The jars of tartar sauce I used to buy always ended up at the back of the fridge, because they tasted sweet and flat instead of briny. This vegan tartar sauce keeps the same creamy base and then leans into the herby, salty side of the classic, so it tastes like the little ramekin that lands next to a plate of fries at a good restaurant. It comes together in one bowl in about ten minutes, and it doesn’t need a blender, a food processor, or any other gadget.
The step that separates a thick sauce from a weepy one is how you treat the relish. Pickle relish and capers both carry a lot of brine, and if you tip them in straight from the jar, that liquid thins the base within a few hours and the sauce turns watery by the next morning. Pressing the relish in a fine strainer and patting the capers dry takes about thirty seconds, and it’s the reason this version still clings to a spoon after a night in the fridge. The same habit of draining and tasting is what makes any cold sauce work, and it’s why my vegan ranch dressing tastes fresh instead of flat.
Vegan Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Spoon the dill pickle relish into a fine mesh strainer set over a small bowl and press it with the back of a spoon for about thirty seconds to release the excess brine. Pat the drained relish dry with a paper towel, then drain the capers the same way.
- Chop the capers and mince the fresh dill. You want the capers about the size of a lentil, and the dill chopped fine enough that it disappears into the sauce instead of sitting on top in long strands.
- Whisk the vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, onion powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Fold in the drained relish, chopped capers, and dill with a spatula. Stop as soon as everything is evenly mixed, because overworking a vegan mayonnaise-based sauce can make it look grainy.
- Taste the sauce and adjust it. Add more lemon juice for brightness, more salt if it tastes flat, or a small pinch of sugar if your relish is sharply sour. If it's thicker than you'd like, whisk in water a teaspoon at a time.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes, or up to a day, so the flavors can meld. Give it a stir once before serving.
Notes
Tips for Best Vegan Tartar Sauce
Tartar sauce takes about five minutes, and a few small habits are what turn a bowl of vegan mayo and pickles into a sauce worth keeping in the fridge.
- Drain the relish and the capers before they go into the bowl. Spoon the relish into a fine strainer and press it with the back of a spoon for about thirty seconds, then pat the capers dry on a paper towel. That brine is the main reason homemade tartar sauce turns thin and watery overnight.
- Start with a vegan mayonnaise you would eat on its own. It makes up most of the sauce, so the flavor of the brand comes through clearly, and no amount of dill or lemon will hide a vegan mayo you don’t like.
- Chop the capers and pickles small enough that they spread evenly on a spoon. A food processor sounds faster, but it turns the sauce an unappetizing grey and leaves you with a puree instead of a sauce with texture.
- Add the lemon juice a little at a time and taste after each addition. The right amount depends on how tangy your pickle and your vegan mayo already are, and it’s much easier to add more acid than to dial it back.
- Reach for fresh dill when you have it, and use about a third as much if you’re swapping in dried. Fresh dill is what gives the sauce its bright, green edge, while dried dill is flatter and needs a few minutes to soften.
- Let the sauce sit in the fridge for at least thirty minutes before you serve it. The flavors need a little time to spread through the base, and a batch made an hour ahead tastes noticeably better than one used straight away.
Storage
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this vegan tartar sauce keeps for about five to seven days. Give it a stir before each use, since a little liquid can separate at the top, and use a clean spoon every time so you don’t introduce anything that will make it spoil faster. I don’t recommend freezing it. Vegan mayonnaise-based sauces tend to split when they thaw, and the texture never quite comes back even after a good whisk. If you want to get ahead, make it the day before you need it, because the flavor gets better after a night in the fridge and it saves you a last minute scramble.
FAQ
Is tartar sauce normally vegan?
No, most tartar sauce is not vegan, because the base is regular mayonnaise and regular mayonnaise is made with egg yolks. Store-bought versions can also carry other savory seasonings that aren’t plant-based, so the label is worth a look if you’re buying a jar. This version sidesteps all of that by starting with vegan mayonnaise and building the rest of the flavor from pickle, capers, lemon, and dill.
Can I make vegan tartar sauce without mayonnaise?
Yes, though the sauce changes character. Plain vegan Greek yogurt or a blended cashew base will both thicken it and add their own tang, so start with less lemon juice and taste as you go. A yogurt base is looser and tangier, while a cashew base is richer and closer to the mayonnaise version. Use either one a little sooner, since neither holds up in the fridge as long as the mayo version.
Why did my tartar sauce turn out watery?
The most common cause is undrained relish and capers, which release brine into the sauce as it sits. You can rescue the batch in front of you by stirring in another spoonful or two of vegan mayonnaise to tighten it up, then drain the ingredients properly the next time you make it. Leaving the sauce out at room temperature for hours will also loosen it, so keep it in the fridge whenever it isn’t on the table.
What do you serve with vegan tartar sauce?
It’s the classic partner for anything breaded and crisp. I use it with my vegan smoked salmon and my banana blossom tuna, and it works just as well with fried tofu, vegan fish sticks, roasted potatoes, or a plate of fries. It also makes a quick dip for raw vegetables when you thin it with a teaspoon of water.
