This is the best Fish Taco Sauce recipe for your fish tacos, hands down! It’s perfectly and uniquely spiced, and so easy to whip up: one bowl, less than 5 minutes. My family loves this tartar sauce replacement, and I think you’ll enjoy how it complements and enhances the salty-sea flavors in your fish tacos, burritos, and grain bowls. It’s also delicious as a veggie or chip dip! (Now with video).
Years and years ago, I came across a recipe for San Diego fish tacos and an accompanying fish taco sauce. So delicious. I was obsessed with that white sauce and determined to reconstruct it in my own kitchen. After some trial and error, I finally nailed it, and am happy to share it with you now!
Recipe Highlights
- Skill level: Beginner – easy!
- Total time: Cook time, 0 minutes; Prep time, 5 minutes (just some quick vegetable chopping; everything else is measuring prepared ingredients), plus chill time.
- Servings: 16 (one tablespoon each)
- What makes it so special: It’s the unique combination of herbs and spices in a creamy base, with the perfect hit of heat: not enough to say, whoooaa, tongue on fire! But just enough to be all like, hello, I’m alive, and it’s great to be eating tacos!
So, forget salsa. Forget sour cream. Skip right over the tartar sauce. This creamy concoction is beautifully balanced for seafood, with zesty chiles and Tex-Mex spices, a squeeze of lime, plus the briny wonder of capers.
“I’ve made many a fish taco and my own sauce over the years….but. this. sauce! It’s magical!! Thank you for sharing!! I waited all week to make fish tacos and now I wonder why?!! Delicious!!”
~ Silvertsunami
I created this recipe to go with the crispy fried white fish tacos I remember, but shrimp tacos are my favorite, and this sauce goes perfectly on them. And honestly? It goes great with chicken tacos, too!
Once you try it for yourself, you’ll always reach for this recipe!
Main Ingredients
- Sour cream and mayonnaise: We’re starting with a nice, creamy foundation of sweet and tangy flavors — use full-fat or low-fat for each, the choice is yours. And if you don’t like mayo, feel free to substitute plain yogurt.
- Lime: Thinning the creamy base with lime juice instead of water adds a lovely acid tang. You can definitely substitute lemon juice, although lime juice is slightly sweeter and more traditional in Mexican-inspired sauces. The combo of lime and cilantro is so fresh and vibrant in this sauce, they were made for each other.
- Spices: The classic Mexican spices of coriander and cumin are must-haves in this sauce. Chipotle chili powder livens the works right up with its smoky, punchy goodness. (You can use chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, yes, but, personally, it annoys me to use just a small portion out of the can.) For a milder kick, use New Mexico chili powder instead.
- Herbs: Dill, what are you doing in here? Lol. You don’t often expect dill in a fish taco, but it goes so well with seafood that it actually tastes right at home in the final sauce. I love the bright, verdant green flavor! Oregano is a beautiful herb with peppery, pungent notes. And we can’t forget fresh cilantro — a nice, hearty hit of minced cilantro leaves cap off the herby flavors of this sauce.
- Hot chile pepper: In addition to the chile powder, I like to include a bit of fresh chile, such as a jalapeno or serrano, for a fresh burst of spicy heat.
- Capers: And now … the secret ingredient in my homemade fish taco sauce! Capers have a unique tang that’s a cross between bitter and briny. When combined with the other assertive flavors here, it somehow turbo-charges everything else, while hanging out quietly in the background. Use non-pareil capers if you can find them (they’re smaller with a more delicate flavor), and mince or smash them for the best texture in the sauce.
How to Make Fish Taco Sauce
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card [1] now to see the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through and summary of making the sauce.
Whisk up the creamy base
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream and mayo until well combined and smooth. Squeeze the juice from half of the lime into the bowl and whisk. The consistency should be pourable, like a creamy salad dressing.
If the sauce is too thick, add more lime juice from the other half. If you accidentally made it too runny, whisk in a little more sour cream.
Add the herbs, spices, and chiles
Whisk in the spices, chile pepper, capers, and cilantro until well-blended.
Refrigerate
For the best flavor, cover the bowl and allow the fish taco sauce to rest in the fridge for 2 hours or so. This lets the components of the sauce fully meld their flavors. It’s even better overnight and will keep for 10 days.
Spoon the sauce over your tacos piled high with a grilled flaky white fish, such cod or halibut. Shrimp is scrumptious, too!
“I have made this sauce countless times now for the big fish fry we have every year after our friends and family annual fishing trip. It is remembered so fondly by all that if I didn’t make this sauce I fear the fishing trip tradition would grind to a halt!
Love it!”
~ Bobbi
For an authentic San Diego Baja fish taco experience, try them battered and fried. Delish!
Cook’s Frequently Asked Questions
What else can I use this sauce with?
Made a big batch and need some ideas to use up the leftovers? Because it’s not fishy-tasting, the sauce goes great with chicken and beef, too: tacos, burritos, and wraps, with a side of Refried Black Beans [9] or Cilantro Lime Rice [10]. It’s also a fantastic chip dip — Fritos are my favorite!
Or, try it as a topping for these recipes:
- Loaded Guacamole Vegetarian Tacos [11]
- Fish Taco Bowls [12]
- Oven Fried Shrimp and Thai Coconut Ramen Noodle Bowl [13]
I don’t even buy tartar sauce anymore because this is my favorite topping for tacos. Watch the video below and learn how easy it is to make, and then make some for yourself. It’s wickedly good!
Wickedly Good Fish Taco Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream (Greek yogurt is delicious as a substitute if you’re not a fan of sour cream)
- 1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise (you can use full fat, but, the spices are so delicious, you won’t miss that particular flavor contribution)
- 1 lime , cut in half
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon capers , minced
- 1 hot pepper of your choice , seeded and minced (jalapeno is delicious, as are the cherry bomb poppers I used in this batch).
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro , chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise until well blended.
- Squeeze the juice from one lime half into the fish taco sauce mixture, then whisk thoroughly. You’ll want the consistency of a pourable, creamy salad dressing. If still too thick, add more lime juice from the other half. If too runny, add sour cream.
- Add all of the spices, whisking to mix thoroughly. Add the capers, minced pepper and cilantro, and whisk thoroughly.
- Cover the bowl with wrap and refrigerate the fish taco for at least one hour — the longer the better.
- Serve chilled. Spoon white sauce over fish tacos, or add into taco salads or rice bowls.
Video
Nutrition
Originally published on June 6, 2009