Elevate your next seafood dinner with this creamy, tangy homemade tartar sauce that is far superior to anything you’ll find in a jar. With just a handful of simple ingredients and five minutes of prep, you can create a fresh, zesty condiment that perfectly complements everything from crispy fish and chips to succulent crab cakes.
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🍋 The Ingredients
This recipe combines a rich, creamy base with a vibrant mix of briny, zesty, and savory elements to create a perfectly balanced condiment with a satisfying crunch. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
📝 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Mayonnaise: Use a high-quality full-fat mayonnaise for the best flavor and texture. For a lighter version, you can substitute half of the mayo with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Cornichons: These small, tart French pickles provide a distinct crunch. If you don’t have them, finely chopped dill pickles are an excellent alternative.
- Onions: White or yellow onions provide a sharp bite, but you can use shallots for a milder flavor or green onions for a pop of color.
- Capers: These add a salty, briny pop to the sauce. If you aren’t a fan, you can omit them and add a bit more chopped pickles.
- Lemon Juice & Vinegar: Fresh lemon juice provides brightness, while distilled white vinegar adds a sharp tang. You can substitute the white vinegar with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar if needed.
- Dijon Mustard: This adds depth and a slight spice. Yellow mustard can be used for a more traditional, mild flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This provides a savory umami backbone. If you are making this for a vegetarian, ensure your brand is anchovy-free or use a splash of soy sauce.
- Italian Parsley: Fresh herbs are essential for a bright finish. If you prefer a more classic “dill” tartar sauce, you can swap the parsley for fresh dill.
Refer to the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📌 Tips and Tricks for Perfect Tartar Sauce
- Let it Chill: While you can serve it immediately, the flavors significantly improve if you let the sauce sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This gives the acidity time to mellow and the savory notes time to meld.
- Taste Before Salting: Between the capers, pickles, and Worcestershire sauce, there is already a lot of salt in this recipe. Always taste the finished sauce before adding any additional salt.
- Adjust the Consistency: If you prefer a thinner sauce for drizzling, whisk in a teaspoon of water or extra lemon juice. If it’s too thin, stir in an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise to thicken it back up.
- Use Fresh Herbs: Whenever possible, use fresh Italian parsley rather than dried. The fresh herbs provide a vibrant color and a clean, grassy finish that dried herbs simply can’t replicate.
- Pat Ingredients Dry: Before chopping your cornichons and capers, pat them dry with a paper towel. This prevents excess brine from thinning out your mayonnaise base.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Homemade Tartar Sauce
- Step 1: Place the onion, cornichon, and capers in your food processor. and pulse a few times until finely minced.
- Step 2: Pulse a few times until finely minced. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Step 3: Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper.
- Step 4: Pulse a few more times until well combined.
- Step 5: Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the chopped parsley.
- Step 6: Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. It will thicken as it chills, and the flavors will deepen.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Store it in an airtight container for up to one week. Because it contains fresh onions and herbs, it is best enjoyed within the first few days for maximum flavor and freshness.
Yes, preparing it at least 1 hour to a day in advance is actually recommended. This allows the various flavors to fully meld together and the acidity to mellow, resulting in a more balanced taste.
Freezing is not recommended because the mayonnaise base will likely separate and become oily upon thawing. Additionally, the fresh vegetables will lose their crisp texture and become mushy.
You can easily reduce the fat and calories by substituting half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt. This swap maintains the creamy consistency while adding a bit of extra protein and tang.
Most of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but you should always check the label on your Worcestershire sauce, as some brands contain malt vinegar derived from barley.
🍤 Amazing Dishes to Serve with Tartar Sauce
Ready to make the best tartar sauce this side of the Chesapeake Bay? Go for it
Don’t forget, when you make this amazing tartar sauce, take a photo, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and HowToFeedaLoon!
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Video
Equipment
- Food processor, or a large sharp knife
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon onion coarsley chopped
- 3 tablespoon cornichons coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers drained
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley chopped
Instructions
- Place the onion, cornichon, and capers in a food processor and pulse a few times until finely minced. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and pulse again.3 tablespoon onion, 3 tablespoon cornichons, 1 tablespoon capers
- Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cornichon juice, and pepper, to taste, and pulse again until well combined.1 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, black pepper
- Transfer the sauce into a small bowl and stir in the parsley. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published April 2014, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in June 2023.
Kristi Kite says
Added jalapeño and was delicious and fresh dill instead of parsley
Kris Longwell says
Yum!!! Sounds PERFECT!!! Thanks for sharing!
diego says
Pretty good sauce. Just made it for tonight’s fish and chips.
You should edit your instructions as some of the ingredients are omitted.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Diego! Thanks so much, we see what you mean! Glad you enjoyed the tartar sauce and thanks so much for the great review! All the best, Kris & Wesley
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