Homemade Tartar Sauce
Homemade tartar sauce is a fresh, tangy condiment made with mayonnaise, pickles, capers, lemon juice, and shallots. It is easy to prepare and perfect for serving with seafood or as a dip.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces mayonnaise Choose a good quality mayonnaise for a creamy, smooth base
- 6 mini pickles mini pickles diced, or substitute with 3 tablespoons of pickle relish
- 1 shallot shallot or ½ red onion finely diced
- 3 teaspoons capers rinsed and drained
- 1 lemon lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Finely dice the mini pickles (or measure out the pickle relish) and the shallot or red onion. Rinse the capers briefly under cold water, then drain well.
- In a medium bowl, spoon in the mayonnaise. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Whisk these ingredients together until smooth and slightly lighter in color.
- Fold in the diced pickles, shallot or red onion, and capers. Stir gently but thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the sauce.
- Sprinkle in the salt and black pepper. Mix well, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Cover the tartar sauce and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld beautifully. Serve chilled.
Equipment
- Medium Bowl
- Whisk
Notes
Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled for the brightest flavor. Rinse capers to control saltiness. Adjust the texture by dicing pickles and onions coarser or finer. Adjust Dijon mustard to taste. Make the sauce a day ahead for better flavor. Use a non-metal bowl to avoid metallic taste. Variations include adding fresh herbs, cayenne pepper, garlic, swapping mayonnaise with Greek yogurt, or adding honey for sweetness. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week; do not freeze.