Classic Tartar Sauce Recipe for Fried Fish or Shrimp (2024)

Southern Sides
Seafood Mains
Citrus Recipes

Step up your seafood game with this creamy, tangy sauce

Diana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 12/10/23

Tested by

Tracy Wilk

Tested byTracy Wilk

What is Traditional Tartar Sauce Made Of?

Mayonnaise and dill pickles are the main ingredients, while chopped dill, capers, a bit of lemon juice, and a dash of mustard add complexity to the flavor. Feel free to use the minced onion in this recipe or leave it out.

How to Make Mayonnaise

Why Is It Called Tartar Sauce?

The name tartar sauce is derived from the Frenchsauce tartare, which was named after the Tatars, Turkic-speaking peoples living mainly in Russia. The sauce is known astartare saucein the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

What Can I Serve with Tartar Sauce?

It's an excellent side to serve with seafood, especially fried fish, shrimp, oysters, or clams, or serve it alongside homemade crab cakes, seafood fritters, or clam cakes. It's a great dip for veggies, too. Or spread it on a po'boy sandwich, salmon burger, or fish sandwich.

"This recipe was absolutely delicious and so easy to whip up in a pinch. When you're making homemade, you are able to tweak it as you like, while still remaining true to a proper tartar sauce. This would go perfectly with shrimp co*cktail or any seafood dish on a summer day." —Tracy Wilk

Classic Tartar Sauce Recipe for Fried Fish or Shrimp (5)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons dill pickles, or cornichons, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
2 teaspoons minced onion, optional
1 teaspoon capers, chopped
Pinch kosher salt, or to taste
Pinch freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 1/2 tablespoons dill pickles, or cornichons, finely chopped, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons grainy mustard, 2 teaspoons minced onion (if using), 1 teaspoon capers, chopped, pinch kosher salt, and pinch freshly ground black pepper. Stir to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
Refrigerate the tartar sauce until serving time.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

Instead of chopped dill pickles, use dill pickle relish.
For a sweeter tartar sauce, replace the chopped dill pickles with chopped sweet pickles. Or add some sugar or another sweetener to taste.
Add a bit of heat with a few drops of Tabasco sauce or Sriracha, or fold in 1 or 2 teaspoons of minced pickled or fresh jalapeño pepper.
Use a vegan mayonnaise for a vegan-friendly tartar sauce.
Add zesty flavor with a dash of horseradish.
Swap out the fresh chopped dill with 1 or 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley.

How to Store Tartar Sauce

Refrigerate leftover tartar sauce in an airtight container for five to seven days.
As with any refrigerated food, it should never be out of the fridge for more than two hours—no more than one hour if the ambient temperature is above 90 F.

What Is a Good Substitute for Tartar Sauce?

Instead of tartar sauce, use a garlicky aioli with or without a little dill or chopped pickle.
Another good sauce option that goes well with seafood is a tomato-based co*cktail sauce.
Hummus, which is also slightly acidic with lemon juice, can also make a nice dip for seafood.

Fish Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
54	Calories
6g	Fat
0g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 14
Amount per serving
Calories	54
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g	8%
Saturated Fat 1g	5%
Cholesterol 3mg	1%
Sodium 105mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 2mg	0%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 6mg	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

sauce
tartar sauce
side dish
french

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