How To Make Tartar Sauce Without Relish
Tartar sauce can be made in many ways — if you are out of relish, then you can use a few substitutes to make a great-tasting tartar sauce without losing its core flavor!
How to make tartar sauce without relish? Tartar sauce can be made without relish by using shallots, capers, minced garlic, and even flavoring agents like fish sauce. You can also add other chopped vegetables and follow the rest of the recipe as usual to create that classic tangy flavor and chunky texture.
Read below to learn how to make tartar sauce without relish and some tips on getting the right flavor from it!
Tartar Sauce Basics
Tartar sauce is one of the best pairings with seafood due to its acidic, savory, and umami flavors — and while the basic sauce is made with a few key ingredients, it can still be customized in infinite ways.
To understand how we can make tartar sauce without relish, we first need to understand its basic characteristics. Here are a few key features of this beloved sauce!
Tangy Flavor
The hallmark characteristic of any great-tasting tartar sauce is its tanginess.
No matter what substitutes you use, you need to hit the right tangy notes for the sauce to be deemed worthy.
This is why some basic tartar sauces can also be made with a simple addition of vinegar or any other tangy ingredient that can give it the right acidic content.
Will this simple sauce be accurate and traditional? No, not really, but it will still be able to mimic the flavor notes commonly found in any tartar sauce recipe.
Ingredients such as shallots and capers paired with garlic can bridge the gap in terms of flavor when omitting relish. You can even add a bit of sugar to the sauce to add a rounded flavor, as is common when using sweet relish.
Of course, you also have the option to customize the mayo in the sauce too. Mayonnaise is the one ingredient that remains constant in any tartar sauce recipe — it binds and brings together all the discrete ingredients in the sauce.
In most cases, you can use any type of high-quality mayo to make this sauce. You can even go with a delicious aioli to boost the flavor of the sauce, especially when skipping pickles.
Chunky Texture
Tartar sauce is all about contrasting textures!
Since it is usually served as a side for seafood, which is inherently tender, you can play around with the ingredients in the sauce to give it a subtle crunch that would also play well with the texture of the food you are serving it with.
This is why shallots, cucumbers, and even chopped carrots can provide a crunchy and chunky texture!
How To Make Traditional Tartar Sauce
Before we get into substituting relish, let’s first take a look at how traditional tartar sauce is made. This will make it easier to understand the role of the substitutes we will use in the recipes below to get the same texture and flavor of relish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp pickle relish
- 1 tbsp dill (fresh or frozen), chopped — or 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- In a bowl, add mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix thoroughly until combined.
- Add relish and chopped dill, then mix again until fully incorporated.
- Now add the seasonings and give the tartar sauce a final mix.
- Put a cover on top and let the sauce rest in the fridge for about 1–2 hours before serving.
Notes
- This traditional recipe uses pickle relish (with sugar as a separate ingredient), but other recipes may also call for sweet relish and omit the additional sugar.
- Notice how this recipe does not include any allium (like onions or garlic)? This is because the sauce will already taste great without these ingredients thanks to the addition of pickle relish, which will add an acidic flavor and chunky texture!
Traditional Tartar Sauce
Tartar sauce is one of the best pairings with seafood due to its acidic, savory, and umami flavors — and while the basic sauce is made with a few key ingredients, it can still be customized in infinite ways!
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp pickle relish
- 1 tbsp dill (fresh or frozen), chopped — or 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- In a bowl, add mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix thoroughly until combined.
- Add relish and chopped dill, then mix again until fully incorporated.
- Now add the seasonings and give the tartar sauce a final mix.
- Put a cover on top and let the sauce rest in the fridge for about 1–2 hours before serving.
Notes
- This traditional recipe uses pickle relish (with sugar as a separate ingredient), but other recipes may also call for sweet relish and omit the additional sugar.
- Notice how this recipe does not include any allium (like onions or garlic)? This is because the sauce will already taste great without these ingredients thanks to the addition of pickle relish, which will add an acidic flavor and chunky texture!
Now let’s take a look at how you can make tartar sauce without relish!
How To Make Tartar Sauce Without Relish
Here is a great and easy recipe that will mimic the flavor and textural notes of tartar sauce with relish, yet doesn’t use it as an ingredient!
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp fish sauce (optional)
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 clove garlic, grated or very finely minced
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix mayo, mustard, lemon juice (without seeds), and fish sauce. Fish sauce is an optional ingredient, but it can add a lot of character to the tartar sauce — especially if you are omitting relish!
- Finely chop (or mince) shallot, capers, dill, and chives. Separately, mince garlic and then add all the ingredients to the mayo mixture.
- Add salt and pepper, then taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings or ingredients as required.
- Cover the sauce and let it rest in the fridge for roughly 1–2 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Some recipes will call for homemade mayonnaise. While this is largely an unnecessary step, you may be able to have more control over the overall flavor and texture of the sauce if you opt to make your mayo at home.
- For simplicity and convenience, you can just as easily use any high-quality mayo to make a classic tartar sauce.
- For the best results, we recommend storing the sauce in the fridge for at least one hour before serving. This will allow all the ingredients to fully incorporate and will also help develop a more cohesive flavor.
- You might have noticed a few highlighted ingredients in the recipe above. These are the specific ingredients that will add that distinct flavor and texture that you would normally get if you used relish!
- The shallots will add sweetness and light sharpness to the sauce and will provide a subtly chunky mouthfeel.
- For a briny flavor, you will need to add capers. This ingredient is commonly used as a substitute for relish as it adds tangy notes and volume to sauces.
- Finally, the garlic will tie in everything and will add a rounded flavor. It will also provide a distinct umami flavor that will elevate the sauce even more.
- You can also add a dash of sugar if you enjoy using sweet relish. Sugar is an excellent way to balance out the tangy flavors, but you can also skip it if you want to keep the sauce simple.
- The fish sauce in this recipe is optional, but we recommend that you add it as it will complement the flavors of whatever you are serving the sauce with, especially in the case of fish and chips!
Tartar Sauce Without Relish
Here is a great and easy recipe that will mimic the flavor and textural notes of tartar sauce with relish, yet doesn't use it as an ingredient!
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp fish sauce (optional)
- * 1 small shallot, finely minced
- * 1 clove garlic, grated or very finely minced
- * 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix mayo, mustard, lemon juice (without seeds), and fish sauce. Fish sauce is an optional ingredient, but it can add a lot of character to the tartar sauce — especially if you are omitting relish!
- Finely chop (or mince) shallot, capers, dill, and chives. Separately, mince garlic and then add all the ingredients to the mayo mixture.
- Add salt and pepper, then taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings or ingredients as required.
- Cover the sauce and let it rest in the fridge for roughly 1–2 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Some recipes will call for homemade mayonnaise. While this is largely an unnecessary step, you may be able to have more control over the overall flavor and texture of the sauce if you opt to make your mayo at home.
- For simplicity and convenience, you can just as easily use any high-quality mayo to make a classic tartar sauce.
- For the best results, we recommend storing the sauce in the fridge for at least one hour before serving. This will allow all the ingredients to fully incorporate and will also help develop a more cohesive flavor.
- You might have noticed a few highlighted ingredients in the recipe above. These are the specific ingredients that will add that distinct flavor and texture that you would normally get if you used relish!
- The shallots will add sweetness and light sharpness to the sauce and will provide a subtly chunky mouthfeel.
- For a briny flavor, you will need to add capers. This ingredient is commonly used as a substitute for relish as it adds tangy notes and volume to sauces.
- Finally, the garlic will tie in everything and will add a rounded flavor. It will also provide a distinct umami flavor that will elevate the sauce even more.
- You can also add a dash of sugar if you enjoy using sweet relish. Sugar is an excellent way to balance out the tangy flavors, but you can also skip it if you want to keep the sauce simple.
- The fish sauce in this recipe is optional, but we recommend that you add it as it will complement the flavors of whatever you are serving the sauce with, especially in the case of fish and chips!
How To Make Tartar Sauce With Minimal Ingredients
Here is another even simpler recipe for tartar sauce that only requires a handful of ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cucumbers, finely chopped
- ½ tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix mayo, lemon juice, white vinegar, and mustard.
- Finely chop shallots and cucumbers. Add to the sauce and mix well.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust the flavor of the sauce accordingly.
- Let the sauce rest in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy!
Tartar Sauce With Minimal Ingredients
Here is a super-simple recipe for tartar sauce that only requires a handful of ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cucumbers, finely chopped
- ½ tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix mayo, lemon juice, white vinegar, and mustard.
- Finely chop shallots and cucumbers. Add to the sauce and mix well.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust the flavor of the sauce accordingly.
- Let the sauce rest in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy!
Taste Differences In Tartar Sauce With And Without Relish
Even though the above recipes don’t use relish, they will still provide a familiar flavor due to their acidic content and sharpness.
Of course, there will be a few textural differences and you might not get that “traditional flavor,” but when served with batter-fried fish or shellfish, most people will not be able to tell the sauces apart from traditional tartar sauce.
As explained, the texture of the shallots, cucumbers, and capers will add that distinct mouthfeel that you get in any standard tartar sauce recipe while the garlic and optional condiments will blend all the flavors.
In theory, you can experiment with other acidic ingredients to get more or less the same flavor profile as traditional tartar sauce made using relish.
We encourage you to use your imagination and make your very own version of tartar sauce!
Related Questions
There are multiple ways you can make tartar sauce without using relish. Now that you know how to get the most out of the flavors of a customized tartar sauce, here are some related questions we thought you might have.
How long does homemade tartar sauce last?
Since homemade tartar sauce is free of preservatives, it will only last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Store the sauce in an airtight container and try to consume it within a week for the best flavor and texture.
However, we do not recommend freezing tartar sauce due to the changes in consistency it will face since mayonnaise is a key ingredient.
Can you add other condiments to improve the flavor of tartar sauce?
Yes, you can try adding condiments like Worcestershire sauce and even hot sauce in tartar sauce.
Hot sauce may not seem like a suitable addition, but this condiment has been used by chefs like Gordan Ramsey to add heat and enhance the overall flavor of the tartar sauce.
Don’t believe us? Check out this hilarious video from Gordon Ramsey himself (plus his fantastic family) on YouTube as he tries to make fish and chips (and tartar sauce) in only 10 minutes!
