Homemade Tartar Sauce with Pickle Relish
A simple homemade tartar sauce made with mayonnaise, pickle relish, grated onion, capers, Dijon, fresh dill and lemon. Chill to let the flavors meld before serving with seafood or vegetables.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cupmayonnaise such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 1/4 cupsweet and/or dill pickle relish lightly but not completely drained–leave just a little bit of liquid
- 1 tablespoongrated yellow or sweet onion I use Vidalia
- 1 tablespoonchopped brined non-pareil capers drained
- 1/2 teaspoonDijon mustard
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoonchopped fresh dill
- 1/2 to 3 teaspoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice added to taste
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoongranulated sugar optional, added to taste
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add 1 cup mayonnaise.
- Measure and add 1/4 cup sweet and/or dill pickle relish; do not fully drain the relish—leave just a little of the liquid with it.
- Grate 1 tablespoon yellow or sweet onion (Vidalia works well) and add it to the bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon chopped brined non-pareil capers that have been drained.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- If you want a touch of sweetness, add 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional).
- Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (start with a light pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper).
- Stir everything together until evenly combined.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings as desired, using only the ingredient amounts listed: increase chopped fresh dill up to a total of 1 tablespoon, increase lemon juice up to a total of 3 teaspoons, and increase granulated sugar up to a total of 1 teaspoon if needed; add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (preferably 2–4 hours or overnight) to allow the flavors to meld.
- Store the tartar sauce tightly covered in the refrigerator for 5–7 days. Serve with seafood or vegetables.
Equipment
- Medium Bowl
- Spoon
- Grater
Notes
Notes
Relish:
Depending on how sweet vs. savory you like your Tartar Sauce, you can use all dill pickle relish, all sweet relish, or a 50/50 combination of the two (my family’s favorite).
Onions:
Sweet onion, like Vidalia, will add a milder onion flavor to the sauce. Yellow onion will be a bit sharper and more savory. Grate the onion on a microplane or the large holes of a box grater.
Dill, Lemon Juice, and Sugar:
I’ve given a range for these ingredients because the amount you need will vary based on the type of relish you’ve used (dill vs. sweet, as well as flavor variations between brands) and your personal sweetness/tanginess preferences.
Start with the smaller amounts listed of these ingredients and adjust as needed—it’s always easier to add more when seasoning than to take away!
Relish:
Depending on how sweet vs. savory you like your Tartar Sauce, you can use all dill pickle relish, all sweet relish, or a 50/50 combination of the two (my family’s favorite).
Onions:
Sweet onion, like Vidalia, will add a milder onion flavor to the sauce. Yellow onion will be a bit sharper and more savory. Grate the onion on a microplane or the large holes of a box grater.
Dill, Lemon Juice, and Sugar:
I’ve given a range for these ingredients because the amount you need will vary based on the type of relish you’ve used (dill vs. sweet, as well as flavor variations between brands) and your personal sweetness/tanginess preferences.
Start with the smaller amounts listed of these ingredients and adjust as needed—it’s always easier to add more when seasoning than to take away!