Tartar Sauce

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Tartar Sauce folds chopped dill pickles, capers, fresh dill, and shallot into mayonnaise with lemon and Dijon — the chunky, briny classic for anything fried from the sea.

Jump to Recipe

Tartar sauce should taste like more than mayonnaise that once stood near a pickle. This one gets finely chopped dill pickles, capers, shallot, lemon juice, Dijon, fresh dill, and black pepper, giving fried fish the cold, sharp, briny counterpoint it actually needs. The small detail that keeps the sauce thick is drying the chopped pickles briefly before they go in. Extra pickle water turns a spoonable sauce loose and weepy, especially after it sits. Stir the mayonnaise, lemon, and Dijon smooth first, then fold in the chopped ingredients so they keep some texture. A short rest in the refrigerator lets the shallot mellow and the dill and capers season the whole bowl. Make it before the fish, not after the fish is already getting cold while everyone watches you chop a pickle with increasing hostility.

Prep10 minutes

Cookno cooking

Total40 minutes (with resting)

Servesabout 1 cup

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickles
1 tablespoon capers, drained and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1Chop the pickles fine and press them briefly between paper towels — a drier pickle keeps the sauce thick instead of weepy.
2Stir the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Dijon together in a bowl until smooth.
3Fold in the pickles, capers, shallot, and dill. Season with black pepper.
4Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the shallot mellows and the brine settles into the base. Stir once before serving.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 2 tablespoons (about 8 servings in the batch).

140Calories

0 gProtein

1 gCarbohydrates

16 gTotal Fat

2 gSaturated Fat

0 gFiber

0 gTotal Sugars

170 mgSodium

9 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Blot the chopped pickles dry before folding them in. Pickle water is the number-one reason tartar sauce goes thin and puddles on the plate.
Use fresh dill, not dried. Dried dill tastes like the memory of a spice rack; fresh dill is the whole personality of a proper tartar.
Rest it 30 minutes minimum — raw shallot needs that time in the lemon and brine to soften from harsh to savory.

Substitutions

dill pickles → cornichons Extra-crunchy and a little more delicate; use the same volume, chopped fine.

shallot → 2 teaspoons grated white onion Sharper, so use less — and definitely give it the full rest.

fresh dill → fresh parsley plus a pinch of dried dill Keeps the green freshness while borrowing back a little of the dill flavor.

Storage Instructions

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. A little liquid may gather on top — stir it back in rather than pouring it off, since that is where the brine flavor lives.

Make Ahead

Tartar sauce is happiest made 2 to 24 hours ahead; the shallot mellows and the dill perfumes the whole sauce. Day-of is fine, but give it the 30-minute rest at minimum.

Freezing

No — mayonnaise separates and pickles turn to mush in the freezer. This sauce is a 10-minute fresh job and keeps nearly a week in the fridge, which covers every fish fry on the calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Tartar sauce is happiest made 2 to 24 hours ahead; the shallot mellows and the dill perfumes the whole sauce. Day-of is fine, but give it the 30-minute rest at minimum.

How do I store the leftovers?

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. A little liquid may gather on top — stir it back in rather than pouring it off, since that is where the brine flavor lives.

Can I freeze it?

No — mayonnaise separates and pickles turn to mush in the freezer. This sauce is a 10-minute fresh job and keeps nearly a week in the fridge, which covers every fish fry on the calendar.

Can I adjust it for what I have on hand?

Yes — tartar sauce is a ratio, not a contract. More pickles and capers push it briny, more mayo calms it down, and the dill can double if your fish can handle it. Keep the lemon and Dijon steady so the base stays balanced.

What's the most common mistake to avoid?

Blot the chopped pickles dry before folding them in. Pickle water is the number-one reason tartar sauce goes thin and puddles on the plate.

How long does it take?

About 40 minutes (with resting) from start to finish, including no cooking of active cooking. No stove, just a knife — 10 minutes of chopping and folding, then half an hour of fridge time that does the mellowing for you.