Start by finely chopping the onion, parsley, and dill pickles. Try to keep everything pretty small so the sauce has a smoother texture. The first time I made this King's Inn Tartar Sauce Recipe, I rushed the chopping part and ended up with giant crunchy onion pieces that totally took over the sauce.

Squeeze the lemon juice into a small bowl first so you can catch any seeds before adding it in.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise. I usually use regular full-fat mayo because it gives the best texture. Light mayo works in a pinch, but it can make the sauce taste slightly thinner.

Stir the mayo for a few seconds before adding the other ingredients. It sounds unnecessary, but I noticed it helps everything mix more evenly.

Add the sweet relish, chopped dill pickles, diced onion, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, parsley, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.

If you want a little extra tang, pour in about a teaspoon of pickle juice too. I skipped it for years, but now I almost always add it because it brightens the flavor without making the sauce watery.

Stir everything together slowly until fully combined. The sauce should look creamy with little bits of green pickle and parsley throughout.

This part matters more than people think. Dip a spoon in and taste it before chilling.

If it tastes too rich, add another tiny squeeze of lemon juice. If it tastes too tart, add a little more mayo. Sometimes pickles vary in saltiness too, so you may not need extra salt.

What worked better for me was adjusting the sauce a little at a time instead of dumping in extra ingredients all at once.

Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

The flavor changes a lot during this time. The onion softens slightly, the lemon settles down, and the whole sauce tastes more balanced. I once served it right away because we were hungry and impatient, and honestly it just wasn't as good.

Give the sauce one quick stir before serving.

This King's Inn Tartar Sauce Recipe is best served cold with fried fish, shrimp, crab cakes, fries, or even hush puppies.

Sometimes I sprinkle a little parsley on top if I'm bringing it to the table for guests, but most days it just goes straight into a bowl next to a pile of crispy fish.