Our 4 ingredient tartar sauce is a simple tartar sauce recipe you will want to serve with everything from fish and chips to chicken wings, fries, and even mozzarella sticks! Ready in just 10 minutes using staple ingredients, it doesn't get any easier than this.
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We all love a good tartar sauce recipe with fish and chips, but if you've ever served it with chicken strips, french fries, or even as a sandwich condiment, you know that it pairs deliciously with so much more. Well, why not make your own tartar sauce to serve with whatever you want?
Our simple tartar sauce recipe is just 4 ingredients and comes together in only 10 minutes, so you can make it last minute to enjoy with your favorite air fryer dinners!
Tartar Sauce Ingredients
- Mayonnaise: We recommend using full fat mayonnaise and not a low fat mayo. This will give you the best flavor.
- Gherkins: These tiny pickles are perfect for the sweet-and-tangy crunch they add to tartar sauce. We recommend using gherkins for best flavor, but you can also use chopped dill pickles, sweet pickle relish, and capers if you have them on hand.
- Onion: You can use a sweet onion or shallots to make tartar sauce - both will work great. We recommend avoiding any other type of onion. Shallots and sweet onions have a sweet flavor to them that balances out the tart taste of tartar sauce recipes like this one.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice only! Don't use the bottled stuff. Trust us on this, it tastes so much better fresh!
- Hot Sauce (optional): While it's optional, we recommend giving a little dash of hot sauce in your tartar sauce a try. It adds a tasty kick. You can use your favorite brand! Alternative optional add-ins include dijon mustard or Worcestershire sauce.
- Dill, for garnish (optional): Although this is also an optional ingredient, fresh dill is a classic herb to sprinkle over homemade tartar sauce. Definitely give it a try if you can! Dried dill will work if you don't have fresh - just be sure to use less. Alternatively, you can also use fresh parsley.
How to Make Tartar Sauce
Add all ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until fully combined to a creamy texture. Salt to taste, then refrigerate the dish for several hours up to overnight before using for best flavor!
Recipe Tips
- Use real mayonnaise for this creamy tartar sauce recipe. Miracle whip will be too sweet, as will low fat and fat free mayonnaise.
- One tablespoon of sweet Gherkin pickle, minced, adds just the right amount of flavor.
- Be sure to measure everything as specified in the recipe, then stir it together and let it chill. Once chilled, give it a taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking as needed. The flavors will develop as it sits in the refrigerator, so you don't want to over-season it beforehand.
What to Serve with Tartar Sauce
You can serve tartar sauce with more than just seafood dishes. Tartar sauce is the perfect creamy condiment to serve with fish, shellfish, and as a dipping sauce for fried foods of all kinds! You can even use it as a salad dressing.
For more ideas on what to serve with tartar sauce, try:
Storage Instructions
- Store homemade leftover tartar sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
FAQ
For best flavor, yes, you should use real, full fat mayo to make tartar sauce. Miracle whip, low-fat, and no-fat mayonnaise will not offer you the right flavor for tartar sauce.
We find that gherkins offer the best flavor for tartar, but feel free to use alternatives like sweet pickle relish, dill pickle relish, or even capers. Note that if you use capers on their own, the sauce will most likely not be sweet enough.
Homemade Sauce Recipes
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4 Ingredient Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon Gherkins chopped (about 1-2 Gherkins)
- 1 Tablespoon sweet onion or shallot minced
- ½ Tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 pinch kosher salt to taste
Optional ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon Hot Sauce Optional
- dill if desired Optional
Instructions
- Add ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon Gherkins, 1 Tablespoon sweet onion or shallot, ½ Tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon Hot Sauce, 1 pinch kosher salt, and dill if desired into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Salt to taste.
- Refrigerate several hours or overnight before using for best results!
Notes
- Use real mayonnaise. Miracle whip will be too sweet as will low fat and/or fat free mayonnaise.
- 1 tablespoon sweet Gherkin pickle, minced, adds just the right amount of flavor.
- Be sure to measure everything as specified in the recipe then mix it together and let it chill. Once chilled, give it a taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking as needed.
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