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Homemade Tartar Sauce

A creamy, tangy, herb-flecked homemade tartar sauce that comes together in just five minutes with pantry staples. Far superior to store-bought, it's the perfect condiment for fish dinners, crab cakes, sandwiches, and more.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 90
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup mayonnaise (full-fat for best flavor)
  • 3 tablespoons dill pickle relish (or finely chopped dill pickles)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped (optional but highly recommended)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried dill)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Gather and prep your ingredients. Pull everything out and set it on the counter. Finely chop your dill pickles if you're using whole pickles instead of relish — you want small, uniform pieces so every bite of the sauce has that satisfying little crunch. Roughly chop the capers as well.
  2. In a medium bowl, spoon in your mayonnaise and add the Dijon mustard. Whisk them together until fully combined. The mixture should look creamy, pale, and smooth at this stage.
  3. Stir in the pickle relish, chopped capers, fresh lemon juice, and onion powder. Mix until well combined. If you are using fresh dill, fold it in now.
  4. Add a pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper, then taste. Adjust as needed — add more lemon for brightness or more relish for extra tang. The sauce should taste balanced: creamy, tangy, herbaceous, and just slightly sharp.
  5. While you can serve the sauce immediately, resting it in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes allows the flavors to settle and deepen, and the texture firms up slightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid before chilling.

Notes

Rest the sauce in the fridge for 15–30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and deepen. Store in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Freezing is not recommended as the mayonnaise base will separate and become grainy when thawed. Give it a quick stir before serving after overnight storage. For a lighter version, swap full-fat mayo with Greek yogurt or a half-and-half blend. For a kid-friendly version, skip the capers and reduce the lemon juice by half. If using sweet pickle relish instead of dill, balance with an extra squeeze of lemon. Drain relish or chopped pickles on a paper towel before mixing to prevent a runny sauce. Always season at the end after tasting, as pickles, capers, and mustard all carry sodium.