Description
This easy homemade tartar sauce captures the creamy, tangy, and zesty flavor of Red Lobster’s classic sauce, perfect for elevating simple fish and chips or other seafood dishes on busy weeknights. It’s a quick and family-friendly condiment that brings restaurant-quality taste to your table.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise (prefer an organic brand for richer flavor, or use light mayo for a healthy version)
- 0.25 cup sweet pickle relish (finely chopped gherkins work great if you prefer less sweetness)
- 1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (bottled juice works in a pinch, but fresh makes a huge difference)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (grainy mustard can also be used for texture)
- 0.5 tsp dried dill (use 1.5 tsp fresh dill if you have it for a fresher taste)
- 0.25 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 0.125 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dried dill, sea salt, and black pepper. Stir until all ingredients are smooth and well combined, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Chill and Mellow: Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate your homemade tartar sauce for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to truly meld and deepen. For a faster flavor burst, you can let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes instead.
Notes
If the sauce seems too thin, whisk in a little more mayonnaise until it reaches your desired creamy consistency. If flavors are too bland, add another squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a touch more salt and pepper. If it tastes too tangy after chilling, a tiny pinch of sugar can balance it out nicely. The quality of your mayonnaise is key to the overall texture.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Condiment
- Method: No-cook, Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tbsp (approx 30 g)
- Calories: 120 calories
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
Keywords: Red Lobster, tartar sauce, easy recipe, seafood sauce, condiment, homemade, tangy, creamy, dill, quick dinner