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This homemade tartar sauce is a thick, creamy seafood sauce made with finely chopped dill pickles, mayonnaise, fresh dill, and a little pickle juice. It takes 10 minutes to stir together and brings plenty of tang and pickle crunch to fried fish, crab cakes, and fish sandwiches.
There is a full cup of chopped pickles in this batch, so every spoonful has some texture. Serve it right away when supper is ready, or give it 30 minutes in the refrigerator while you finish the rest of the meal. The recipe makes about 2 cups, or 16 servings.
Set it beside The Best Spicy Cajun Fried Catfish Recipe and a few lemon wedges. A cool, tangy sauce is good company for a crisp piece of fish.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This sauce gives you a creamy base with plenty of chopped pickle texture, without turning on the stove.
- Ready in 10 minutes: Chop, whisk, and fold; chilling is optional.
- Dill in two forms: Dill pickles bring tang and crunch, while fresh dill adds an herbal finish.
- A useful batch: Spoon it onto sandwiches or set it out with a fish-fry dinner.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base.
- Dill pickles: Finely chop them and drain off excess liquid.
- Dill pickle juice: Reserve a little from the pickle jar.
- Sweet onion: Finely chop and rinse in cool water.
- Fresh dill: Mince it so the herb is distributed throughout the sauce.
- Lemon juice: Adds a little brightness.
- Sugar: Balances the tang.
- Garlic powder: Adds a gentle savory note.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Finishes the sauce with a little peppery bite.
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Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Drained dill pickle relish can replace the chopped dill pickles, and finely chopped shallot can replace the onion. Keep the relish dill-based to stay with this recipe's pickle flavor.
If you already have a jar of Old-Fashioned Grandma's Dill Pickles ready to eat, this is a good way to use a few. That is a separate canning recipe with its own curing time; you do not need to make pickles from scratch before mixing this sauce.
Tools That Make It Easier
- Chef knife: Finely chop the pickles, onion, and dill on a clean, food-safe prep surface.
- Measuring cups and spoons: Measure the mayonnaise, pickles, liquids, and seasonings.
- Fine mesh strainer: Drain excess pickle liquid and rinse the chopped onion.
- Medium mixing bowl: Leave room to fold in the chopped ingredients.
- Whisk: Blend the mayonnaise and seasonings until smooth.
- Mixing spoon: Fold in the pickles, onion, and dill.
- Covered glass storage jar: Hold the finished sauce in the refrigerator.
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Buy Now → How to Make Homemade Tartar Sauce
Whisk the creamy base first, then fold in the chopped ingredients so the finished sauce keeps its pickle texture.
Step 1: Drain and prep. Drain the chopped pickles, reserving 1 tablespoon of pickle juice for the sauce. Finely chop the dill and onion, rinse the onion in cool water, and let the excess rinse water drain away.
Step 2: Whisk the base. Whisk the mayonnaise, reserved pickle juice, lemon juice, sugar, garlic powder, and pepper in a medium bowl until the base looks smooth.
Step 3: Fold and serve. Fold in the chopped pickles, dill, and onion until evenly distributed. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
A Few Tips for the Right Texture
Drain the chopped pickles before mixing so their extra liquid does not thin the mayonnaise base. Reserve the measured pickle juice separately rather than pouring in the liquid that collects under the chopped pickles.
Keep the pickle pieces fine enough to spread easily on a sandwich, but leave them recognizable. Whisking the base and folding in the chopped ingredients are separate steps for a reason: this is a chunky sauce, and the texture belongs in the bowl.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
Refrigerate the tartar sauce in a covered container for up to 4 days, and stir before serving. Freezing is not recommended because the mayonnaise may separate and the pickles can release water after thawing.
You can mix it before dinner and refrigerate it for the optional 30-minute flavor-blending rest. That makes the elapsed time about 40 minutes if you choose to chill it; the hands-on prep remains 10 minutes.
What to Serve with Homemade Tartar Sauce
Serve this sauce with fried fish, crab cakes, fish sandwiches, or roasted potatoes. For a fish-fry menu, pair it with the catfish, coleslaw, and potatoes below; coleslaw is the side dish, while the sauce belongs on the fish or beside the potatoes.
The Best Spicy Cajun Fried Catfish Recipe
Classic Creamy Coleslaw
Roasted Potatoes
Questions About This Tartar Sauce
Is tartar sauce the same as remoulade? No. This sauce is mild and pickle-forward. Cajun remoulade uses a different seasoning blend for a spicier flavor.
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Recipe
PrintHomemade Tartar Sauce
This homemade tartar sauce is thick, creamy, and full of chopped dill pickles and fresh dill. Mix it in 10 minutes for fish sandwiches, fried fish, or crab cakes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: About 2 cups (16 servings) 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup finely chopped dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons sweet onion, finely chopped & rinsed in cool water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drain any excess liquid from the chopped pickles, reserving 1 tablespoon pickle juice for the sauce. Finely chop the dill and onion, and rinse the chopped onion in cool water.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, pickle juice, lemon juice, sugar, garlic powder, and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Fold in the chopped pickles, dill, and onion. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Notes
Substitutions: Use drained dill pickle relish instead of chopped pickles. Finely chopped shallot can replace the onion.
Serving: Spoon onto fish sandwiches or serve alongside fried fish, crab cakes, or roasted potatoes. Pair with coleslaw and lemon wedges.
Storage: Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days. Stir before serving.
Freezing is not recommended; the mayonnaise may separate and the pickles can release water after thawing.
Optional chilling adds 30 minutes to the 10-minute prep time; serve immediately for a 10-minute total.
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