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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Sauces and Spreads

    Tartar Sauce With Capers

    Published: Apr 7, 2022 · Modified: Oct 15, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Tartar Sauce is a delicious mayonnaise-based condiment made with capers, fresh herbs, gherkins, and shallots.

    This simple homemade Tartar Sauce with Capers & Dill is much better than the store-bought versions and extremely easy to make.

    This is possibly the best accompaniment to my all-time favorite British food "Fish and Chips".

    tartar sauce served in a bowl

    You can customize Tartar Sauce to your taste, you can add Dijon mustard, tarragon, chives, hard-boiled eggs, horseradish, or even a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

    Just experiment and find the perfect combination that you like best! 

    Jump to:
    • What is Tartar Sauce?
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Tartar Sauce Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Make Tartar Sauce?
    • What to Serve With Tartar Sauce?
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • Recipe FAQ
    • Related Recipes
    • Tartar Sauce With Capers

    What is Tartar Sauce?

    Tartar Sauce (or Sauce Tartare as the French say) is a mayonnaise-based cold sauce made with capers, cornichons, and herbs.

    It is a popular condiment typically served with seafood dishes such as fish and chips or fried seafood.

    This creamy sauce is made from mayonnaise, pickles, capers, and sometimes herbs such as dill or parsley.

    Other common ingredients in tartar sauce include lemon juice, vinegar, onion, and mustard.

    It is often used as a dip or spread for seafood dishes, and can also be used as a dressing for salads or as a sandwich spread.

    This creamy, tangy, and punchy condiment comes together in just 10 minutes and can be easily adjusted to your taste.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • This rich and creamy Homemade Tartar Sauce is better than anything you can buy at the store.
    • It is incredibly easy to make with only a few pantry & fridge ingredients. 
    • Tartar Sauce keeps well in the fridge, tastes better a day after, and pairs perfectly with many seafood dishes or any other dish that needs a rich, tangy pop of flavor.
    • You can customize it to your taste, you can add Dijon mustard, tarragon, chives, hard-boiled eggs, horseradish, or even a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Just experiment and find the perfect combination that you like best! 

    Tartar Sauce Ingredients and Substitutes

    Labelled picture of ingredients for tartar sauce with capers
    • Mayonnaise - You can either make your own mayonnaise or use your favorite store-bought one! My favorite brand is Hellmann's when I want to use ready-made mayonnaise.
    • Capers - They work great with this sauce as they provide that perfect touch of brininess and saltiness.
    • Cornichon - They add crunch and flavor to the sauce. I sometimes use dill gherkins instead.
    • Shallots - Although shallots are not commonly used to make tartar sauce, I love how it adds sharpness and makes my version of this recipe taste amazing.
    • Herbs - Dill and parsley are a must for this sauce. Alternatively, you can use chives or tarragon.
    • Lemon Juice - A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice adds brightness and sharpness to the sauce.

    How to Make Tartar Sauce?

    Making Tartar Sauce is very easy and straightforward.

    However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Start with preparing your vegetables and herbs.

    finely diced cornichons

    Finely dice the shallots and cornichon, and set them aside.

    diced shallots

    Chop the capers, parsley, and dill, and set them aside.

    chopped parsley and dill

    Alternatively, blitz them in a food processor if you want them finer.

    Use the pulse function and avoid turning the vegetables into a mash.

    Place the mayonnaise into a bowl and then add the shallots, cornichons, capers, herbs, lemon juice, and salt.

    all the ingredients are placed into a bowl

    Stir until everything is thoroughly combined.

    Check the seasoning and adjust it to your taste. 

    tartar sauce served in a bowl with fresh parsley leaves

    Transfer it to a bowl and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors develop.

    Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

    What to Serve With Tartar Sauce?

    Tartar Sauce With Capers is a great condiment to serve with seafood dishes such as Baked Sea Bass In Foil - Firinda Levrek, BBQ Garlic Butter Prawns, Calamari Fritti, Fish Sticks in Air Fryer, Easy Air Fryer Crab Cakes, and Baked Cod With Panko.

    You can also use Tartar Sauce for making sandwiches or serve it as a dip along with Greek Pita Bread, Shortcrust Pastry Mini Sausage Rolls, and Mucver - Crispy Zucchini Fritters.

    Tartar Sauce is also perfect to serve with Crispy Sauté Potatoes With Garlic, Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes, Easy Air Fryer Hamburgers, Frozen Sweet Potatoes in Air Fryer, and Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts.

    Top Tips From the Chef

    • To ensure that the tartar sauce has a smooth texture, chop the pickles, capers, and onions very finely. You don't want large chunks of any ingredient to overpower the flavor of the sauce.
    • If using a food processor to chop the ingredients, use the pulse function and avoid turning the vegetables into a mash.
    • Avoid overmixing the mayonnaise as you might end up with a runny and messy tartar sauce. Whisk the ingredients gently, until all nicely combined.
    • After mixing all the ingredients together, let the tartar sauce sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will give the flavors a chance to meld together and develop a richer taste.

    Recipe FAQ

    How long does Tartar Sauce last?

    Tartar Sauce would keep refrigerated in a glass jar or an airtight container for up to 7 days. I wouldn't advise freezing this sauce!

    Can you make Tartar Sauce vegan?

    Yes, you can swap the normal mayonnaise with vegan mayo to make this delicious sauce vegan-friendly.

    Is Tartar Sauce healthy?

    Although Tartar Sauce is relatively high in fat, it is high in nutrients like vitamin K and polyunsaturated fats, which may support bone and heart health. Because this sauce is usually consumed in small quantities, and for most people, it is not a part of their regular diet, it may not play a substantial role in overall health.

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious sauce and dip recipes why not try:

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this creamy and tangy homemade Tartar Sauce as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

    tartar sauce made with capers and dill

    Tartar Sauce With Capers

    Ayla Clulee
    This delicious Homemade Tartar Sauce with Capers & Dill is much better than the store-bought versions and extremely easy to make.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Sauce
    Cuisine british, English, French, Western
    Servings 6 portions
    Calories 230 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 whisk
    • 1 Sharp knife

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 200 g mayonnaise
    • 1 cornichon (finely chopped) (approx 40 grams)
    • ½ banana shallot (finely chopped)
    • 20 g capers (finely chopped)
    • 2 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
    • 1 tablespoon dill (finely chopped)
    • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
    • pinch of salt

    Instructions
     

    • Start with preparing your vegetables and herbs. Finely dice the shallots and cornichon, and set them aside.
    • Alternatively, blitz them in a food processor if you want them finer. Use the pulse function and avoid turning the vegetables into a mash.
    • Chop the capers, parsley, and dill, and set them aside.
    • Place the mayonnaise into a bowl and then add the shallots, cornichons, capers, herbs, lemon juice, and salt.
    • Stir until everything is thoroughly combined.
    • Check the seasoning and adjust it to your taste. 
    • Transfer it to a bowl and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors develop.

    Notes

    • If using a food processor to chop the ingredients, use the pulse function and avoid turning the vegetables into a mash.
    • Avoid overmixing the mayonnaise as you might end up with a runny and messy tartar sauce. Whisk the ingredients gently, until all nicely combined.
    • You can swap the normal mayonnaise with vegan mayo to make this delicious sauce vegan-friendly.
    • After mixing all the ingredients together, let the tartar sauce sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will give the flavors a chance to meld together and develop a richer taste.
    • Tartar Sauce would keep refrigerated in a glass jar or an airtight container for up to 7 days. I wouldn't advise freezing this sauce!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 230kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 307mgPotassium: 23mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 144IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post uses affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Vicki

      April 13, 2022 at 4:18 am

      5 stars
      I find it so interesting that you include capers in this recipe. Who knew! I can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
    2. Jenifer

      April 18, 2022 at 5:47 am

      5 stars
      I made this yesterday and it turned out great, thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    3. Terry

      April 25, 2022 at 5:10 am

      5 stars
      Really Really good..light and perfect with beer battered cod. I didn’t have capers but used everything else. A really good keeper. Thanks!!

      Reply
    4. Rick

      April 27, 2022 at 4:45 am

      5 stars
      I was surprised at just how simple and easy this was to prepare. And it’s excellent! Was the perfect accompaniment to the cod we enjoyed for dinner – thank you!

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        April 27, 2022 at 5:15 am

        You are welcome, I’m so glad you loved it, Rick!

        Reply
    5. Gina

      May 02, 2022 at 7:05 pm

      5 stars
      This was really lovely! I skipped capers, still tasted amazing, thank you!

      Reply

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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious recipes and culinary inspiration await you! I'm Ayla, a passionate and professional chef based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

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