Say hello to the ultimate vegan tartar sauce! It’s tangy, sweet, saucy, creamy, and begging to be served with anything crispy and breaded! After a bit of experimentation, we feel confident we cracked the code for the best method. Bonus? Just 7 ingredients and 15 minutes required! Let us show you how it’s done!
What is Tartar Sauce?
Tartar sauce is a creamy condiment that’s often served with fried foods (or seafood if not vegan).
Its exact origin is unclear, but it may have originated in France sometime after the invention of mayonnaise in the mid-1700s. By the 1920s, Hellman’s (yep, the mayonnaise company) began selling its version of the condiment. It’s now enjoyed in many regions of the world, with some using the spelling tartare rather than tartar sauce.
The following is our plant-based version with a similarly creamy, tangy, classic flavor.
How to Make Tartar Sauce
The main ingredient in most tartar sauce recipes is mayonnaise. It provides a rich, creamy base that’s nicely balanced by the tanginess of lemon juice and chopped dill pickles.
Mayonnaise is usually made with eggs, but vegan versions are now readily available in most grocery stores, which is what we opted for when making this recipe. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can also make and use our Easy Vegan Aquafaba Mayo as a base for this sauce, but it may not turn out quite as thick.
To keep the recipe simple and classic yet bursting with flavor, we included finely chopped shallot, a little dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Maple syrup is the final touch, adding a hint of sweetness and balance.
We hope you LOVE this vegan tartar sauce! It’s:
Creamy
Tangy
Fresh
Flavorful
& Versatile!
It’s especially delicious with vegan crab cakes, onion rings, fries, or your favorite breaded creations!
More Creamy Vegan Sauces
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Vegan Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo (or store-bought)
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp finely diced dill pickles
- 2 Tbsp finely diced shallot
- 1 pinch each sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together vegan mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and maple syrup until well combined.
- Add diced pickle, diced shallot, salt, and pepper and stir until evenly combined.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more mustard for tang, maple syrup for sweetness, or black pepper for spice.
- Enjoy with vegan crab cakes, onion rings, fries, or your favorite breaded creations!
- Best when fresh. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. Not freezer friendly.
Alex - Easy Vegan Grub says
Such a good recipe. Chips, garden peas, scampi and tartar sauce was my favourite meal before I was vegan. This tasted fantastic and went so well with Happiee’s breaded Shrimpee (not sponsored, but they’re great. Thank you so much for this recipe. Loved it, made my day.
We’re so glad you got to enjoy your favorite meal again :) Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Rachael T says
I have made this several times when we have salmon burgers for dinner. I use normal mayo (Hellman’s/Best Foods) as I’m not vegan. It is amazing and wayyy better than store bought. Thanks for this recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Rachael! Thank you for sharing! xo
Janet says
This came out really good, thank you! I just used Follow Your Heart Vegenaise to keep it simple.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Janet! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Rachael T says
This is so yummy! I put it on salmon burgers.
That pairing sounds delicious, Rachael! Thank you for sharing! xo
sharon brush says
I’ve made this several times, and the flavors are perfect with vegan crab cakes. One addition I made to the recipe: I added a tablespoon of black chia seed. It doesn’t change the flavor at all, but it does change the consistency. Without it, I’ve found that the sauce starts to get thin and watery pretty quickly. The chia seeds keep the consistency thick.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Sharon! xo
Jennifer says
SO delicious! Just made this thinking I had nothing in the fridge, then ended up making the best fish tacos w/ this sauce & gardein fish filets. Better than any tarter sauce you could buy & easy peasy!
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Jennifer. So glad you enjoyed!
Bob says
Very easy to make and delicious with vegan fish fillets from Gardein. Only negative is that they recommend using the mixed sauce within a week so if you are making for 2 you might want to halve the recipe if you are watching calories..
Thanks for sharing your experience, Bob!
Tonia McCrary says
Love this sauce! So yummy with your vegan crab cakes!
Ooh, yes! That’s our favorite way to serve it =) Thank you for the lovely review, Tonia!
Von says
My first attempt at making tartar sauce and this recipe did not disappoint. It is simple to make and delicious to the taste!!!! This is definitely in my list of repeat recipes to make for the long hall! Thanks for sharing the recipe! It is amazing, and is even tastier the day after it is prepared.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Von. Thank you for sharing! xo
Dana Chalamet says
I just made this, as we are having your Vegan Crab Cakes later for dinner. I just tasted the tartar sauce and OMG … has anyone thought of using this as a salad dressing as well? It’s crazy good and I know *I* surely would love it as a dressing!!!! Yummy!!! As usual, thanks so much for sharing! 💞🙏🏼💞
Dana Chalamet says
Also, I should have added that I made recipe as written BUT did use an organic Dill Relish (Sweet Creek brand) in place of the dill pickle. All healthy ingredients and again, crazy good!!! 😋 … and sorry, I forgot to leave a rating in my first comment.
Woohoo! We definitely think it could work as a dressing – maybe thinned out with more lemon or water? Hope you love the crab cakes too =) Thanks as always for sharing, Dana! xo
Doniese McCaw says
This one is so absolutely delicious! It’s a definite keeper! SO Yummy!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Doniese! Thank you for sharing! xo
ingrid says
Could I also use cooked/fried shallots? Raw onion/shallot don’t go well with my tummy. Or any alternative?
Hi Ingrid! You could definitely try this with cooked shallots if you let them cool before adding them. xo
June says
You must be reading my mind because yesterday for some reason, I was telling my husband I missed tartar sauce from my childhood. That’s so funny. Now I need to make it.
And today we had the hazelnut milk you posted yesterday. I absolutely loved it. I made two batches already – one with chocolate and one plain with vanilla. Both tasted great. Now I need a good source for those organic hazelnuts!
Amazing! We love to hear this, June. So glad both recipes came at the perfect time, thanks for the lovely review! xo