Easy to make and always a hit! Goes great with seafood, fish, burgers, salads. A healthier option using yogurt for creaminess and sharpness.
I've been making this Tartar sauce for the best part of 20 years now, and over time, I've adjusted it to suit my ever-changing taste buds and now, I have what I think is my Best Ever tartar sauce.
Anyone who enjoys eating seafood or fish will know that a great tartar sauce can enhance your meal, and bring great delight as a compliment to your dinner.
This creamy sauce is a perfect balance of sweet, salty and sour. That is what makes this sauce go great with fish and seafood. It's got a very refreshing taste and a good bite because you just roughly chop the ingredients.
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For this recipe, I've added the juice of 1 lemon. However, if you're using the cornichons from a pickle jar, you could use the liquid from that instead. Taste it first, and see if it has the sharpness that you would get from a lemon. Using the pickling juice will certainly add heaps of extra flavor to your sauce.
It's important to taste the sauce as you're preparing it.
As you know, cornichons and capers can vary from brand to brand in flavor, so taste as you go for the right amount of acidity and saltiness. You'll know as soon as you taste if it's not right!
I've had some really horrible tasting tartar sauces in my life, made up of all kinds of additives (I'm talking the ones you buy in jars and sachets), and also there are many recipes available, some too creamy, some not 'tart' enough, and some just tasting of 'nothing'. This one won't disappoint you!
For this recipe, I've also used yogurt for the creaminess, without the huge amount of calories you would get if using mayonnaise, which is traditionally used.
The yogurt gives the sauce a sharper flavor, isn't as heavy and rich, and is easier on the waistline too, so if you're trying to reduce calories, the use of yogurt will be a healthier option.
So let's get straight to the recipe and see how we make our Best Ever Tartar Sauce. Please enjoy!
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
Nil
Yield
1 & ¼ Cups
Ingredients
1 small shallot
6 cornichons (gherkins, I like the sweet & sour ones)
1 tablespoon capers
250 g (1 cup) fat-free Yoghurt
Bunch flat leaf parsley
1 lemon
2 Tablespoons mayo
2 tsp mustard
salt & pepper
***** Please note, when making this, taste as you go along. You may wish to add more of lemon, mustard, salt etc according to your taste.
Instructions
Chop everything fine then add the juice of the lemon, mayo, mustard, yogurt.
Combine and season to your taste.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
**This will keep in an airtight container for a few days, just give it a stir when you are ready to use it.
Serve Tartar sauce with some lovely Beer Battered Fish and Chips
or crispy fried pickled dills.
Recipe Card
Best Ever Tartar Sauce
Best Ever Tartar Sauce.Easy to make and always a hit! Goes great with seafood, fish, burgers, salads. A healthier option using yogurt for creaminess and sharpness.
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot
- 6 cornichons (gherkins, I like the sweet & sour ones)
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 250 g fat free Yoghurt, 1 cup
- Bunch flat leaf parsley
- 1 lemon
- 2 Tablespoons mayo
- 2 tsp mustard
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Chop everything fine then add juice of the lemon, mayo, mustard, yoghurt. Combine and season to your taste.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Chefast Herb Scissors Set - Multipurpose Cutting Shears with 5 Stainless Steel Blades, Jute Pouches, and Safety Cover with Cleaning Comb - Cutter/Chopper/Mincer for Herbs - Kitchen Gadget
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 107Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 279mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g
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T Tilden-Davis
says:Bless you all from the Southern States. Never famous for cuisine – perhaps better known for Alligator steaks and grits, Jack Daniels and Lovely people, however, in order to judge sauce tartar the French do dare to serve it like this lovely recipe.
Point Made
says:Being a Southerner and in a state where there is a fish camp every few miles, I can tell you for a 100% certainty that there is not one single restaurant that uses yougurt in tarter sauce. It’s just not done. You can call this fish sauce if you like, but don’t try and pass this off as tarter sauce
T Tilden-Davis
says:Bless you all from the Southern States. Never famous for cuisine – perhaps better known for Alligator steaks and grits, Jack Daniels and Lovely people, however, in order to judge sauce tartar the French do dare to serve it like this lovely recipe.
rameshchandwani
says:Hi this is Ramesh with u I go through your recipes I would appreciate if u can post some more recipies. Girlled ,roast,baked,cooked itemsplse.Thks.
corey
says:This is a great Tartar sauce! Perfect for my fish fries! Recommend highly!
corey
says:I forgot, I made it also with a little sour cream! It gave it a smoother taste!
Ole
says:Want to make it better, then make it on homemade Mayonnaise, not Yoghurt, as well as adding a Teaspoon Curry Powder and a Teaspoon sweetener of choice, Stevia preferred, and a pinch of Cayenne Pepper, then it is more of a Remoulade, really amazing :)
Ole
says:I forgot to mention, the past few weeks, i’ve also tried adding 1/2 Teaspoon dried Terragon, it is delicious! :)
Lovefoodies
says:Hey Ole! Sounds like you’ve re invented the famous Tartar sauce recipe! Sounds delicious with your adjustments!
Anders
says:It might be one of the best fish sauce ever but it is not a tartar sauce. The name tartar sauce comes from the tartar people who was very poor and traveled from village to village in there caravans supporting them self sharpening knives and tools. They had oil in order to there work and on their travel they pick onions on the side of the road. Now to the final ingredient egg it was normally stolen from the farmer they worked for lol
So tartar sauce comes from the tartar people and only have three ingredients oil and egg to do the mayo and onion for flavouring:)
Janine
says:I may be showing my ignorance here, but what are cornichons?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Janine, Cornichons are a small gherkin, pickled. (You might know it as a pickled cucumber perhaps?) They are smaller than the ones you are probably familiar with, and they’re usually pickled with tarragon too. If you can’t find them in the shops, using the regular pickled cucumbers will also work nicely with this recipe. Hope that helps!
Françoise G.Dufresne
says:Je fais déjà une recette de sauce tartare mais plus simple et je suis ravie d’essayer votre recette avec ces bons ingrédients, merci et je vais l’essayer des aujourd’hui avec des filets de truite pour mon souper. Fragui
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Francoise, glad you like the recipe!
Gammy
says:thank you. My father used to make fabulous tarter sauce and I have never been able to duplicate it. I can’t wait to try yours.
Gammy
says:just one quick question…what kind of mustard do you recommend?
lovefoodies
says:Hi Gammy, I’ve tried both French and English (yellow) mustard and I personally preferred the English one :)
Denise Baffoe Murray
says:I can’t wait to try this! It is just a couple of more steps than I usually do.
lovefoodies
says:Hi Denise, I’m so happy you will be making this. I really love the recipe so I hope it will become a favourite for your family too! Please enjoy, and have a super day!