and garlic. If you use sweet relish you can skip chopping, but taste it cause some relishes are sweeter than others.
- In a bowl whisk together 1 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon Dijon, and about 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus the optional teaspoon lemon zest until smooth, add the optional teaspoon sugar or honey now if using.
- Stir in the chopped pickles, capers, shallot, garlic and herbs until everything is evenly mixed.
- Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper but go easy on the salt since capers are salty already.
- Adjust flavors: more lemon for brightness, more Dijon for tang, more sugar to round acidity, or a splash of water or milk to thin if it feels too thick.
- Chill at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld, stir again before serving. Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 32.5g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 190kcal
- Fat: 22.5g
- Saturated Fat: 3.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 6g
- Monounsaturated: 12.6g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
- Sodium: 313mg
- Potassium: 25mg
- Carbohydrates: 0.8g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Protein: 0.4g
- Vitamin A: 100IU
- Vitamin C: 1.3mg
- Calcium: 5mg
- Iron: 0.15mg
