What is a good substitute for tartar sauce? 9 Choice

Tartar sauce is a popular condiment for seafood or sometimes dipping sauce for fried dishes. It has the unique taste of tangy, salty, and eggy.

Unfortunately, sometimes you may run out of Tartar sauce and seek what to do next. Now no worry- Use below Tartar sauce substitutes instead.

They all carry their own unique flavor and don’t overwhelm your recipe.

What is tartar sauce usually made of?

The most common ingredients in traditional tartar sauce are egg yolks, mayonnaise, herbs, lemon juice, or vinegar.

Traditional tartar sauce recipes often call for the addition of mustard, minced onions, garlic powder, and salt. However, many variations reflect the regional preferences of different countries.

The main 4 ingredient tartar sauce is

• · Mayo
• · Pickle
• · Lemon juice
• · Tarragon

What can I use instead of tartar sauce?- 9 tartar sauce substitutes

Many different types of sauces can be used to replace tartar sauce. Some popular options include Aioli sauce, Remoulade sauce, Cocktail sauce, Raita, Taramosalata, etc.

1. AIOLI – Best Choice for Tartar Sauce Substitute

Aioli is my all-time favourite condiment also the first substitute for Tartar sauce on my list. It is widely used in northwest Mediterranean cuisine.

Aioli sauce is traditionally made with garlic, olive oil, egg yolks, and other spices. Delicious served over steamed vegetables or potatoes!

You can also use it for croutons, fish soup, grilled meat like lamb snails, which you can add as a dipping sauce too.

2. MAYONNAISE Perfect Replacement for Tartar Sauce

If you don’t have anything simple mayonnaise, or you can say Mayo use Tartar sauce alternate. Tartar sauce and Mayo have the same base taste.

Use the same amount of mayonnaise for tartar sauce for your dipping sauce, fish fillets, sandwich, salad, etc.

3. HOMEMADE Tartar sauce best for Vegans and Vegetarian

Make your own homemade tartar sauce and store it for further use. It may be vegan friendly or normal too.

To make Tartar Sauce. 

Ingredients: 1 cup of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons dill pickles, juice of half a lemon, 1 teaspoon paprika.

Preparation: Put in a bowl the sour cream, add lemon juice, pickles grated on a grater and mix all thoroughly. Mix with a pinch of salt until fully combined.

Spoon the sour cream mixture onto a fish dish, sprinkle with paprika and serve. If you don’t want to use mayo, use these instead.

For good taste, serve chilled. Enjoy!

4. SAUCE REMOULADE is a Decent Alternative to Tartar sauce 

Remoulade is a European cold sauce, a variation of tartar sauce that often includes the addition of mayonnaise. 

However, Remoulade sauce is more yellowish than Tartar sauce but has the same flavor and texture. It is available in different flavors like Curry flavor.

You can also add anchovies, capers, and mustard to either sauce to add a little more flavor and kick! It is easy to use replacement for Tartar sauce.

You can have it either solo or dipping sauce for french fries, roasted beef, or serve with seafood cakes, potato salads, deep-fried fish, etc.

5. Try TARATOR SAUCE to Replace Tartar Sauce 

Another great yummy sauce for tartar sauce replacement in my bucket is Tarator sauce. It is a Greek Sauce that is often used as soup or appetizer.

Tarator also known as Tzatziki, cacık. Because it has the exact flavour and texture as tartar sauce, it will work well as a substitute. 

The key ingredient of tarator sauce is yogurt mixed up with herbs (like mint, dill, or parsley), cucumber, seasoning with salt and garlic, and adding lemon juice to bring the tangy zest.

It is easy to make condiments, I must say a healthy substitute for tartar sauce because it contains greek yogurt. 

You can use Tarator sauce for the soup served cold it with the meze. 

6. Substitute COCKTAIL SAUCE for Tartar Sauce 

We are all known to have cocktail sauce, Right! The excellent seafood sauce that suitable replacement for tartar sauce for fish soup, dipping sauce, 

Cocktail Sauce makes from ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, Tabasco sauce, and lemon juice. You can either mix those ingredients at home to make the cocktail sauce substituting tartar sauce, or use premade.

7. Use Garlic butter sauce Place of Tartar Sauce 

Garlic butter sauce is the easiest to find an alternate. It is nothing a mixture of butter, garlic, and seasoning with herbs and salts. It is usually served in cold form and used for pizza spread; add dipping sauce.

8. A Healthy Substitute for Tartar Sauce is RAITA 

I can address raita as an Indian tartar sauce or tarator sauce. Raita is widely served in Indian cuisine. 

It is also an all-time preference alternative for Tartar sauce.

If you have never tried this before, try once you fall in love with Raita. Raita based on Curd or yogurt and add cucumber, buttermilk, and mint to enhance the flavor of the condiment.

Raita eats its cold form, as it comes a variety of flavors you can use whatever you want to use, dipping sauce, side dish, solo with rice, tortillas, bread, fillets, fries, braised meat, etc.

9. TARAMOSALATA – Alternative for Tartar Sauce

Taramosalata is my last substitution for tartar sauce. It is another greek spreading sauce mixture of Turkish and Italian cuisine.

It is a slightly different texture but a good replacement; the key ingredient is salted Roe and seasoning with vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, mashed potato for thickness, and sometimes bread crumbs.

You can use Taramasalata serving Meze. It has a similar taste to Mayonnaise.

How to Make Tartar Sauce Substitute

I love tartar sauce, but it has a lot of fat and additives that can’t be good for me. If you are attempting to eat healthier, you may want to think about making a tartar sauce substitute. 

This is something that can be easily made and used as you would normally use tartar sauce.

There are many variations to this recipe. I use it frequently when we have fish because the store-bought tartar sauce has a lot of preservatives and other things that I don’t want to subject my family to. 

This tartar sauce substitute is something I like to make ahead of time and keep on hand for whenever we need it.

Ingredients: mayonnaise, pickle relish, lemon juice, sweet pickles.

How to make tartar sauce substitute: 

1. In a small bowl, add mayonnaise and mix well with a fork. Add in one tablespoon of pickle relish and mix well again. Add in another tablespoon of pickle relish and mix well. 

2. Add in one tablespoon of lemon juice. Mix well again. Add in the last tablespoon of pickle relish and mix well. 

3. Add pepper to taste. Refrigerate the mixture in a tightly sealed jar. You can add chopped sweet pickles if you like them; I sometimes do.

Note: I usually make a double batch to use for more than one meal. It keeps well, and the flavor only gets better after being in the fridge for a day.

How to make tartar sauce for fish fillets?

Tartar sauce is a recipe that goes well with seafood, especially fish. It tastes better when made fresh at home rather than buying bottled tartar sauce from the grocery store. 

Making fish tartar sauce is not difficult, and it only takes about 10 minutes to make at home.

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup mayonnaise

-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

-1 small shallot, minced

-1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped

-1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped

-1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, shallot, capers, parsley, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Keep refrigerated.

How to make Tartar Sauce with Relish? 

· To make tartar sauce with relish, add 1 cup of mayonnaise to 3 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish.

·   To make tartar sauce without relish, mix 1/4 cup of plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of minced dill pickles, 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley, and a pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder. 

Refrigerate the tartar sauce for an hour before serving.

Is tartar sauce the same as Mayo? What is the difference between mayonnaise and tartar sauce?

Yes, tartar sauce is the same as mayo. It is usually made with mayonnaise and small pickles or relishes.

Tartar sauce is thicker than mayonnaise because it has an addition of egg yolks. It also uses gherkins, parsley, and onion as additional ingredients. 

Some commercial varieties of tartar sauce use vinegar, vegetable oil, and lemon juice instead of mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise is a condiment that offers several regional variations, particularly in the United States. 

However, the principal ingredients of mayonnaise are egg yolk and oil. When vinegar or lemon juice is added to the mixture, it transforms into a sauce.

Mayonnaise also has a creamier texture than tartar sauce, which is mayonnaise with onion and pickles flavours.

Tartar sauce is commonly found on fish and chips, but it’s also great with french fries or coleslaw. It’s most commonly made with mayonnaise, finely chopped pickles, and finely minced onions.

On the other hand, Mayonnaise has a more savory flavor, with a tangy zip from vinegar or lemon juice. It’s most commonly found with seafood and sandwiches.

Old Fashioned Tartar Sauce Recipe

There are many variations of tartar sauce, but the classic version is made with mayonnaise, pickles, capers, and herbs. Here’s a recipe for old-fashioned tartar sauce:

Ingredients: Makes about 1 cup of tartar sauce.

· 1/2 cup mayonnaise

· 1 tablespoon pickle relish

· 1 tablespoon capers, drained

· 1 teaspoon dried oregano

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle relish, capers, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

2. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.

3. Mix well before serving.

What can I substitute for tartar sauce? 

My all-time preference Replacements

• · Raita
• · Mayonnaise
• · Cocktail Sauce
• · Garlic butter sauce
• · Homemade tartar sauce
• · Remoulade sauce

FAQs Related to Tartar Sauce & Its Alternatives