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Homemade Tartar Sauce is ready in minutes with just 5 ingredients, absolutely delicious, and essential for all the fish fries in your life.
A mayo-based sauce thatโs loaded with chopped pickles and lemon juice is exactly what you need for your next fish fry. This recipe is as close as it gets to the kind served throughout Wisconsin at Friday fish fries all over the state.
Itโs creamy, lemony, briny, crunchy, and absolutely outstanding on breaded, battered, and even baked fish of any kind.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Pickles: I love a crunchy dill pickle (Milwaukeeโs brand petite kosher dill pickles, if you can find them). Substitute sweet gherkins or pickle relish to taste, if you prefer that.
- Lemon juice: Or substitute lime juice, vinegar, olive juice, or more pickle juice.
Instructions
- Mix the mayo, pickles, pickle juice, lemon juice, and minced onion together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep chilled until ready to eat.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield:ย One batch of the recipe makes approximately 1 ยผ cups of tartar sauce.
- Storage: Keep the sauce in the refrigerator until youโre readyย to eat.
- Leftovers: Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Make ahead:ย Can definitely be made a day or two before you need it (the flavors will have more time to blend).
- Add-ins: It wonโt be classic, but it will still be delicious! Try minced fresh herbs like parsley, chives, or dill. Or try capers, chopped olives, sliced scallions, a squirt of mustard, or a dash of hot sauce.
Fish Fry Menu
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Deep Fried Cod
Side Dish Recipes
Homemade French Fries
Salad Recipes
KFC Coleslaw Recipe
Bread Recipes
Marble Rye Bread
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Tartar Sauce
Ingredientsย
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup minced dill pickles (see note 1)
- 3 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructionsย
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, pickles, onion, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ยผ teaspoon salt and โ teaspoon pepper). Cover and chill until serving time.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Pickles: I love a crunchy dill pickle (Milwaukeeโs brand petite kosher dill pickles, if you can find them). Substitute sweet gherkins or pickle relish to taste, if you prefer that.
- Lemon juice: Or substitute lime juice, vinegar, olive juice, or more pickle juice.
- Yield:ย One batch of the recipe makes approximately 1 ยผ cups of tartar sauce.
- Storage: Keep the sauce in the refrigerator until youโre readyย to eat.
- Leftovers: Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Make ahead:ย Can definitely be made a day or two before you need it (the flavors will have more time to blend).
- Add-ins: It wonโt be classic, but it will still be delicious! Try minced fresh herbs like parsley, chives, or dill. Or try capers, chopped olives, sliced scallions, a squirt of mustard, or a dash of hot sauce.
This is my go to tartar sauce. Absolutely the best. Yum, yum.
So glad you enjoyed it, Brenda! Thanks! โ Meggan
The best tartar I have ever had by FAR!
Thank you so much, Heather! Sorry for the late response! โ Meggan