Homemade Tartar Sauce

Name: Homemade Tartar Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: ¾ cups mayonnaise; ¼ cup sour cream; 1 shallot 2-3 tablespoons, chopped small; 1 Tablespoon capers; 3 Tablespoons dill pickles or cornichons (small French pickles), chopped small; 1 Tablespoon fresh chives sliced small; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce; 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

by Tammy | Chez Nous

1 cups

10 min

While I understand the need for convenience, Homemade Tartar Sauce is so easy to make that I don't quite understand why anyone would buy it commercially prepared! Especially when homemade is quick, easy, and certainly tasty!

What is tartar sauce and how is it made?

The sauce gets its name "tartar" because Steak Tartare (the raw ground beef dish) was originally served with a similar sauce. And anything that was served with that sauce was known as à la tartare.

My homemade version of Tartar Sauce is a simple mix with a base of mayonnaise which is mixed with less than ten other ingredients!

Shallots make everything better, right? Be sure to chop them rather small so that you don't chomp down on a large piece!

Chives are not only delicious, but they give a real kick of color in the sauce. Don't skip them!

So much flavor comes from the pickles and capers and I feel strongly that you shouldn't skip them in this recipe! However, there are versions that have only one or the other in the recipe so you do you.

Mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sour cream, lemon juice, shallot, Worcestershire sauce, fresh chives, capers, and pickles. That's the simple list of ingredients. (Check out my recipe for homemade Worcestershire Sauce!)

How to serve Homemade Tartar Sauce

Tartar Sauce usually accompanies seafood like fish and chips, fish sandwiches, and really all types of fried fish. However, I love it on fish tacos, in tuna salad, to dress Cole Slaw, and any grilled, baked, or seared fish. Some people even put it on hamburgers! As far as burgers go, I would put it on a salmon burger in a heartbeat!

Homemade Tartar Sauce

You can do it! Saved to your recipes

Recipe details

Yield 1 cups
Time spent: Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 0 Minutes Total time: 10 min

Show Nutrition Info

Per serving

% Daily value

Instructions

Mix all of the ingredients prepared as directed in the ingredient list. Couldn't be more simple!
Serve with fried fish, fish tacos, fish sandwiches ... any and all things fish!

Tips

The sour cream is added to counterbalance the heaviness of the mayonnaise, as does the lemon juice.
If you want a different flavor profile, use a different herb. Try chervil, tarragon, or parsley. You can also use dill, but I feel that with the addition of the pickles and capers, dill is too repetitive.

Comments

Daniel Durant on Oct 05, 2023

way too product intensive; all you need is mayo, dill relish, maybe a hint of tabasco, and a hint of horseradish

13 Reply
- See 2 previous
- Roxanne on Oct 05, 2023
  
  You're on the right track but don't forget lemon juice!
  
  Like
- Tammy | Chez Nous on Oct 06, 2023
  
  This is a great quick option! There's nothing wrong, though, with going a little further sometimes, right?
  
  Like
- Bob Taylor on Oct 06, 2023
  
  Agreed. My simple tartar sauce is mayo, sweet relish, and a bit of horseradish mustard. Sorry, just my preference. I got this from my grandmother back in the 60;s. Where I live is along the New England coast and I grew up on seafood.
  
  3
- JayCee on Oct 06, 2023
  
  I go simple..Best Foods, salt, pepper, dill relish, pinch of sugar, lemon juice, finely chopped onion or if you want to go the easier way without the tears..dried minced onion.
  
  1
Diana Campbell on Oct 05, 2023

This sounds yummy I will make this when I have more time than usual.

1 Reply