Homemade tartar sauce recipe, made the classic French way, starts with real mayonnaise from scratch. This traditional French tartar sauce is what you'll find in Paris bistros - fresh, tangy, and far better than any store-bought sauce.
It takes just a few extra minutes for a noticeably brighter flavour and wee bite to it.
Jill, Thank you!! I recently went to Paris and had the most delicious burger with tartare sauce on it - and it looked much like yours - NOT the gross white creamy stuff often served with fish here in the US. I despise tartare sauce but it was the most delicious thing in Paris. I immediately came home looking for the recipe. I even emailed the cafe! This was it! Thank you so much! - Alex
Why is it Called Tartar Sauce?
I had been making this sauce for years and didn't even appreciate that the name, Tartar, comes from the French, à la Tartare.
In the French Larousse Gastronomique, in France, 'Tartare' is a culinary term for both this sauce Tartare and le steak tartare.
If any of you have seen this popular dish served in brasseries and bistros, it's a classic dish of raw minced beef. The highlight is watching the waiters serve it with panache, using condiments such as pickled capers, fresh herbs, Worcestershire sauce and finely chopped shallots or spring onion. The whole lot is presented with a raw egg yolk on top.
For the classic homemade tartar sauce recipe, the ingredients below follow the French method - using raw, cooked, or mixed egg yolks.
Incidentally, every time I see mini gherkins (cornichons in France), I think of our family holidays in France when we were little. My picky wee brother always asked in restaurants for simple 'jambon' (ham), always served with a couple of cornichons.
However, each time, we made fun of them being frogs' legs; each time, he believed us and left them to the side. Poor soul - but I digress. He should have been served these pickled radishes - much prettier.
The Real Tartar Sauce Ingredients in France (Traditional Recipe)
The real traditional Tartar sauce's main ingredient in France is mayonnaise. For the best taste and creamy base, we make our own mayo in this recipe - and it just takes an extra 5 minutes!
As a result, we also avoid any processed ingredients to boot!
For a classic French mayonnaise, you'll need fresh, organic egg yolks, salt, olive oil (or sunflower oil) and vinegar. The additional flavours that make up the French classic Tartar sauce are:
- capers (câpres in French)
- mini gherkins (cornichons or small pickled cucumbers)
- a small yellow onion, shallot or spring onion (échalote/cebette).
- fresh herbs: parsley, chervil and/or tarragon (persil, cerfeuil/estragon)
All the above are finely chopped and, surprisingly, there's no lemon juice, no garlic (never use garlic powder!) and no yogurt. Above all, there's no sugar added.
Is there Mustard in Mayonnaise? (French vs Modern Recipes)
Many French historian purists have said there's no mustard in mayonnaise - even Auguste Escoffier in his Guide culinaire (1902) doesn't add mustard to his mayonnaise. If mustard is added, it's often referred to as a sauce rémoulade.
Most top French chefs add mustard. Yannick Alleno calls his a contemporary rémoulade sauce with added capers, gherkins, parsley, chervil, tarragon and anchovy essence (Source: François-Régis Gaudry, 'On Va Déguster la France').
Today, most French home cooks add a little mustard for flavour and stability - which is the version used in this recipe. Even better if it's wholegrain mustard, which adds that extra flavour and kick.
For more on mustard, see my article on Dijon Mustard and More
How to Make Tartar Sauce from Scratch (Classic French Recipe)
Classic French tartar sauce starts with mayonnaise, made using either raw or cooked egg yolks.
Ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature: it makes it easier to create an emulsion. According to Larousse Gastronomique (the French culinary dictionary source), sauce Tartare is made using either raw or cooked yolks.
Both are good but for this recipe, I use raw eggs, as ours are particularly fresh from the farmers' market. If you prefer yours cooked, then hard boil your eggs for 10 minutes (to soft hard boiled, not grey and chalky - see the classic French Niçoise Salad recipe how best to cook them) and use only the yolks.
Step-by-Step Recipe
Whisk up the yolks with a little salt and the mustard until blended. Then, slowly and continuously, trickle in the olive oil (or sunflower oil), whisking constantly until you gradually have an emulsion and it thickens.
Continue to whisk, add the white wine vinegar then add the rest of the ingredients, all finely chopped.
How Long Will Homemade Tartar Sauce Keep?
Homemade Tartar sauce can keep for up to 5 days if stored chilled and sealed in the fridge. So the good news is that it's a handy recipe to make in advance.
See more make-ahead recipes.
Simplest Tartar Sauce - 4 Ingredients Recipe
If you do prefer to grab a jar of ready-made mayonnaise, then it is slightly quicker with just 4 ingredients. Just add in a tablespoon each of finely chopped capers, gherkins and chives.
Using finely chopped chives as the 4th ingredient simplifies the traditional recipe, which would normally add the freshly chopped herbs (parsley, tarragon and chervil) plus shallot or spring onion.
How Best to Serve
Serve your homemade Tartar sauce with all kinds of breaded fish and seafood recipes. Enjoy with fish and chips, fried shrimp, seafood sandwiches, crab cakes or with these Scottish smoked haddock fishcakes. It also makes a healthy alternative to ketchup or sweet relish with fish fingers or a good burger - for both adults and kids.
Historically in France, it traditionally accompanies cold fish, oysters, le pied de veau (calf's trotters), and a dip for crispy potatoes.
Once you've tried this version, I'm sure you won't want to buy a jar of tartare sauce again! Although no fresh lemon juice in the sauce, I recommend a wedge of lemon to squeeze on the side.
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Basic Mayonnaise
- 2 fresh egg yolks, raw or cooked* organic/free range (at room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon salt (fleur de sel, Maldon flakes, Celtic sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 200 ml (7fl oz/ ¾ cup) olive oil or sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Tartare Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon pickled capers finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon pickled gherkins (small pickled cucumbers) finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon shallot, chives or spring onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley ( or mix with fresh dill, tarragon or chervil)
Instructions
Basic Mayonnaise
- Whisk the egg yolks (raw or cooked - see NOTES below), salt and mustard with a small hand whisk in a medium bowl. Gradually add the olive oil, dribbling it finely, slowly and regularly, whisking constantly. Once the mixture creates an emulsion and starts to thicken, add the white wine vinegar.
Tartare sauce garniture
- Stir in all of the remaining ingredients until well incorporated and season with more salt if necessary and freshly milled pepper.Chill until ready to use.
Notes
In the US, use finely chopped dill pickles or small pickled cucumbers for the closest flavour. Shortcut Version: A quicker 4-ingredient tartar sauce can be made using good-quality store-bought mayonnaise with chopped capers, pickles, and herbs. That said, the fully homemade version delivers the cleanest, most authentic French flavour. To Serve: Traditionally served with breaded fish and seafood, this sauce is perfect with fish and chips or Scottish fishcakes. In France, sauce tartare also accompanies cold fish, oysters, pied de veau (calf’s trotters), and crispy potatoes.
Although there’s no lemon juice in the sauce itself, a wedge of fresh lemon on the side adds extra acidity. Storage: tartar(e) sauce can keep well for at least 5 days sealed in an airtight container (a jam jar is ideal) in the refrigerator, making it ideal to prepare ahead. Nutrition per 75g serving: 2g protein; 53g lipids; 0g carbohydrates; glycemic index: 0
This recipe was first published on 1st February 2012 together with the smoked haddock fishcakes but is now separated, deserving its own post.
Tartar sauce and tartare sauce are the same sauce. Sauce tartare is the French spelling, while tartar sauce is used in English. Both refer to the classic mayonnaise-based sauce with capers, pickles, and herbs.
Alex
Jill, Thank you!! I recently went to Paris and had the most delicious burger with tartare sauce on it - and it looked much like yours - NOT the gross white creamy stuff often served with fish here in the US. I despise tartare sauce but it was the most delicious thing in Paris. I immediately came home looking for the recipe. I even emailed the cafe! This was it! Thank you so much!
Jill Colonna
Dear Alex,
I'm so happy you got to taste the best Tartare sauce in Paris - and then recreate it at home! I totally agree with you that the commercial sauce is nothing like the real thing and so worth taking the time for a homemade version. That's so lovely you contacted the café! Hugs from Paris. Jx
John H.
I didn’t think I liked tartare sauce until I tasted this. Really the best. I’m never buying store bought again as the taste isn’t a patch on this and much easier than I thought. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe Jill!
Jill Colonna
I'm so thrilled you like this John. Agreed, it tastes so much better, doesn't it? Thanks for your taking the time to review.