My Homemade Tartar Sauce recipe is easy to throw together in a pinch and has all of the same flavors as the store-bought variety. Just four simple ingredients (not counting the salt and pepper), and you’re set!

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

Tartar Sauce is so commonly served with fried seafood that it has become a sort of defacto sauce for any kind of fried fish. However, tartar sauce is great with plenty of other foods as well, so knowing how to make your own is really handy.

Tartar sauce can be made with mayonnaise or with aioli, either will do the trick and both have their advantages.

Pretty simple to make when you get right down to it, but it adds so much depth of flavor and richness to whatever you use it for. So, don’t just think tartar sauce is only handy when the fish fry is going down.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fresh Flavor – Bright lemon juice and dill cut through the richness of the mayo for a balanced, tangy bite.
Simple To Make – Just a few ingredients mixed in one bowl. No cooking, no fuss.
Customizable – Easy to tweak with more dill, lemon, or different pickles depending on your taste.
Make Ahead Friendly – Gets even better after a few hours in the fridge as the flavors blend.
Versatile – Pairs perfectly with fried fish, shrimp, sandwiches, or even roasted potatoes.

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Homemade Tartar Sauce Shopping List

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Mayonnaise – The creamy base that makes tartar sauce rich and smooth, can use regular or light depending on dietary needs.
Diced Dill Pickle – Adds crunch and tang; you can substitute with chopped cornichons or relish.
Fresh Lemon Juice – Brings acidity to balance richness; lime juice can be used instead.
Fresh Chopped Dill – Provides herbal brightness; dried dill can substitute but use less.
Black Pepper – Gentle heat and seasoning; fresh‑ground works best.
Salt – Enhances all other flavors; you can adjust or leave out if using salted pickles or mayonnaise.

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How To Make Tartar Sauce At Home

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and stir until evenly mixed.
Chill the sauce in the refrigerator for a few hours so flavors meld.
Use within a week, keeping refrigerated until ready to serve.

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Tartar Sauce Recipe FAQ

How long can you store homemade tartar sauce?

Generally speaking, you can keep this until as long as the ingredient with the shortest life span will keep. So, for this that is likely the mayo.

That being said, I don’t tend to keep mixed sauces in the fridge longer than a week if I can help it.

What’s the difference between tartar sauce and aioli?

Because they are so similar, many people confuse mayo with aioli. Both are rich and creamy emulsified sauces and both are used interchangeably on a variety of dishes, both as a sauce and a spread.

Aioli actually is whipped garlic and olive oil. No eggs involved. I KNOW. Mind-blowing. The garlic and olive oil are whisked together until the olive oil emulsifies and transforms into a creamy whip.
Mayonnaise is made from an emulsion of egg yolks, neutral-flavored oil, and an acid like lemon juice or vinegar.

Both aioli and mayonnaise are super easy to make yourself using a blender. If you have never made your own before, then I highly recommend it!

What should you use with tartar sauce?

Almost any dish you might use mayo for, you can use tartar sauce instead to give a bit of extra flavor. Tartar sauce definitely doesn’t have to only come out for the fried fish or oysters.

For example, you could even try using it on my Million Dollar BLT which would then have to be called my million and one dollar BLT, I suppose.

Or, if you simply must do some fish, then fish tacos take very kindly to a bit of fresh tartar sauce too.

And of course, I can’t leave out a fried fish option as well. How about a panko fried fish sandwich with homemade tartar?

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Homemade Sauces & Condiments

Do you like to make things at home that people usually buy in the store? Me too! Here are some other recipes

Yield: 8 servings

Tartar Sauce

This fresh and creamy tartar sauce is homemade with ingredients you probably have in your house already. A great condiment for beer-battered fish, or whatever you like to dip into it!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Chill Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons diced dill pickle
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients and place in the fridge.
Chill for 2-3 hours, and eat within a week of mixing.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 260mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.