{"title":"How to Make Tartar Sauce from Scratch","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/cooking/how-to-make-tartar-sauce","category":{"slug":"cooking","name":"Cooking"},"creator":{"name":"Chef James Makinson","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOxlk7Owc7Qz1F6jOZFasbQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygjh6shM2-4"},"tldr":"Homemade tartar sauce in 10 minutes - fresh mayo, capers, pickles, and herbs. Way better than store-bought. Follow along with Chef James Makinson.","totalDurationSeconds":349,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["chef's knife","cutting board","mixing bowl","balloon whisk","silicone spatula"],"materials":["1 egg yolk","200ml neutral oil (vegetable or olive)","1 shallot","1 dill pickle","1 tbsp Dijon mustard","1 tbsp capers","1 tbsp fresh lemon juice","1 tbsp fresh parsley (or dill)","salt","black pepper"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Dice the Pickles and Shallots","text":"Cut your dill pickle lengthwise into planks, then into batons, then across into small cubes. You want a fine, consistent dice - big chunks will throw off the texture. Do the same with one shallot. Secure your cutting board with a damp cloth underneath so it doesn't slide around while you work. Take your time with this - it only takes a few minutes and makes a real difference in the finished sauce."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Chiffonade the Fresh Herbs","text":"Pick the parsley leaves off the stems - give them a rinse first if they look dusty. Stack the leaves, roll them into a tight bundle, and slice across with your knife to make fine ribbons. Dill is the more traditional choice here and pairs really well with fish-based dishes; it's harder to find year-round, so flat-leaf parsley is a perfectly solid substitute. Tarragon also works if you want something a little more anise-forward."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Prep the Capers and Lemon","text":"Capers are small pickled flower buds from the Mediterranean. They're salty, briny, and go beautifully with fish - which is why they belong in this sauce. Give them a rough chop or leave them whole if they're already small. For the lemon, roll it firmly on the counter first - this breaks down the cells inside and makes it much easier to juice. Cut in half and squeeze through a small strainer to catch the seeds."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Make the Mayonnaise Base","text":"Place an egg yolk in a bowl set on a damp cloth (keeps it steady). Start whisking the yolk, then add oil in a very thin, slow drizzle while whisking constantly. The yolk and oil will emulsify into a thick, creamy mayo. Start slow - add too much oil too fast at the beginning and it'll break. Once you have a good thick base you can add the rest more quickly. You need about 200ml of oil total. Good store-bought mayo works here too if you want to save time."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Fold in the Dijon and Flavor the Sauce","text":"Once your mayo is thick, add the Dijon mustard and fold it in. Then add all the prepared ingredients - the diced pickles, shallot, capers, and herbs - along with the lemon juice. Fold everything together with a spatula. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. If it needs more punch, add another squeeze of lemon or a touch more Dijon. The sauce should be tangy, rich, and thick enough to coat a spoon without running off."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Transfer to a Bowl and Serve","text":"Scrape the finished sauce into a serving bowl. Taste one more time before serving - adjust salt, lemon, or mustard to balance it out to your liking. The sauce actually gets better after 30 minutes in the fridge as the flavors come together. Covered, it keeps well for up to 5 days. Serve alongside fried fish, fish and chips, crab cakes, calamari, or use it as a dipping sauce for seafood appetizers."}],"recipe":{"servings":"Makes about 1 cup","prepMinutes":10,"cookMinutes":0,"cuisine":"American","ingredients":[{"name":"egg yolk","amount":"1"},{"name":"neutral oil (vegetable or olive)","amount":"200ml"},{"name":"shallot","notes":"finely diced","amount":"1"},{"name":"dill pickle","notes":"finely diced","amount":"1"},{"name":"Dijon mustard","amount":"1 tbsp"},{"name":"capers","notes":"coarsely chopped","amount":"1 tbsp"},{"name":"fresh lemon juice","amount":"1 tbsp"},{"name":"fresh flat-leaf parsley","notes":"chiffonade; dill or tarragon also work","amount":"1 tbsp"},{"name":"salt","amount":"to taste"},{"name":"black pepper","amount":"pinch"}]},"lastUpdated":"2026-06-12T17:32:15.208Z","published":"2026-06-12T17:31:12.548Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}