“Too easy!!” This phrase is commonly used in the Army. It means, “I am beyond capable of accomplishing this task because it isn’t overly complicated. HUZZAH!!” Soldiers have a way of making things efficient. They also have a way of being humorously sarcastic. While I could very well draw this Tartar Sauce recipe out to some exhaustive dissertation, I won’t. After all, it’s too easy, so I’m going to keep it simple.
Let’s get it done.
What is Tartar Sauce?
Tartar Sauce is a condiment which usually accompanies fish or shellfish dishes. It isn’t a sauce you coat things in, however. Typically, it’s used as a dipping sauce.
What You’ll Need for this Tartar Sauce Recipe
The foundation of Tartar Sauce is real mayonnaise. Now, if you even begin to ask me if you can use a “whipped salad dressing”, you and I are going to have a misunderstanding. Mayo is the only acceptable base. I have spoken.
In addition to mayonnaise, you’ll need dill or sweet relish. The relish you use depends on the types of flavors you like. My family is one that prefers savory flavors as opposed to sweet, so I opt for dill relish. However, because there’s an element of sweetness to this condiment, I add a pinch of sugar. Using sweet relish would make it too sweet for my family’s taste. If you lean more towards a sweeter palate, feel free to use a sweet relish- just omit the pinch of sugar. There’s also the option to use a bread and butter relish. Experiment.
To round out the rest of the recipe, you’ll need freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, that pinch of sugar I mentioned earlier, and my little twist: dill. Fresh or dry dill is fine. Seems like I always have the dried stuff on hand, so that’s what I’m using here.
Combine the Ingredients
Add the mayo, relish, salt, a pinch of sugar, and dill to a small mixing bowl.
Squeeze a teaspoon of lemon juice into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Mix, then Allow the Sauce to Develop
Use a rubber spatula to stir everything together until well blended. Because I want to make sure everything is mixed in well, I prefer to use the spatula. You can use a whisk or spoon to accomplish this step.
Once the sauce has been mixed, you need to give the flavors a chance to hang out and get to know each other. Since tartar sauce tastes best cold, cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for 30 minutes to one hour.
Serve the Tartar Sauce with Your Favorite Fish or Seafood
Serve your sauce straight from the mixing bowl, or transfer it to cute little jars.
I serve this sauce with Fish and Chips. Dipping fried flounder or fried clam strips into this Tartar Sauce is also a great idea! Fish sandwich lover? This is going to be your friend. Using this Tartar Sauce in your tuna salad, deviled egg mixture, or potato salad are also great suggestions.
The sauce will keep in the fridge for one week. Be sure to scoop out what you plan to serve, don’t dip your food into the sauce and later store the same sauce.
Pin this Tartar Sauce recipe for later. It’s sure to come in handy for your future fish dishes. Too easy!
Four Ingredient Tartar Sauce
at Sense & EdibilityIngredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup dill pickle or sweet relish
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dill
- pinch granulated sugar (omit if using sweet relish)
- kosher salt to taste, optional
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir together the mayo, relish, lemon juice, dill, and sugar.Stir until well blended.
- Season the mixture to taste with the kosher salt.
- Transfer the mixed Tartar Sauce to a food storage container (or cover the bowl in plastic) and store in the fridge for 30 minutes. This gives the sauce's flavors a chance to meld together.
- Serve as a condiment with your favorite seafood dishes. Use the Tartar Sauce within a week of mixing.
I’m about to be the star homemade chef of my family if I make this! LOL, I always thought tartar sauce was super complicated, but this looks super simple to follow!
LOL! Get your Mom of the Year Award, girlfriend!
I’m going to have some fried fish for dinner so I’ll make sure to try this, I bet they’ll complement each other perfectly
They absolutely will!
You know, I’ve never had tartar sauce. Maybe I’ll have to make this.
Oh, no!! This is something you absolutely need in your life, Sarah!
Just looking at this sauce makes me want to makes something complementary to dig right in! So creamy!
Absolutely! I may or may not have dipped my fries into it!
I’ve always wondered what goes into creating tartar sauce. Yum! I’m just imagining the possibilities wit this recipe.
Sooo many possibilities, Fatima! I hope you have fun experimenting!
This looks awesome. Any chance avocado mayo would work since my favorite, Duke’s, is not on our eating plan?
I don’t see why not, Teresa! I’m all about experimenting, especially if you’ve replaced the mayo in the past.