Copycat McDonald’s Tartar Sauce & Fish Sandwich (Filet ‘o Fish Recipe)
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Do you love the fish sandwiches at McDonald’s? Us, too! Those soft buns, piping hot fish filet, melty cheese, and the best tartar sauce ever! Now you can skip the drive-thru and make a Copycat McDonald’s Filet ‘o Fish Sandwich and Tartar Sauce at home!
We try not to eat a lot of fast food. Face it though, sometimes you get a craving. When Lent rolls around, we always have to get at least one McDonald’s Filet ‘0 Fish Sandwich! It’s my hubby and youngest daughter’s FAVORITE thing on the menu.
Let’s face it, though: a lot of what’s to love is that tartar sauce! Nothing beats a good tartar sauce, and McDonald’s tartar sauce is truly the best.
A few years back, my mom told me she had been using a copycat recipe for McDonald’s tartar sauce for years. “Excuse me, Mother?? How am I just hearing about this NOW?!” I promptly had her text it to me, and I set out to mimic their whole sandwich.
McDonald’s Tartar Sauce Recipe
Whenever someone mentions the word tartar sauce, I instantly think of the tartar sauce at McDonald’s. It’s just perfect.
You may ask, “What exactly is tartar sauce?” Tartar sauce is a creamy condiment primarily served with seafood dishes, most often fried fish. It’s typically made with mayonnaise, chopped pickles or relish, capers, and often herbs like dill or parsley. It gets its name for its tart flavor.
If you love fish sandwiches, you need to give my Salmon Burger with BLT Slaw a try!
What’s in a McDonald’s Filet ‘O Fish Sandwich?
The tartar sauce and the steamed buns really make the sandwich. Here are the simple ingredients you will need. Scroll to the bottom for the full printable recipe card.
- Breaded Fish Patties – I use the Van de Kamp’s Breaded Fish for Sandwiches, but use what you like.
- Hamburger Buns – Steamed. You will want to steam the buns to get that soft bun like the original.
- American Cheese Slices – It’s not a McDonald’s Fish Sandwich without the melty American cheese!
- McDonald’s Tartar Sauce – The BEST, in my opinion. To make it, you’ll need Vlasic Dill Pickle Relish, minced capers, dried minced onion, milk, dried parsley flakes, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and mayonnaise.
How to Make McDonald’s Filet ‘o Fish and Tartar Sauce
So easy to make right in your own kitchen!
Begin by making your tartar sauce. Mix all of the tartar sauce ingredients, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour before making your sandwiches.
Bake the fish patties on a baking sheet in your oven according to the package instructions. When the fish is ready, place a slice of American cheese on each patty and pop it back in the oven for just a minute or two until the cheese melts.
While the cheese is melting, steam your buns by placing them in a plastic bag (don’t seal it tight) with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 30 seconds to steam.
Finally, assemble your fish sandwiches. Place the fish burger with cheese atop the bottom bun, top with a generous amount of McDonald’s Tartar Sauce, add the top bun, and enjoy!
Are you “Lovin’ it?” Pin it!
Don’t forget where you found this great copycat Filet ‘o Fish recipe! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board before you go!
More restaurant copycat recipes to love
Well, you found the McDonald’s Fish Sandwich and the tartar sauce recipe, but maybe you are wondering if I have any other restaurant copycat recipes? I most certainly do! I will share some of my fast food copycat favorites with you today, and you can check out all of my restaurant copycat recipes here.
In addition to fast food favorites, I have recipes from places like Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Texas Roadhouse, P.F. Changs, Starbucks, Cracker Barrel, and more!
Fast Food Restaurant Copy Cat Recipe Favorites:
- McDonald’s Big Mac Recipe (pictured above)
- Wendy’s Homemade Frosty’s
- KFC Coleslaw Recipe
- Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
- Baskin Robbins Daiquiri Ice Recipe
- Wendy’s Taco Salad
- Copy Cat Sonic Cherry-Limeade
- Egg McMuffin
I say we stop talking about it and get to the recipe for the McDonald’s Filet ‘o Fish Sandwich and Tartar Sauce!
LIKE THIS RECIPE?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and
leave a comment below the recipe!
Copy Cat McDonald’s Filet ‘o Fish Sandwich and Tartar Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
McDonald’s Tartar Sauce Recipe
- 1/4 cup Vlasic Dill Pickle Relish
- 12 capers minced
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
For the Filet ‘O Fish Sandwich
- 6 White hamburger style buns
- 6 Van de Kamp Breaded Fish for Sandwiches
- 6 slices American cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the Tartar Sauce: At least one hour before you prepare the fish, make the tartar sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a container with a lid. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- To assemble the sandwiches:Bake fish fillets according to the box. Top with a slice of American cheese while hot. Steam buns by placing them in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 30 seconds to steam. Place fish, topped with cheese on bun, add tartar sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on January 20, 2016. It was updated on February 28, 2025, to upgrade the reader experience.
Best tartar sauce is at McDonalds and this is a pleasant likeness. Thanks for sharing!
Nailed it! Thank you.
So happy that you liked it! 🙂
I crave a fish sandwich but don’t eat out that often so I’m excited to make this at home.
Love the tartar sauce. Also perfect for pan-fried or deep-fried fish fillets. So good. 🙂
Great idea!! It was simple to make and tasted just like the real thing, maybe a little healthier though? 😉
This looks SOOO good – and with McDonalds currently closed in the UK due to the current situation, I may just have to make these for the whole family.
Thank you for the homemade version of this fish sandwich. What a great idea for a quick dinner tonight. Love it!
This is my favorite meal to order from McDonald’s! So excited I can make it for myself from home; definitely making this for dinner this week!
I love homemade versions of popular fast foods. This take on McDonalds Fish sandwich looks amazing!
Gotta love the sauces at McDonalds!! I would make this recipe for the sauce alone! Bookmarked for later 🙂
My husband thinks I’m crazy but the filet o fish is actually my favorite mcdonalds sandwich! How fun that I can now make it at home- can’t wait to try it!
I love tartare sauce. I could just dip a spoon into the screen and eat it all. I have to admit I love dunking chips in it.
good to have such copycat recipes now that we can’t really go to the restaurants!
This may sound like a silly question but what brand of mayonnaise do you use?
not silly at all! I always buy Hellmans. 🙂
I just made this for lunch at work and it was amazing! Thank you very much for sharing this recipe!!! 🙂
So happy that you enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back to share with me!
I feel so dumb for asking this but does the damp paper towel go directly on the bun inside the bag and should the bag be closed or left open? Thanks!
Not dumb at all! Just inside the bag and then I just sort of fold it over – it doesn’t have to be tight, just enough to steam the buns! 🙂
I know cheese is good (can’t get enuf o’ that gooey stuff) but if you’re replicating the FoF sandwich, there’s only half a slice of cheese on it. Been making them at home for quite a while (Gorton’s Fish Sandwich fish). Now I have the “right” copycat sauce. Was just wingin’ it. Always used sweet relish. Gonna try this recipe with dill tonite! (It’s Friday!)
That’s the beauty of making it your own, right? I will be interested to hear what you think when you use the tartar sauce recipe!
The tartar sauce is spot-on! Loved it. Will be my go-to from now on. I used the Gortons breaded fish filets and made them in the air fryer. They tasted exactly like Mcdonalds. maybe even better!
I bet they WERE better!! Thnks for letting me know that you enjoyed the, too! 🙂
I love fish sandwiches, not a fan of cheese it though. I like the tarter sauce recipe. Where do you find the larger fish patties? The ones I have found are smaller.
I know what you mean, and it seems they continue to GET smaller all of the time. (and cost more! lol!!) I just used the ones that I could find in my area that were square when I made these. Of course, you could substitute breaded filets or even fish sticks and load up the bun how you like! I think that the tartar sauce and the bun are what really make this sandwich!
I’ve loved McDonald’s tartar sauce since I was a kid and I’m ALWAYS disappointed in the store bought tartar sauces. I’m never buying them again, because THIS tartar sauce recipe is easy to make and tastes just like McDonald’s! Thank you!
I am so happy that you enjoyed it!! We agree that it tastes just like theirs and store-bought just doesn’t suffice anymore! 🙂