Easy Vegan Tartar Sauce

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Lemon wedges and bowl of vegan tartar sauce topped with chopped shallot, dill pickles, and lemon zest

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!

Dill pickles, salt, pepper, maple syrup, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, and vegan mayo

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.

Stirring a bowl of vegan mayo, dijon mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup, dill pickles, shallot, salt, and pepper

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.

Stirring vegan tartar sauce in a bowl

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!

Jar of vegan tartar sauce

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!

Vegan crab cakes topped with vegan tartar sauce

Easy Vegan Tartar Sauce

Easy vegan tartar sauce that’s creamy, tangy, and super flavorful. Perfect for dipping your favorite breaded creations. Just 7 ingredients required!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Angled view of a bowl of our vegan tartar sauce recipe
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8 (Tablespoons)
Course Condiment, Dip, Sauce
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

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.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with Primal Kitchen Vegan Mayo.

Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)

Serving: 1 tablespoon Calories: 96 Carbohydrates: 1.2 g Protein: 0.1 g Fat: 11.1 g Saturated Fat: 1.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 7.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 183 mg Potassium: 17 mg Fiber: 0.2 g Sugar: 0.8 g Vitamin A: 14 IU Vitamin C: 1.1 mg Calcium: 4 mg Iron: 0.1 mg

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  1. 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.

  2. 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!

  3. 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..

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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

  6. ingrid says

    Could I also use cooked/fried shallots? Raw onion/shallot don’t go well with my tummy. Or any alternative?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ingrid! You could definitely try this with cooked shallots if you let them cool before adding them. xo

  7. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We love to hear this, June. So glad both recipes came at the perfect time, thanks for the lovely review! xo