Make your own 4 Ingredient Tartar Sauce with simple ingredients and improve any seafood dish! Combine mayo with relish, lemon juice, and dill for a tangy and creamy homemade condiment.
This zesty accompaniment to seafood dishes is also fantastic as a sandwich spread or dip for fries. In just 5 minutes, you can whip up a batch of this sauce to go with fish sticks, healthy wraps, and more!
💚 About This Recipe
Looking for the perfect condiment to pair with a batch of Air Fryer Fish Sticks? This super easy and quick homemade tartar sauce only requires 4 ingredients and pairs perfectly with a wide variety of fish dishes.
You can easily whip up a quick batch of this tartar sauce for fish whenever you want to add something a little extra to your next seafood dinner. Creamy, savory, and with a citrus punch, this pairs well with recipes like my Potato Crusted Cod or any breaded fish!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- mayonnaise - acts as the creamy and slightly tangy base for this quick homemade tartar sauce.
- dill relish - provides some texture and a fantastic pickle-y flavor.
- lemon juice - balances out the creamy, savory sauce with some refreshing citrus flavor.
- dill weed - pairs well with the relish.
- dijon mustard - this optional ingredient can be added if you enjoy a little extra bite in your tartar sauce.
🔪 Instructions
- Add mayo, relish, lemon juice, and dill weed to a bowl. Also add mustard if using.
- Give the sauce a good mix, then serve and enjoy!
❔ FAQs
Despite both having "tartar" in the name, these are two completely different things! Cream of tartar is a baking ingredient that comes in a powdery form and often helps to stabilize baked goods. On the other hand, tartar sauce is a creamy, tangy condiment often served with fish.
The origin of this sauce is actually 19th century France. During that time, this condiment was commonly served with steak tartare, which is where the name comes from.
Add more lemon juice or a little bit of water to thin it out.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Chop up a few dill pickles instead of using dill relish.
- Bottled lemon juice works fine for this tartar sauce, but the freshest flavor will come from freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Taste the sauce and add more pickles or lemon juice if needed.
- If using fresh dill, you may need to use more than if you're using dried dill weed. Dried herbs tend to be more potent and flavorful than fresh.
📌 Make this tartar sauce for fish and turn any dinner into a delicious meal! With only a couple of ingredients, this easy condiment is so simple to make and will elevate your favorite fish dishes.
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Use a light mayo for a slightly healthier version of this sauce.
- Dijon mustard can be substituted for regular yellow mustard if that's what you have on hand.
- Add parsley in addition to or instead of the dill.
- For an even brinier flavor, add some capers.
🥫 Storage
Keep your tartar sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. I don't recommend freezing it, so be sure to use it within a few days of making it.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Tartar sauce pairs well with fish and chips, fish sticks, or other seafood dishes like Crab Cakes or Salmon Patties! You can also use it as a sandwich spread, as a dip with French Fries or tater tots, or as a topping for Baked Potatoes.
✔️ More Homemade Sauce Recipes You'll Love
- Lime Crema Sauce - This light and refreshing sauce is perfect for tacos, burritos, and more!
- Chipotle Cheddar Dip - Great as an appetizer dip or a spread or sauce, this easy dip is bursting with savory flavor.
- Homemade Chocolate Sauce - Looking for something on the sweeter side? This chocolate sauce is ideal to pair with your favorite desserts.
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce - This recipe from JZEats takes the classic fast food sauce and makes it accessible any time, anywhere!
Quick Homemade Tartar Sauce
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📋 Recipe Card
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 3 teaspoons dill relish
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon dill weed
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a medium bowl.¾ cup mayonnaise, 3 teaspoons dill relish, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ tablespoon dill weed, 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
- Mix and serve.
Notes
- Light mayonnaise can be used instead of regular.
- If you don't have dill relish, you can chop up a few dill pickles.
- I used bottled lemon juice, but fresh would taste even better.
- If you are using the mustard, you can sub regular yellow mustard for the Dijon.
- Serve with fish or other seafood, as a sandwich spread, as a dip for French fries or tater tots, on top of baked potatoes, or any other way you can think to enjoy it!
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Bella says
We all loved this and it was the perfect additon to our fish burgers!
Kristin King says
So glad to hear it! 🙂
Madison says
My dad has to have a sauce for EVERYTHING so I was so glad to find this tartar sauce recipe. I had never made it before but it was so easy and delicious!
Kristin King says
Yay! So glad to hear that!
Wrong says
You list 5 ingredients, your instructions mention 5 ingredients, that makes it a 5 ingredient recipe, not 4.
Kristin King says
There are 4 ingredients and one optional ingredient. I like to add the Dijon but it isn't completely necessary. I shouldn't have added it to the ingredients photo but I forgot that while I was making the recipe for the photoshoot, so I labeled it as optional on the photo. Sorry for any misunderstanding, but I do believe that everywhere the Dijon mustard is listed, I make sure I note that it's optional.
Donalyn says
I love simple, tasty recipes like this - they make life so easy. Will be making this when we have fish over the weekend. Thanks!
Charah says
I'll try this recipe soon. Thanks for sharing!
Colleen says
Who knew that homemade tarter sauce was so easy, and it tastes so much better than store-bought. Thank you!
DK says
Just what I was looking for - for our fish stick dinner! The combination of the dill weed and dill relish really makes a difference!
Julia says
I made this yesterday to serve with fish tacos and it was a huge hit! So easy!