Culver’s Copycat Tartar Sauce Recipe for Homemade Butter Burgers

on

Copycat Culver’s Signature Tartar Sauce Recipe (Easy & Creamy)

If you’ve ever dipped a crispy fish fillet into Culver’s tartar sauce, you know it’s not just any tartar sauce. It’s tangy, a little sweet, super creamy, and packed with pickle flavor in the best way. Today I’m sharing my copycat Culver’s Signature Tartar Sauce recipe so you can bring that same flavor home using simple pantry ingredients. No special tools, no hard-to-find items—just stir, chill, and serve.

A Quick Background on Culver’s & Their Famous Tartar Sauce

Culver’s is a Midwestern fast-casual chain known for their ButterBurgers, frozen custard, and surprisingly delicious seafood. If you’ve had their North Atlantic cod or butterfly shrimp, you’ve probably noticed the tartar sauce steals the show. This sauce is:
  • Creamy – smooth and rich, it clings to every bite of fish.
  • Tangy – a bright pop of acid that cuts through fried, crispy food.
  • Pickle-forward – lots of dill pickle flavor with a hint of sweetness.
  • Herby – a little onion, a little dill, and just enough seasoning.
This recipe is a home-style copycat version inspired by the flavor and texture of Culver’s tartar sauce. It is not the restaurant’s proprietary recipe, and I have no inside knowledge—just tastebuds, a love of sauce, and a lot of testing in my own kitchen.

Why You’ll Love This Copycat Culver’s Tartar Sauce

  • Fast – about 10 minutes of chopping and stirring.
  • No cooking required – just mix and chill.
  • Everyday ingredients – mayonnaise, pickles, lemon, and a few spices.
  • Versatile – perfect for fish fillets, fish sticks, shrimp, crab cakes, or even fries.
  • Make-ahead friendly – actually tastes better after it sits in the fridge.
Have some frozen fish fillets or fish sticks in the freezer? This sauce instantly makes them feel more like a restaurant meal.

Copycat Culver’s Signature Tartar Sauce Recipe

A bowl of homemade copycat Culver’s tartar sauce with visible dill and pickle pieces, served next to crispy fish fillets and a lemon wedge.
Homemade copycat Culver’s Signature Tartar Sauce — creamy, tangy, and perfect for fish fillets, shrimp, and seafood nights


Yield: About 1 cup (roughly 8 servings)
Serving size: ~2 tablespoons
Prep time: 10 minutes
Chill time (recommended): 30–60 minutes

Ingredients

Optional Add-Ins (To Tweak the Flavor)

  • 1–2 teaspoons pickle juice for extra tang
  • 1–2 teaspoons capers, finely chopped, for a briny touch
  • A pinch of paprika for a hint of color and warmth

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients

  • Finely chop the dill pickles and onion. Smaller pieces make a smoother, more “restaurant-style” sauce.
  • If your relish is very wet, gently drain off extra liquid so the sauce doesn’t get runny.

Step 2: Mix the Base

  • In a medium bowl, add:
    • 1 cup mayonnaise
    • 3 tablespoons chopped dill pickles
    • 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
    • 1 tablespoon minced onion
  • Stir until everything is evenly combined.

Step 3: Season It

  • Add:
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
    • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (if using)
    • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • Stir again until the sauce looks smooth and well blended.

Step 4: Taste and Adjust

Now the fun part:
  • Taste a small spoonful.
  • If you want more tang, add a little more lemon juice or a splash of pickle juice.
  • If you want it sweeter, add a pinch more sugar or sweet relish.
  • Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Step 5: Chill for Best Flavor

  • Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or transfer the sauce to an airtight container.
  • Refrigerate for at least 30–60 minutes. A few hours is even better.
This resting time lets the flavors blend and the onion and dill soften into the sauce. The flavor becomes deeper and more “Culver’s-like” as it sits.

Step 6: Serve

  • Stir the sauce once more before serving.
  • Serve cold with:
    • Fried or baked fish fillets
    • Fish sandwiches
    • Fish sticks (kids love this combo)
    • Shrimp, crab cakes, or even fries and onion rings

Food Safety Tips for Serving with Fish

Even though this tartar sauce itself is no-cook, it’s often served with cooked seafood, so safe temperatures matter:
  • Cook fish and seafood to an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C). The flesh should be opaque and flake easily with a fork.
  • Refrigerate the sauce promptly. Don’t leave tartar sauce (it contains mayo) out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s above 90°F).
  • Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 5–7 days.
  • Always use a clean spoon when dipping into the sauce to avoid cross-contamination.

Approximate Nutrition (Per 2 Tablespoon Serving)

These numbers are estimated and will vary based on your exact ingredients:
  • Calories: ~110
  • Total Fat: ~12 g
  • Saturated Fat: ~2 g
  • Carbohydrates: ~1–2 g
  • Sugar: ~1 g
  • Protein: ~0 g
  • Sodium: ~220–260 mg
If you use light mayonnaise, the calories and fat will be lower.

Simple Shortcuts for Busy Nights

Sometimes you just need dinner on the table fast. Here are a few easy shortcuts to pair this sauce with a quick meal:
  • Air Fryer Fish Fillets: Pick up frozen breaded fish fillets. Air fry according to package directions—most cook in about 10–15 minutes. While they cook, stir together your tartar sauce. Instant “fish fry” night.
  • Fish Tacos Upgrade: Use this sauce as a creamy drizzle for fish tacos. Thin it slightly with a teaspoon of milk or water if you want a more pourable sauce.
  • Meal Prep: Make a double batch of sauce on Sunday. Use it all week with:
    • Fish sandwiches
    • Grilled chicken wraps
    • Veggie sticks (yes, it’s great as a dip too)
No crock-pot, instant pot, or fancy gadgets needed—this is one of those “stir it and forget it until dinner” recipes.

Variations for Common Allergies & Preferences

Everyone’s needs are different, so here are some easy tweaks.

Gluten-Free

  • The sauce itself is naturally gluten-free if:
    • Your mayonnaise, mustard, and pickles are certified gluten-free.
  • Serve with:
    • Gluten-free breaded fish or grilled fish
    • On gluten-free buns or corn tortillas

Dairy-Free

  • Most regular mayonnaise is dairy-free (but always check the label).
  • Use dairy-free frozen fish products or simply grill or bake plain fish with oil and seasonings.

Egg-Free / Vegan

  • Swap regular mayo for vegan mayonnaise.
  • Keep the rest of the ingredients the same (check relish and mustard labels to be sure they’re vegan).
  • Serve with:
    • Vegan fish-style fillets or fishless sticks
    • Crispy tofu “fish” or chickpea patties

Paleo / Low-Carb-ish

  • Use a paleo-friendly mayonnaise (often avocado oil–based).
  • Skip the sugar and sweet relish; use only dill pickles.
  • Check mustard ingredients for added sugars; Dijon is often a good choice.
Always double-check all labels if you have allergies or strict dietary needs—ingredients can vary by brand.

How to Store Your Copycat Culver’s Tartar Sauce

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Best flavor within 3–5 days, but safe up to about 7 days if kept cold and handled cleanly.
  • If it separates slightly, just give it a quick stir before serving.
  • If it ever smells off or looks discolored, throw it out.

Serving Ideas: Not Just for Fish

You can absolutely keep this as your “fish night” sauce, but it’s also great with:
  • Grilled burgers or turkey burgers (as a tangy burger sauce)
  • Fried shrimp or popcorn shrimp
  • Crab cakes or salmon patties
  • French fries, tater tots, or sweet potato fries
  • Raw veggies like carrots, celery, and bell peppers
If you like pickles and creamy dips, this sauce will disappear fast.

Let’s Talk: Did You Nail the Culver’s Flavor?

I always love hearing how copycat recipes turn out in real home kitchens. Did this version taste close to the tartar sauce you get with your Culver’s fish? Did you tweak anything—more dill, extra lemon, different pickles?
  • Leave a comment below with your tweaks or your favorite way to serve it.
  • If you snapped a picture of your fish dinner, feel free to share how you used this sauce.
And if you know someone who always orders fish at Culver’s, share this recipe with them so they can enjoy that flavor at home too.

Important Disclaimers

  • This is a copycat recipe created for home cooks and is not the official Culver’s recipe. I do not have access to Culver’s proprietary formulas, and this version is based solely on personal taste, publicly available information, and home kitchen testing.
  • Simply Copycat Recipes is an Amazon affiliate. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you if you buy products through links on our site. This helps keep our recipe testing going and supports the content you see here.
Enjoy your homemade copycat Culver’s tartar sauce, and happy dipping!
Location: Georgetown, IN, USA

Comments

Post a Comment