In my house, this quick ketchup practically makes recipe fails launch themselves into the mouths of the my kids, but my husband is not a superfan. His favorite condiments all center around one quality- creaminess. Whether it’s homemade ranch dressing, chipotle mayo or tartar sauce served over paleo crab cakes, creamy wins every time.
This real food version of tartar sauce holds a lot of memories for him – long ago cafeteria dinners with his grandma where a balanced meal consisted of fried fish, steamed corn, macaroni, and a dinner roll. Not exactly a well-balanced meal, but the memories are priceless.
As a boy, he wasn’t an adventurous eater. But you could get him to try almost any seafood with a dab of tartar sauce. Though he’s pretty much willing to try anything these days, there’s still a certain magic to this beloved staple. I hope your family loves it as much as we do.
Tartar Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayo (or try my homemade recipe)
- ¼ cup white onion (diced)
- ¼ cup dill pickle relish
- 1-2 tsp dijon mustard (omit if using the pre-made mayo – it has just the perfect amount of tang for this recipe)
- sea salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together and serve.
Nutrition
That’s similar to how my mom used to make it. It was diced dill pickles in mayo. So good!
I’ve always used sweet relish, and was unaware of premade tartar sauce for most of my life. But I think of my grandma every time I make it too 🙂 She makes the best relish and having grown up on the east coast, tartar sauce with various types of fish was pretty common on her table.
You have this pregnant woman drooling… and now I want crab cakes and tartar sauce….it will likely be on next week’s menu. thank you for the many dinner ideas you highlight!
Ahhh, there’s no better compliment in my book than making something that inspires a pregnant mama, especially when it involved nutrient-dense seafood and healthy fats. I hope you love it as much as we do!
What kind of pickle relish do you use? All the stuff I see in stores has crud in it… like dyes and corn syrup.
Bubbies makes a good, truly fermented pickle relish. 🙂
old fashion green tomato relish (home canned of course) has a multitude of uses.
Thanks for sharing this information with us it’s extremely helpful to know what’s going on with your family member health and how to get help for healing. Again I say thank God continues to bless 🙏.
Growing up, that was one of the things Mom always tried to achieve – a colorful plate. I look @ what some fast-food places sell: Fried foods – fried chicken or fish, fries, and hush puppies or toast. And it’s all brown. Maybe pale white with the coleslaw or mashed potatoes. Some do change it a bit with green beans or mac & cheese…
Looking forward to trying this tartar sauce! Where did you buy the cute jar it’s in?
Hi Heather,
I grow my own Cholocate peppermint in a little herb garden, I dry it give it to friends for tea, plus I am making my own chocolate peppermint extract, can’t wait until it’s ready, I truly enjoy your recipes.
Thank you do much.
Merry Christmas.
Madonna
My mom cooked very simply; her tartar sauce was just dill relish with mayonaise. So thats how I make it (with Bubbies). But I will give this a try next time we have fish.
I’m sure I’ll like it, I’ll have to see what the kids think.
Now to find a healthy mayo option that’s egg-free…