What Does Tartar Sauce Go With? And How to Make It?

If you’re looking for a delicious condiment to add to your meal, you should try tartar sauce. This sauce is made with mayonnaise, pickles, and other seasonings, and it goes great with fish or seafood.

What does tartar sauce go with? The sauce is most commonly served with fish or seafood dishes. However, it can also be used as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers, french fries, or other fried foods.

This blog post will discuss what goes into tartar sauce and how to make it at home!

The Famous Tartar Sauce

Tartar sauce. Credit: canva

What is tartar sauce?

This sauce is a mayonnaise-based sauce typically used as a dip or spread. It is a famous sauce made with chopped pickles, onions, and other seasonings.

Tartar sauce is originated as a sauce for steak tartare. This dish is raw ground beef often served with a sauce tartare.

One of the most popular ways to enjoy tartare sauce is with fish and chips. This English dish consists of fried fish and potatoes.

This creamy sauce is nearly always recommended to be served cold. If you have just finished making your tartar sauce and don’t have to serve it immediately, consider refrigerating it for several hours before using it.

What does it taste like?

The sauce has a slightly sweet and tangy flavor. The mayonnaise provides a creamy taste, while the pickles add a tart and vinegary flavor.

Is it the same as mayo?

No, the sauce is not the same as mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is a base ingredient in tartar sauce, but the two sauces are not interchangeable.

Is tartar sauce suitable for vegetarians?

Yes, the sauce is suitable for vegetarians. It is because the sauce does not contain any meat or fish products.

What Does Tartar Sauce Go with?

Fish cake with tartar sauce and salad. Credit: canva

Why is tartar sauce served with fish?

The creamy condiment is most commonly served with fish or seafood because the sauce’s acidity helps balance out the richness and fishiness of these dishes.

The best way to cook fish for tartar sauce is to fry it. This will help to bring out the flavors of the sauce and make the dish more enjoyable.

Some of the most popular fish dishes for the sauce are fried or grilled fish, fish cakes, crab cakes, fish tacos, fish sandwiches, and fish sticks.

The best fish and seafood to pair with tartar sauce are cod, halibut, shrimp, crab, and lobsters.

Here are some ideas on how to enjoy seafood with this cold dipping sauce:

  • Pair it with grilled or fried fish.
  • Add it to your fish tacos.
  • Use it as a dipping sauce for shrimp cocktail, fish cakes, or crab cakes.
  • Top your salmon with a dollop of tartar sauce.
  • Make a tuna sandwich with tartar sauce and cucumbers.
  • Salmon burger tartar sauce is also a great combo.

Does tartar sauce go with chicken?

Yes, the sauce can also be used with chicken. The acidity helps to cut through the richness of the chicken dishes.

It is often used as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers or nuggets. You can use the sauce for other chicken dishes such as roasted chicken, grilled chicken, or even chicken salad.

Here are some ideas on how to enjoy chicken with tartar sauce:

  • Dip your chicken fingers in it.
  • Add it to your chicken tacos.
  • Use it as a condiment for grilled chicken.
  • Make a chicken salad with a tartar sauce dressing.
Fried chicken and fries with tartar sauce. Credit: canva

Is tartar sauce good with fries?

Yes, the sauce is also good with fries. The creamy and tangy flavors help to enhance the fries’ taste and crispiness.

You can use it as a dipping sauce or spread it over your french fries.

The best types of fries for the sauce include shoestring fries, waffle fries, and sweet potato fries. It is also excellent to go with baked potatoes.

Here are some ideas on how to enjoy fries with this flavorful dipping sauce:

  • Dip your fries in it.
  • Add it to your fish and chips.
  • Spread it on top of your french fries.
  • Add it to your sweet potato fry basket.
  • Use it as a condiment for waffle fries.

Does tartar sauce go with beef?

Yes, the sauce can also be used with beef. The crunchy taste of tartar sauce helps to cut through the richness of the beef dishes.

It is often used as a sauce for steak, meatballs, or burgers. You can use the sauce for other beef dishes such as roasted beef, grilled beef, beef tacos, or even Beef stroganoff.

Here are some ideas on how to enjoy beef with tartar sauce:

  • Dip your steak or burger in it.
  • Add it to your Beef stroganoff.
  • Use it as a condiment for grilled beef.
  • Make a roast beef sandwich with tartar sauce and cucumbers.
  • Add it to your beef tacos.

How to Make Tartar Sauce?

Fish and chips with tartar sauce. Credit: canva

Making homemade classic tartar sauce from scratch is simple and only requires a few ingredients. This sauce is so easy to make, and it tastes great.

Here is a quick and easy tartar sauce recipe:

Ingredients for tartar sauce:

  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup diced dill pickles (or use dill pickle relish/sweet pickle relish)
  • ¼ cup diced onion
  • ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until well combined.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for later.

Tips for serving

  • It’s usually recommended to serve tartar sauce cold. If you’ve just made your batch of tartar sauce, and don’t have to use it right away, consider storing it in the refrigerator for several hours before serving it.
  • Be careful not to add too much tartar sauce to overpower other flavors.
  • For a sweeter tartar sauce, replace the chopped dill pickles with chopped sweet pickles. 
  • You can add a handful of optional ingredients such as capers and ranch Dijon mustard. These will add flavors to the sauce.
  • Add zesty flavor with a dash of horseradish.
  • For a lighter sauce with fewer calories, you can swap the mayonnaise for light mayo or plain yogurt.

Where to buy tartar sauce?

If you want to buy a store bottle of tartar sauce, it is readily available in most supermarkets. You can find it in the condiments aisle or near the seafood section.

The pre-packaged tartar sauce is also available online. If you cannot find it in your local store, consider looking for it on Amazon or other online retailers.

How to store tartar sauce??

Leftover tartar sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. Be sure to keep it in an airtight container or jar so that it does not dry out.

You can also freeze tartar sauce for up to three months. Again, use an airtight container so that the sauce does not become freezer burnt.

To thaw it, move the sauce to the fridge a day before you plan to use it and allow it to thaw overnight.

FAQs

What goes good with fish besides tartar sauce?

Many things go well with fish besides tartar sauce. Some other famous sauces for fish include cocktail sauce, remoulade sauce, hot sauces, and tartare sauce.

Is tartar sauce unhealthy?

Tartar sauce is not considered to be unhealthy. However, it is high in calories and fat because it is made with mayonnaise.

What is McDonald’s tartar sauce made of?

McDonald’s tartar sauce is made with mayonnaise, relish, and onion.

How do you make a low-fat tartar sauce?

To make a low-fat tartar sauce, substitute the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt or avocado. This will help to reduce the calories and fat content of the sauce.

Is tartar sauce acidic?

Tartar sauce is slightly acidic because it contains lemon juice. However, the acidity is not overpowering, and it pairs well with many dishes.


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