For this tartar sauce, you will need only 4 simple ingredients and 5 minutes of your time. It is very easy to make as you must chop the dill, cut the pickles, and mix them with the rest of the ingredients. This homemade tartar sauce is packed with tangy, zesty flavor and perfectly complements your favorite fish dishes.
If you’re a big fan of seafood or fish and are looking for a quick and delicious sauce, then you should try this delicious 4-ingredient tartar sauce.
Simply chop up some pickles and fresh dill and mix them with some mayonnaise and whole-grain mustard. Give it a good stir, and you’ll have a tartar sauce that’s creamy, tangy, and full of flavor.
Whether you’re serving up fish and chips or grilled salmon, this homemade tartar sauce is sure to take your meal to the next level.
Plus, it’s so simple to make that you can have it ready in just a few minutes!
You can easily customize it to your liking by adjusting the amounts of each ingredient to suit your taste.
If you prefer a sweeter sauce, you can add a little bit of honey, or if you like it spicier, you can add some hot sauce or cayenne pepper.
🥰 Why You Will Love This Recipe?
- Minimum ingredients. It is incredibly easy to make, making it perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen.
- It is easily customizable. Adjust the recipe to your liking by adding more or fewer ingredients. Also, besides those basic ingredients, you can add a few other spices or seasonings that you prefer.
- It is budget-friendly and doesn’t use fancy and expensive ingredients.
🥘 Ingredients and Substitutes
- Mayonnaise. I used store-bought mayo, but if you want to make this sauce healthier and you have some time, you can make homemade mayo.
- Pickle. We are using them to add a crunch and flavor to the sauce.
- Mustard. I used Whole Grain mustard for its granulated texture.
- Dill. I highly recommend using fresh dill as it has a stronger taste than dried dill. You can substitute it with fresh parsley if you don’t have the dill in the kitchen.
Want to Go Further?
If you want to go an extra mile and to add more ingredients into this basic sauce, then you can add also lemon juice, cappers, Worcestershire sauce, fresh garlic or onion powder.
👩🍳 Step-by-step Directions
As I said, this is an easy recipe that you can make in just a few minutes.
So, all you will need to do is to cut the pickle into smaller pieces, and to chop finely the dill.
After that, take a bowl in which it will be convinient for you to mix all the ingredients.
Pour it in the mayo, whole grain mustard and the chopped dill and pickle that you just cut.
Mix well and the sauce is ready. How easy it was?
To get the best results from the tartar sauce, I highly recommend to leave it for 30 minutes in the fridge to chill. The longer, the better.
Quick Note: By leaving it for a while in the fridge, the flavors will get stronger and will blend with each other.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
This tartar sauce is a classic pairing with seafood, so it’s perfect for serving with fish and chips, shrimp, crab cakes, or any other seafood dish. But of course, you can also serve it near some pork chops or chicken quarters.
Another great use for this sauce is to spread it on a sandwich or on a burger for a tangy and flavorful taste.
And, of course, you can use this delicious 4-ingredient tartar sauce for appetizers. Use this tartar sauce as a dip for appetizers such as vegetable sticks, crackers, or breaded shrimp.
😻 Other Sauce Recipes You May Enjoy
- 4 Ingredient Fresh Basil Pesto
- Homemade Greek Tzatziki Sauce
- Easy Homemade Bistro Sauce
- Easy Garlic Soy Sauce
- 4 Ingredient Homemade BBQ Sauce
🏆 Expert Tips. What to Pay Attention To?
- Since this recipe only has four ingredients, it’s important to use high-quality mayonnaise, pickles, whole grain mustard, and fresh dill to get the best flavor.
- To ensure that the tartar sauce has a smooth consistency, it’s important to chop the pickles and dill finely.
- The amounts of mayonnaise, pickles, whole-grain mustard, and dill in this recipe are just guidelines. Feel free to adjust the amounts to your liking and add other seasonings or spices as needed.
- If you have time, chill the sauce before serving. By doing that, all the flavors from the sauce will meld together and develop.
- Since this tartar sauce contains mayonnaise, it’s important to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a week, but it’s best to consume it within a few days for optimal freshness.
Answering Your Questions:
Is it necessary to use fresh dill in the recipe?
Fresh dill is recommended for this recipe because it adds a bright, herbaceous flavor to the tartar sauce. However, if you do not have fresh dill on hand, you can use dried dill instead. Use 1 teaspoon of dried dill in place of 1 tablespoon of fresh dill.
How long can I store 4 Ingredient Tartar Sauce in the refrigerator?
You can store 4 Ingredient Tartar Sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. However, the longer it sits, the less fresh the flavor will be. Be sure to stir it well before using it again.
Can I adjust the recipe to make more or less tartar sauce?
Yes, you can easily adjust the recipe to make more or less tartar sauce. To make a larger batch, simply double or triple the ingredients. To make a smaller batch, cut the recipe in half or quarter it.
📋 Recipe Card:
4 Ingredient Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 Pickle Medium
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Whole Grain
- 1 tablespoon Dill
Instructions
- Finelly chop the fresh dill.1 tablespoon Dill
- Cut the pickle into small pieces.1 Pickle
- Take a bowl in which it will be convenient for your to mix all the ingredients.
- Put in it the mayo, pickle, mustard and dill. Mix everything well.½ cup Mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Mustard
- The sauce is ready to be served.
Quick Note
I highly recommend reading the entire recipe to find more tips and notes about this recipe. Read Full Recipe ⇑
Notes
- Before serving, leave the tartar sauce in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. By doing that, the flavors will blend better together and they will intensify their taste.
Lisa
Is is a dill or sweet pickle????
Victoria
Hi Lisa,
Sorry for confusion. We used dill pickles, but, if you prefer the sweet taste, you can also go with the sweet pickles. Just pick one that suits your taste preferences.
Diane N
Could dry dill be used?
Victoria
Yes, you can use dry dill but the taste and texture will differ a little bit. It will not provide the same fresh, bright note or green color, but it will still contribute a dill flavor that complements the other ingredients in tartar sauce.
You should replace 1 tablespoon of fresh dill with 1 teaspoon of dried dill.
It’s also a good idea to add the dried dill earlier in the preparation process to give it time to rehydrate and infuse its flavor into the sauce.