With this Homemade Tartar Sauce recipe there is absolutely no reason to purchase store-bought tartar sauce ever again. With just five ingredients it can be ready in less than five minutes.

tartar sauce in brown bowl, lemon slices, napkins and battered cod on sheet pan.

My husband and son are avid fishermen. They love to eat the fish they catch too. I knew I would like the fish much more with a sauce, so I set out to create the perfect Tartar Sauce recipe that was not only delicious, but easy to make.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Mayonnaise – I use the full fat, but you could definitely lighten up the recipe with yogurt or low-fat mayonnaise.
Sweet Pickle Relish – I prefer to use sweet relish, but dill would be great too.
White Onion – Be sure to mince this up small. The onion is for flavor not so much for crunch.
Lemon Juice – Use the fresh stuff. You’ll be able to tell a difference!
Ground Black Pepper

How to make Homemade Tartar Sauce

In a mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, and minced onion. Next, add in the lemon juice and pepper. Mix until the sauce is well combined and creamy.

mayonnaise, sweet relish, pepper and diced white onion in bowl for tartar sauce

Give it a taste and see if you want to add more lemon or pepper. It’s best if you refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Storing your left-over Tartar Sauce

This Tartar Sauce recipe is good for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Keeping in mind that you are using ingredients that are not beyond their expiration dates.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy with crab cakes, roasted vegetables and of course all kinds of fish.

Variations

There are lots of different ingredients you could add-in to change up the flavors of this Tartar Sauce Recipe.

Hot Pickle Relish – Perfect if you like a little kick with your fish.
Ketchup – Ketchup will make this recipe a great sauce for burgers.
Make it Southwest – Swap out the lemon for lime juice, the white onion for red onion and add some jarred jalapeno’s instead of the pickles. YUM!
Capers & Fresh Parsley- These two together add so much flavor when paired with lemon juice.