How to Make Tartar Sauce

Learn how to make tartar sauce with this easy recipe. In 5 minutes you’ll have a rich, tangy, and creamy homemade tartar sauce to pair with your favorite dish.

I don’t know about you, but I like to make as much as I can right here at home since relying on grocery stores these days can be disappointing. So my latest recipe for homemade tartar sauce will save you from that disappointment and keep your family smiling.

And it truly is really easy. All you need to do is gather the ingredients and mix them together. It takes an eclectic mix of tangy, zesty, and spicy ingredients to make tartar sauce. This includes mayonnaise, dill pickle, lemon juice, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. But combined, they make a deliciously creamy and flavorful tartar sauce.

I bet your next supper featuring fried catfish or a similar fried seafood dish will just be begging for some homemade tartar sauce to give them that little extra something-something. And don’t get me started on how much I love dipping my favorite fries in this stuff! Try it with our roasted sweet potato wedges, parmesan oven fries, or baked zucchini fries and your life will never be the same again!

But be careful with this y’all. You just might not ever want to buy store-bought tartar sauce ever again. Now enough of that, let’s get to this easy tartar sauce recipe…

Recipe Ingredients

• Mayonnaise
• Chopped dill pickles
• Fresh lemon juice (you can use lime juice if you are feeling a little crazy ☺)
• Paprika
• Worcestershire sauce
• Dijon mustard
• Salt and black pepper
• Chopped fresh dill or parsley (optional)

How to Make Tartar Sauce

Combine the mayonnaise, pickles, lemon juice, paprika, dill, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a small bowl.

Stir until well blended and creamy.

Add a bit of salt and pepper.

Taste and if you are so inclined this is where you add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

I like to let the flavors set in so I recommend covering this bad boy tight and storing it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. But if you have time, I highly recommend storing overnight to let all the different flavors mingle together.

Mmm, nothing better than homemade tartar sauce and my parmesan oven fries!

Storage

Leftover tartar sauce can last up to a week in the fridge. Simply store it in an airtight container like a mason jar. I don’t recommend freezing.

Recipe Notes

• Feel free to add more lemon juice or lime juice after a little taste test.
• For a lighter sauce, use light mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, or plain yogurt.
• Here are a few more optional additions and variations to make this recipe your own:
  • 2 tablespoons of finely chopped or grated onion.
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped green onion.
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped capers.
  • Substitute the paprika for 6 drops of Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce.
  • 1 tablespoon of finely chopped olives.
  • Substitute the paprika for cayenne pepper.
  • Substitute the Dijon mustard for spicy or regular yellow mustard.
  • The optional fresh herbs could be fresh dill, dried dill, fresh parsley, or fresh tarragon.

Recipe FAQs

What do you serve with this homemade tartar sauce recipe?

I did include a few serving suggestions at the beginning of this post. But this sauce pairs perfectly with your favorite seafood, like fried cod fillets, fried catfish, beer-battered fish, crab cakes, fried fish sticks for the kids, or my Southern salmon patties.

You can also use it as a dipping sauce with your favorite Southern side dishes, like ranch-fried chicken tenders, fried green tomatoes, onion ring chaffles, or hush puppies.

Here are some more delectable dips and sauces:

Comeback Sauce (3 Ingredients Only)

Pimiento Cheese Dip

Chipotle Ranch Dressing

An Easy Recipe For BBQ Sauce

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing