closeup, aerial view of homemade tartar sauce in a small mason jar plated with fried cod and lemon slices in a parchment lined cast iron skillet

What makes this the BEST homemade tartar sauce recipe

Up until a few years ago, I despised tartar sauce. I just couldn’t figure out why people would want to ruin their fish by using it. That is, until I had homemade tartar sauce at a restaurant. I will never be able to remember what restaurant it was, but it changed my life.

Their tartar sauce was more than just pickle relish and mayonnaise. It was a truly flavorful sauce, complete with capers, chives, and Dijon mustard, and it’s the tartar sauce that inspired this recipe.

What makes this the best homemade tartar sauce is undoubtedly the capers and fresh chives, but it doesn’t hurt that it’s easy to make and completely dairy free, either.

aerial view of homemade tartar sauce in a small mason jar plated with fried cod and lemon slices in a parchment lined cast iron skillet

What are the ingredients of tartar sauce?

I’ve always been a big fan of making my own condiments. I love fresh salad dressing, and I’ve been making homemade cocktail sauce forever. But, homemade tartar sauce might be the single best condiment you can make for yourself.

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It blows store bought sauce out of the water, which is convenient since it’s a condiment for fish (pun intended). I made this particular batch of tartar sauce for frozen beer battered cod that we bought at Costco.

It might not seem like much, but the homemade tartar sauce made even a super easy dinner taste great, which is great when you’re not in the mood to cook or you’re just too darn hot – like everyday this week.

This tartar sauce would also be great with baked fish, crab cakes, salmon burgers or even your favorite fish cakes. It’s a very versatile sauce.

close up of homemade tartar sauce in a small mason jar plated with fried cod and lemon slices in a parchment lined cast iron skillet

How to make tartar sauce

Making this tartar sauce recipe couldn’t be easier. It’s a mayo based sauce, so you can use your favorite store brand, or make your own mayonnaise by following my homemade aioli recipe. When I use store bought, I typically by the canola oil version because it’s a little, but not as sweet as the low fat versions.

Add everything into one bowl and stir gently to combine. Make sure you don’t mix until you have everything measured and ready to go because you can easily over mix mayonnaise, which will result in a thin, messy tartar sauce that you won’t even want to eat.

homemade tartar sauce in a small mason jar plated with fried cod and lemon slices in a parchment lined cast iron skillet

How long does homemade tartar sauce last?

This tartar sauce recipe should last in the fridge for as long as the ingredients hold up. Provided you’re using ingredients with reasonable expirations dates, and relatively fresh chives, you should be able to keep it up to two weeks.

If you’re using homemade mayonnaise, be sure to use fresh eggs and factor this in when you’re deciding how long to keep it. I typically toss mine after a week, just to be safe.

Substitutions and tips for making your own tartar sauce

Use your favorite brand of mayonnaise, or make your own. Just don’t over mix your ingredients.
Customize it to your taste: add as many chives and capers as you want.
Don’t substitute sweet relish. You really need the dill if you want your sauce to taste like traditional tartar sauce.

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