Easy Tartar Sauce is so easy, and yet so delicious! You will want to have fish as often as possible because of the ease and taste of the tartar sauce. In fact, it works great with my Baja Fish Tacos! You can also use this as an alternative tartar sauce recipe for my Fish and Chips.

Easy Tartar Sauce

Tartar Sauce Ingredients and Substitutions

Just like the name of this tartar sauce says, it is EASY! Again, I am not exaggerating about that–it is only three ingredients!

  • Dill Pickle Relish: We prefer Mt Olive Simply Relish Deli Dill Style. This dill pickle relish has thicker chunks, it’s easier to drain, and it holds up better than other versions. Some, like Vlassic, are mushy, hard to drain, and produce a more watery final tartar sauce. Yes, you can use Sweet Relish if you prefer. Some folks have even mentioned they prefer homemade or zucchini relishes!
  • Miracle Whip: Miracle whip is what we have always used. Mayo is a substitute, and you can choose whichever brand you prefer. (Folks insist Dukes is the best!) You could even try my amazing Homemade Mayo!
  • Red Onion: I like to make sure my onions are finely diced. If you only have white, sweet, or yellow onion on hand those will work in a pinch. Chives might even work!
Ingredients for Easy Tartar Sauce

Tartar Sauce Variations

When you start with an easy recipe like this, it is really easy to customize. Feel free to add these and see what is your favorite.

  • Lemon Juice for a little acid
  • Horseradish
  • OldBay Seasoning
  • Ranch Dressing
  • Capers and/or their juice
  • Red Wine Vinegar
  • Salt & Pepper
Bowl of Easy Tartar Sauce

How to Make Easy Tartar Sauce

Have I mentioned how easy this tartar sauce is? The recipe is equal parts relish, miracle whip, and onion.

How Many Does This Serve?

This will make enough for a family of 8 who really likes tartar sauce or 12 people who consume average portions.

I know my recipe states 1 cup of each ingredient, but you can just as easily use one 15-ounce container relish, a 15-ounce container miracle whip, and about 2 medium red onions, chopped. Any equation works as long as it is equal parts of each ingredient. So, it can be customized for 2 people or 100 people!

Spoonful of Easy Tartar Sauce

Is Tartar Sauce just for Fish?

Absolutely not! One of my favorite uses for tartar sauce is to dip my french fries into it. When you have your fish and chips, have extra tartar sauce on hand for the fries, for sure! You can also use it on most seafood, particularly fried seafood like shrimp, clams, and oysters. Get creative and add some ketchup to your Easy Tartar Sauce to spread on your burger. What does it taste like to you???

Easy Tartar Sauce on Best Fish Tacos

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tartar sauce
4.91 from 11 votes

Easy Tartar Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Only 3 ingredients and a few minutes and you have a delish tartar sauce!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dill pickle relish, drained
  • 1 cup miracle whip or mayonnaise
  • 1 cup finely diced red onion

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir well to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.
  • Store covered in a refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

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Meet Amanda Rettke

Amanda Rettke is the creator of I Am Baker, and the bestselling author of Surprise Inside Cakes: Amazing Cakes for Every Occasion – With a Little Something Extra Inside.Over the course of her 15+ year blogging adventure, she has been featured in and collaborated with the Food Network, New York Times, LA Times, Country Living Magazine, People Magazine, Epicurious, Brides, Romantic Homes, life:beautiful, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Mail, Star Tribune, The Globe and Mail, DailyCandy, YumSugar, The Knot, The Kitchn, and Parade, to name a few.

Reader Comments

  1. I’ve made this one for years. A little more detailed but OMG. My family didn’t like the dill, so when I discovered this one, it was a hit!

    Red Lobster Tartar Sauce, Roanoke, VA location

    Ingredients
    1/3 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
    2/3 cup Sour Cream
    3 Tbls Sweet White Onion, finely chopped
    2 Tbls Sweet Pickle Relish (relish from jar with relish juice)
    3 Tbls Carrot, chopped fine
    ¼ tsp Salt

    1. Chop Onion in food processor.
    2. Put in small container and set aside.
    3. Chop Carrots in food processor and add to onion.
    4. Mix in remaining ingredients and stir to blend thoroughly. Do not use electric mixer.
    5. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

  2. I will try this tomorrow after I shop to get the right relish and onions. Thank you because I too have many bottles of disappointing brands in the fridge. There are two or three restaurants that are my favorites simply because they have outstanding freshly made tarter sauce. I actually go to those establishments simply because I like their kitchen made TS. One has bottles of mass produced TS they sale but won’t sale their freshly made brand. I only eat half of my dinners and take the rest home in addition to the dish I ordered for the next day. I feel like I’m stealing when I take enough of TA from the table containers they have in ice buckets. I like lots of TS with my seafood and fries.

  3. Sounds yummy! I would use mayo in this with a pinch of sugar. I bought Miracle Whip recently after many years of not using it. It bore no resemblance to the Miracle Whip I remember and it tasted so unpalatable that I tossed it. They have changed the recipe (at least it appears that way here in Canada).

  4. This is the tartar sauce I make but using mayonnaise instead of MW (too sweet for me). I love it, it’s easy and it’s also great on fish tacos with a little salsa verde on top! I use it for tuna salad as well!

  5. Miracle whip is never in our house. I use yellow onion lots lots of dill pickle I chop mayo( best foods and some of the pickle juice. Everyone raves about it. My dad was a commercial fisherman. This was my grandma’s recipe.

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