If tartar sauce has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 7 recipes to try it in.

What is tartar sauce?

Tartar sauce is a cold, mayonnaise-based condiment shot through with chopped pickles or capers and a squeeze of acid, built to cut the richness of fried fish. The mayonnaise gives body and the pickle gives the tang and crunch that keep it from feeling heavy.

At its simplest it is mayonnaise plus finely chopped pickles or relish, with lemon juice and a little onion stirred in. From there cooks add capers and fresh dill or parsley, a dab of mustard, even a pinch of sugar to round it out.

Despite the name, it has nothing to do with steak tartare.

The two share a French root but went separate ways. This one is purely a creamy sauce for seafood.

Using Tartar Sauce

Its classic home is alongside fried and battered fish, where its cool acidity slices through the grease. It is the natural partner for fish and chips, crab cakes, and fried shrimp, and it lifts a plate of Fish Tacos or Baked Stuffed Shrimp without overpowering the seafood.

It is just as good as a sandwich and burger spread. A spoonful brings a Chicken Burgers patty to life and anchors Super Salmon Burgers, and it turns a plain Steak Sandwichs with Tartar Sauce into something with bite.

Make it ahead. Tartar sauce improves after an hour or two in the fridge as the pickle and onion and the herbs bleed their flavor into the mayonnaise, so mix it before you start frying and it is ready when the fish is.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

It belongs with anything fried or briny: white fish, shellfish, fried green tomatoes, and crisp potato wedges all welcome it. A dab also wakes up a dull egg salad or a cold roast beef sandwich.

The most common mistake is a watery sauce. Pickles and capers carry a lot of brine, so blot or drain them before chopping, or the sauce thins out and slides off the fish within minutes.

The second mistake is making it too far ahead with raw onion. After a day, raw onion turns sharp and sulphurous and takes over the whole sauce.

If you need it to keep several days, soak the chopped onion in cold water first to soften its bite, or use chives instead.

Substitutes

In a pinch, stir sweet or dill pickle relish and a squeeze of lemon straight into plain mayonnaise; that is most of the way to tartar sauce in under a minute. Add chopped capers if you have them for the briny pop.

Remoulade is the close cousin, a spicier Louisiana sauce built on the same mayonnaise base but sharpened with mustard and paprika, often with hot sauce. Use it when you want more heat and colour alongside fried seafood.

For a lighter version, swap half the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt or sour cream. The sauce turns tangier and thinner, so add the acid more cautiously and taste as you go.

Buying and Storing

Jarred tartar sauce sits near the mayonnaise and ketchup. Read the label if texture matters to you: cheaper brands lean sweet and smooth, while better ones show visible flecks of pickle and herb and taste sharper.

An opened jar keeps in the fridge for the time printed on the label, usually a month or two, since the vinegar and salt in the base resist spoilage. Always keep it cold; the mayonnaise base is not shelf-stable once opened.

Homemade tartar sauce is a different story. With fresh herbs and onion it is best within three to four days, kept covered in the coldest part of the fridge. If oil starts to separate or it smells off rather than tangy, throw it out.

Quick facts

In Chinese

塔塔酱

British (UK) term

Tartar sauce

en français

sauce tartare

en español

salsa tártara

Recipes using tartar sauce

There are 7 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 7 recipes