Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe (2024)

This easy, creamy Tartar Sauce recipe will become your go-to dipping sauce for all your favorite fried seafood. It’s loaded with crunchy relish, fresh dill, and fragrant garlic. We especially love it with beer battered cod!

Homemade tartar sauce

Tartar sauce is a creamy and savory sauce frequently served with seafood. It’s one of those sauces you either love or hate. I happen to love tartar sauce, but always have a hard time finding a well-prepared sauce at the store. In my opinion, the store-bought ones have way too much mayonnaise in them. So, I created my own recipe using the combination of sour cream and mayonnaise so the mayo isn’t too overpowering. It’s also full of flavor from the garlic, relish, and fresh dill. Even if you don’t like store-bought tartar sauce, you may like this one. This dipping sauce goes especially well with fried seafood.

Ingredients for tartar sauce

This Tartar Sauce is made with a creamy combination as it’s base, along with tangy and flavorful add-ins. But there are many variations on traditional tartar sauce ingredients, including lemon juice, chives, mustard, capers, and Worcestershire sauce. Here’s what I used in this recipe:

• Mayonnaise – traditional creamy base
• Sour cream – cuts the mayo flavor and adds more creaminess
• Garlic clove – adds a great flavor
• Onion powder – just the right amount of onion flavor
• Dill relish – gives a little crunch and texture
• Fresh dill – fresh is best here and you’ll love the flavor notes it adds

How to make this easy tartar sauce recipe

One of the best things about this recipe is that it not only tastes great, but most of the ingredients are already on hand. With these basic ingredients and common household condiments, you can quickly and easily whip up a delicious dipping sauce for your seafood dinner. Here’s how to make it:

1. Combine ingredients. In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, sour cream, grated garlic, onion powder, dill relish, and fresh chopped dill.
2. Mix. Gently whisk the ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.
3. Chill. This dipping sauce should be served chilled, so refrigerate before serving with your favorite seafood, onion rings, or fries.

Storing tartar sauce

This sauce should last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Just place it in a sealed container, such as a small glass dish or jar with a screw-top lid, and keep it refrigerated until you are ready to use it.

Can this dipping sauce be frozen?

Unfortunately, no. Tartar sauce cannot be frozen because the mayo will separate. So, only make as much as you can enjoy over two weeks while it’s fresh.

What to serve with this sauce?

• Fish and chips
• Onion rings
• French fries
• Steak

Full Recipe Instructions

This recipe was originally published on March 8, 2017, but we have tweaked it a bit since then.