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Homemade Tartar Sauce

Updated March 4, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

Creamy mayonnaise, a hint of brininess from a jar of pickles, a touch of citrus, and a blend of seasoning is all you need to make a fresh batch of homemade tartar sauce.

a bowl of homemade tartar sauce surrounded by beer battered fish and fries
Photography by Gayle McLeod

Homemade Tartar Sauce is Good on Everything!

A Quick Tartar Sauce For When You Don’t Have Store-Bought

Making scratch tartar sauce is easy. It’s one of those condiments that we sometimes don’t have in the fridge, but it’s quick enough to whip up a batch when you need it. Tartar sauce is great for seafood, especially fried fish, because it’s creamy and bright and complements the flavor of seafood. We like to serve it with Beer Battered Fish, atop a Salmon Burger, or Spicy Fish Tacos.

mayonnaise, chopped dill pickles, pickle juice, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, garlic & onion powder, sugar, dill, cayenne.

Tartar Sauce Ingredients

  • Mayonnaise

  • Jar of dill pickles – You’ll need both juice and pickle for this recipe. Maybe you have some Homemade Dill Pickles in the fridge!

  • Lemon

  • Seasoning – Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, dried dill, cayenne pepper

mayonnaise, pickles, pickle juice, lemon juice, Old Bay, garlic & onion powder, sugar, dill, cayenne in a bowl
tartar sauce in a bowl made with mayo, pickles, lemon juice, sugar and spices

How to Make Homemade Tartar Sauce

  1. Cut the dill pickle. This is a good time to practice your knife skills!

  2. Squeeze a lemon.

  3. Measure and combine the mayonnaise, pickles, pickle juice, lemon juice, Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, dill, and cayenne in a small bowl.

a bowl of homemade tartar sauce surrounded by beer battered fish and fries

How to Store Tartar Sauce + Tips

  • Can you freeze tartar sauce? It’s not the best sauce to freeze because mayonnaise “breaks” when it is frozen. Instead, store leftover tartar sauce in the fridge for up to a week.

  • Get creative with leftover tartar sauce. It’s not just for fish! It can be stirred into Classic Potato Salad instead of plain mayonnaise or spooned onto roasted veggies like Roasted Asparagus.

  • Thinned out with a little extra pickle juice and milk water, it becomes a salad dressing maybe for using on our Shrimp Louie salad!

a bowl of homemade tartar sauce surrounded by beer battered fish and fries

Fish Loves Tarter Sauce.

Get (Tarter) Saucy!

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Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

  • Serves:  8
  • Yields:  1 cup
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  0 min

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup finely chopped dill pickles
  • 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, (from 1 lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method

  1. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pickles, pickle juice, lemon juice, Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, dill, and cayenne.

    mayonnaise, chopped dill pickles, pickle juice, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, garlic & onion powder, sugar, dill, cayenne.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 185
  • Protein 0 g
  • Carbohydrates 1 g
  • Total Fat 20 g
  • Dietary Fiber 0 g
  • Cholesterol 10 mg
  • Sodium 339 mg
  • Total Sugars 0 g

Homemade Tartar Sauce

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