This Tangy Tartar Sauce is punchy, briny, and not at all sweet. Made with cornichons, capers, shallots, and fresh herbs, this creamy, easy-to-make sauce is the perfect way to add a pop of brightness to fried fish, shellfish, seafood cakes, and more.
Prefer a milder tartar sauce with some sweetness? Try my Homemade Tartar Sauce with Pickle Relish.
Before You Start Cooking
- Start this sauce with a good-quality mayonnaise that’s low on sugar, like Duke’s or Hellmann’s. You can use homemade, but depending on the tanginess of your mayo recipe, you might need to adjust the lemon juice in your tartar sauce.
- Instead of dill pickles or pickle relish, this Tangy Tartar Sauce uses cornichons for a sharper, punchier flavor. You’ll usually find them in the pickle aisle or near the gourmet cheeses at the grocery store.
- For the best flavor, plan to make this sauce ahead and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour (preferably longer) before serving. I think the flavor is best the next day.
How to Make Tangy Tartar Sauce
Step 1: Prep
Before mixing your tartar sauce, you’ll need to prep the add-ins that give this recipe its tart, briny, and herbal flavor. It usually takes me about 10 minutes to chop and measure everything out.
- Cornichons. Drain them from their brine and then mince them so their flavor distributes evenly through the sauce. I most often use Maille Original Cornichons or Three Little Pigs Cornichons “Traditional.”
- Capers. Use nonpareil capers packed in brine. Drain them well, then give them a rough chop. They add a salty, lemony bite that pairs perfectly with seafood.
- Shallots. Finely mince the shallots so they meld into the sauce. You want their mild onion flavor throughout, but not noticeable chunks of raw shallot in each bite.
- Fresh Herbs. I like to use a combination of finely chopped parsley and dill fronds (the tender, feathery tops of the dill plant). See the variations section below for ideas on using other herbs.
Have extra cornichons in the jar? Use them in my Deviled Ham or Russian Dressing. You can also add them to a cheese and charcuterie board for a tangy, crunchy accompaniment to your cured meats and rich cheeses.
Step 2: Mix, Chill, and Season
Measure your mayonnaise into a mixing bowl and add the chopped cornichons, capers, shallots, and herbs. I recommend starting with 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, adding up to an additional 1/4 cup after the sauce rests if you prefer a milder or less textured sauce.
Stir in a combination of whole-grain mustard and smooth Dijon to add flavor and texture. I use Maille Old Style for the grainy mustard and either Maille Dijon Originale or Fallot Moutarde de Beaune for the Dijon.
Now it’s time to season. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper to taste. The exact amount of lemon juice you’ll need will depend on the acidity of your cornichons, capers, and mustard, which can vary by brand.
I suggest starting conservatively with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, then cover and chill the sauce for an hour to let the flavors develop. After resting, taste and adjust with more lemon juice if needed, depending on how bright and lemony you like your tartar sauce.
I rarely find this sauce needs additional salt—capers and cornichons usually bring enough—but taste and adjust with a pinch of kosher or fine sea salt if necessary.
While this isn’t a sweet tartar sauce, some brands of mayonnaise can be more acidic than others. If the sauce tastes too sharp, adding a small pinch of sugar can help round it out.
Keep in mind that this Tangy Tartar Sauce is meant to be bright and briny, not sweet. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, try the recipe made with relish that I linked at the top of this post.
Variations
- Fresh Herbs. Change up the flavor by swapping out the parsley and dill for other soft herbs. Tangy Tartar Sauce is also great made with tarragon, chervil, or chives—use one or a combination to suit your taste or what you have on hand.
- Dried Herbs. While fresh herbs give the best flavor and texture, dried herbs can work in a pinch. Use about 1/3 the amount of fresh—for this recipe, roughly 1-1/2 teaspoons total of dried herbs.
- Add Heat: For a spicier version, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce to bring heat and a vinegary kick. In this case, you might want to slightly reduce the lemon juice to keep the acidity in check. Another way to add some heat is to use spicy cornichons like Three Little Pigs Cornichons Piquants.
- Make it Even Tangier. If you love bright, acidic flavors, add a splash of white wine vinegar to the sauce or a little bit of cornichon brine in place of—or in addition to—some of the lemon juice.
Ways to Use Tangy Tartar Sauce
This sauce will keep well for 5 to 7 days, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (I most often use a mason jar.) Some of our favorite ways to use it are:
- Fried Fish and Chips. A classic duo! Serve this sauce alongside crispy battered or breaded fish fillets for dipping.
- Dip for Roasted or Fried Potatoes. Tangy Tartar Sauce is a great match for anything golden and starchy. Try it with crispy smashed potatoes, oven-roasted or air fryer potato wedges, or even tater tots.
- Shrimp and Shellfish. Like cocktail sauce, this Tangy Tartar Sauce brightens the richer flavors of fried shrimp, oysters, calamari, clams, or scallops. For a lighter bite, it’s also great with poached shrimp and air fryer shrimp.
- Salmon Fillets. Whether you’re serving pan-seared, poached, roasted, grilled, or blackened salmon, this tart, briny sauce is a great way to brighten the meal.
- Seafood Cakes. For a pop of brightness, serve this sauce with your favorite crab cakes (try my Air Fryer Crab Cakes or Roux Crab Cakes) or salmon cakes. It’s also great on a crab cake sandwich or salmon burger.
- Fish Sandwiches. Top a fried, grilled, or blackened fish fillet with crisp lettuce and a generous dollop of tartar sauce on a brioche bun for a restaurant-quality sandwich that’s easy to make at home.
More Dipping Sauces For Seafood
Craving more? Check out my full collection of homemade Condiments and Sauces.
Tangy Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise (I use Duke's or Hellmann's, see note)
- 2 tablespoons minced cornichons , drained
- 1 tablespoon roughly-chopped brined non-pareil capers , drained
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (I use Maille Old Style)
- 1/2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard (I use Maille or Fallot)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill fronds
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice , plus additional to taste (see note)
- kosher or sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper , to taste (see note)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, cornichons, capers, shallot, both mustards, and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld. After resting, taste and adjust with more lemon juice, salt, or pepper as needed.
- Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days. For best flavor, let the sauce rest overnight. Stir well before serving with your favorite seafood dishes.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About our recipes
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
