I am not the biggest fan of mayonnaise! Although it's fish season in Wisconsin. The air is filled with the scent of fried fish and tartar sauce. And anyone and everyone is craving seafood. That might be hyperbole. But it doesn't change the fact that I myself want fish. Since I am not the biggest fan of actual tartar sauce, though, I like to make it with Greek yogurt, instead. It maintains a similar look and consistency to classic tartar sauce. Just without the taste of mayonnaise. I also added red jalapeños to this recipe and a little dash of shallots. You can substitute onions and omit the peppers if that isn't quite your style. I'm pretty fond of this and it's there if you want to make the same!
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The entire recipe makes about 2 cups. So, this is only a small fraction of the whole batch! I ordinarily don't eat all of it at once, though. I'll portion it out into about 1/3 cup to dollop on top of Salmon Burgers, Omelettes, or to dip Sweet Potato Fries in. It will make far more than this, though. If you only want a small amount, I'd suggest cutting the recipe in half. Although I'll oftentimes use it for a plethora of things throughout the week.
Variations of Greek Yogurt Tartar Sauce
I specifically made this tartar sauce to dollop on top of Salmon Burgers. I have a plethora of other Greek yogurt and more traditional Tartar Sauces, though. The latter of which actually does contain mayonnaise! Although Greek yogurt is a quick and easy swap if you're similarly averse to mayonnaise. The ratios and consistency are the same. There's definitely a difference between them taste-wise. But all other things being equal? I prefer the versions without mayo!
This Greek Yogurt Tartar Sauce is a mayonnaise-free version of the classic with dill pickles, shallots, garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and red jalapenõs. The peppers give quite the kick! You can easily just use one jalapeño or omit them entirely for a milder flavor profile.
Mince all of the produce and mix all of the ingredients together.It's that simple! Just mix and voila! It can help to mix all of the wet ingredients first and then stir in the pickles, serrano, and shallot. But this is all personal preference.It can also help to refrigerate for an hour to let all of the ingredients settle. But mayonnaise and pickles are already refrigerated, so it should be pretty cold already! Just make sure not to over spice if you're letting it sit as the spices will permeate and become more pronounced over time.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
If you're making tartar sauce ahead of time, let it sit in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before adjusting the seasoning. It will take time for the salt, pepper, garlic, etc. to permeate the mayonnaise. They will be significantly more pronounced after refrigeration than they are initially.
This means that it can be very easy to overdo it on the seasoning, so it’s better it act with caution and add more later if it’s still necessary. I have a tendency to do this with garlic and onion, especially. If you’re like me and you tend to go to far in this aspect, adding more lemon juice and mayonnaise tends to balance it out. But it helps to save yourself the hassle and just add less to begin with!
Unless you’re a very diligent mincer, this is going to be a rather chunky tartar sauce. If you’re going for less of a rustic consistency, you can purée all of the ingredients in a food processor.
It's quite easy to change up this recipe and put your own spin on it. A lot of tartar sauces include capers, parsley, tarragon, eggs, and/or mustard. Some fanciful tartar sauces are even known to use crème fraîche, instead of mayonnaise.
For a slightly less bad for you recipe, you can substitute full fat mayonnaise for an olive oil or vegan mayonnaise variety. However, let’s be real here, nothing about a mayonnaise-based dish is ever going to be good for you! In these cases, I tend to call the whole meal desert and make a mental note to try to fit an extra workout in. Although that is likely more wishful thinking than anything else! After all, there is definitely something to be said for indulging in some good food from time to time.
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