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If you’ve never made Homemade Tartar Sauce, you’re in for a treat! This easy recipe is fresh, flavorful, and so much better than anything you can get from a bottle. Whenever we are making seafood dishes this tartar sauce is always a must have on the table. It’s creamy, tangy, and just the right balance of flavors. Plus, it only takes a few minutes to whip up with simple ingredients.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I decided to try your tartar sauce recipe last minute and I am thankful I did. I may never go back to bottled, even if tired. Super easy and the perfect balance of flavors!” – Bari
“Delicious! My whole family loved it with our Salmon! Thanks for posting this recipe I’ve searched and searched for the perfect Tartar Sauce and this one is it.” – Amber
“This is such an easy tartar sauce recipe!! I actually never made it at home before because I thought it was hard – but now I will be making it all the time. Love it with my fish sticks!” – Emmeline
Better Than Store-Bought
If you’ve had Homemade Tartar Sauce, you know there’s just no comparison to the store-bought stuff! It’s so quick and easy to make yourself, and the taste is so much fresher and more flavorful. With fresh lemon juice, chopped dill pickles, and a few simple ingredients, this easy tartar sauce recipe is perfect for dipping crispy fish and chips and Crab Cakes, on our Air Fryer Salmon or Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, with baked fish sticks and fried shrimp, or even as a veggie dip.
I came up with this recipe a few years ago to go with our Homemade Fish and Chips, and it’s been a family favorite ever since. Once you taste it, I promise you won’t go back to store-bought tartar sauce!
🩷 Emily
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what I use to make my homemade tartar sauce:
- Mayonnaise – I like Best Foods or Hellmann’s, but any good-quality mayo works.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed is a must! It adds bright, zesty flavor.
- Chopped Dill Pickles – I love using baby dills and chopping them finely for the perfect texture.
- Fresh Dill Weed – If I don’t have fresh on hand, I’ll use dried dill in a pinch.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Just a dash adds depth.
- Black Pepper – For a little extra kick.
Optional Add-Ins for Extra Flavor
Feel free to customize your tartar sauce! Sometimes I’ll switch it up with:
- Dill relish for sweetness
- Chopped onion or onion powder
- A spoonful of Dijon mustard
- Garlic or garlic powder
- Capers or chopped parsley
- Horseradish or a dash of Tabasco for heat
How to Make Homemade Tartar Sauce
- Add the ingredients: In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped dill pickles, dill weed, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Mix well: Stir everything together until well combined.
- Chill the sauce: Cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour. If you have time to let it sit for a few hours (or even overnight).
- Serve: When you’re ready to eat, give the sauce a good stir and serve with your favorite seafood.
Tartar Sauce Tips
- Use fresh lemons – Always go for fresh lemon juice, not the bottled kind. A little trick I use to get the most juice out of my lemon is to roll it on the counter before cutting it in half and squeezing it. Or you can microwave the lemon for 10-15 seconds to really get those juices flowing.
- Chop your own pickles – It gives a better texture and more flavor than relish.
- Fresh dill is best – Fresh dill gives the sauce such a bright, fresh flavor. Dill is one of those herbs that starts to lose its flavor really quickly, so if you’re using fresh, use it within a day or two. If you don’t have fresh dill, you can use dried dill, but make sure to crush it between your fingers before adding it to the sauce. It helps release the oils and flavor!
- Let it rest – Let the sauce chill in the fridge so the flavors meld together.
- Taste and adjust – Add a little more lemon, salt, or pickle depending on your preferences.
- Make it ahead – It stores great, and the flavor deepens after a day in the fridge.
Try It With These Seafood Favorites!
The best part about homemade tartar sauce is how versatile it is. It’s not just for Fish and Chips – here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- With Fish Sticks (kids love this one)
- A dip for Crab Cakes or Salmon Cakes
- On Grilled or Baked Fish
- A dip for Fried Shrimp
- On Fish Tacos (trust me on this one, it’s amazing!)
- As a veggie dip (carrot sticks, celery, and more)
- With French Fries or Potato Wedges
- As a spread on a Fish Sandwich, Salmon Burger, Tuna Melt, or Chicken Sandwich
Frequently Asked Questions
If you store it in an airtight container, homemade tartar sauce will stay good for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
You can! It freezes well for about 1 month. Just make sure to store it in a freezer-safe container and leave some room at the top for the sauce to expand as it freezes. The texture might change slightly after thawing. Give it a good stir before using.
Yes! This homemade version is naturally gluten-free, as long as your Worcestershire sauce is certified gluten-free.
Definitely. You can use Greek yogurt or light sour cream for a lighter option. It’s still creamy and tangy!
Yes! It actually tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge or overnight.
More Delicious Seafood Recipes
Now that you’ve got the perfect homemade tartar sauce, why not try it with some of these other tasty seafood dishes?
Making homemade tartar sauce is one of those little things that makes a big difference in how your seafood dishes taste. It’s so simple, so fresh, and just way better than anything you can buy. Once you give this recipe a try, I’m pretty sure it’ll become your go-to tartar sauce for every meal.
I’d love to hear how it turns out for you! Drop a comment below and let me know what you think. And if you loved the recipe, don’t forget to share it with friends and family! 🐟🐟🐟
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise Best Foods or Hellmann’s
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (juicing a real lemon tastes best)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons dill pickle finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons dill weed finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, combine mayo, lemon juice, chopped dill pickles and dill weed, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper.
- Stir until thoroughly combined. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. The longer, the better. Flavors will get stronger with more time.
- Stir before serving. Great as a dip or dressing with seafood!
Video
Notes
- For the very best flavor, use fresh squeezed lemon.
- Use fresh dill. Dill weed loses its freshness quickly, so if you’re purchasing dill, use it with a day or two of purchase. If you grow dill in your garden, pick it just before you plant to use it in a recipe. The dill leaves will wilt and lose their flavor if kept in the fridge too long.
- When chopping fresh dill leaves, remove the feathery fern-like leaves and stems from the thick center stem. Discard the stem, then use a sharp chopping knife to mince the leaves to the desired consistency.
- Some people use a dill pickle relish but for the best taste I highly recommend chopping your own dill pickles.
- If you don’t have fresh dill available, use dried dill! Be sure to crush the dill leaves between your fingers before adding to the tartar sauce, which will bring out more of the flavor.
- Use a good quality mayonnaise; it makes a huge difference in the taste of the sauce. We really love Best Foods or Hellman’s Mayo, but use whatever you prefer.
- If you want to make tartar sauce lighter (without mayo), try using plain Greek yogurt.
Thank you so much for your homemade tater sauce recipe Emily we love it! It has so much more flavor than the store kind taste fresh and great I can’t thank you enough Wendy Huntsville AL
I decided to try your tartar sauce recipe last minute and I am thankful I did. I may never go back to bottled, even if tired. Super easy and the perfect balance of flavors!
I don’t add in the Worcestershire sauce, but I do add onion powder. This recipe looks like a nice alternate flavor of tarter sauce. I will be trying this. Thanks
All I want is the recipe for homemade tarter sauce
Super simple to make tasted awesome made it to go with my southern fried catfish!
Yum! Thank you for the review. We are so glad this recipe complemented your catfish!
Awesome stuff! I was in a pinch and had to make it with bottled lemon juice and dried dill so I can imagine how good it is with fresh ingredients. As for the best mayo in my opinion the answer is always Duke’s. 😊
Thank you, Jeremy!
Can’t wait to try this recipe.