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–+ servings
Overhead view of tartar sauce in a round white bowl garnished with fresh dill.
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4.50 from 10 votes

Tartar Sauce Recipe

Creamy homemade tartar sauce is a huge step above commercial tartar sauce. With fresh dill and lemon juice, it has loads of flavor!
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Sauces & Marinades
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 10
Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip salad dressing)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped dill pickles
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, minced dill, pickles, and red onions. Sprinkle with black pepper, and mix until completely combined.
    ⅔ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, ⅓ cup finely chopped dill pickles, 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Cover and chill. You can serve it right away but I find that the sauce tastes better if you chill it an hour or so to let the flavors blend. Stir well before serving. Makes 1 ¼ cups.

Video

Notes

  • Variations: Instead of dill pickles, try bread & butter pickles, sweet pickles, or pickle relish. Capers are great, too. If you want to add a little zing, stir in ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, hot sauce to taste, or a dash of cayenne pepper.
  • Storage: Homemade tartar sauce can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to a week. Stir well before serving.
  • Thicker sauce: Tartar sauce will thicken a bit when it's chilled. If you find that your tartar sauce turns out too runny, add another tablespoon of mayonnaise to thicken it. Be sure you always drain the pickles well so there isn't extra pickle juice in the sauce. You can also reduce the amount of lemon juice if you prefer thicker sauce.
  • Smooth tartar sauce: If you're not a fan of chunky sauce, put all the ingredients into a small food processor and process until smooth.
  • Tartar sauce dressing: Mix tartar sauce with a bit of buttermilk to create a salad dressing or a drizzle for your favorite bowl meal.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

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