This easy tahini sauce recipe is creamy, nutty and zesty, full of punchy flavor. We love it as a salad dressing or sauce, perfect with falafel, Buddha bowls, roasted veggies and more!
Here is a basic recipe for tahini sauce that is incredibly easy to make with punchy flavor! Tahini Sauce is a creamy flavorful Middle Eastern sauce or dressing made from sesame paste with garlic and lemon, perfect for drizzling! It tastes rich, bright, nutty and creamy while being totally vegan.
We have several versions on the blog- but this basic version is the one I turn to most when time is short. Growing up with an Egyptian father, authentic tahini sauce was always on hand. It was our “go-to” dressing and sauce for practically everything. I honestly feel strange if I don’t have some in the fridge at all times!
What makes this the Best Tahini Sauce
- Perfect Creamy Consistency. This recipe has the perfect consistency; smooth and creamy and thick enough to use as a “sauce” and thin enough to use as a “dressing”.
- Vegan & Oil-free. This recipe is rich and creamy without any dairy or added oil. Pure, clean ingredeints.
- Great for Meal Prep. I like to make a big batch on Sunday for meal prep and use it throughout the week. It keep for 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Easy to make- no need to pull out the blender or food processor! Just place everything in a jar and mix!
Tahini Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- Tahini paste—Freshness and quality really matter here! Tahini paste is ground sesame seeds that can dry out and go rancid really quickly. We love this Tahini Paste Brand out of Seattle—it is creamy, nutty, sweet, and not overly bitter. TIP: Always refrigerate tahini paste so stays fresh longer.
- Water – to loosen up the tahini sauce to your desired consistency.
- Fresh Lemon juice – to add brightness and zesty flavor
- Fresh Garlic cloves- to add a nice punchy bite. Grate it or use a garlic press.
- Salt and Pepper to taste.
- Optional additions: extra virgin olive oil, chili flakes or chili paste (like sambal olek or sriracha) for a spicy kick, a dash of soy sauce or liquid aminos, for more depth, a dash of toasted sesame oil ( for extra sesame flavor), a tablespoon of zhoug for a burst of flavor, a teaspoon or two of zaatar spice, fresh chopped chives, cilantro, dill, Italian parsley, mint or basil.
How to Make Tahini Sauce
Homemade Tahini Sauce is incredibly versatile and simple to make. I love making it in a jar so that it will get stored with no need to wash anything afterward!
Step 1: Stir. If there is sesame oil on top of your tahini paste, stir it first.
Step 2: Combine in a jar. Place all the ingredients in a storage jar or mason jar: add the tahini paste, water, lemon juice, finely minced garlic, salt, and pepper, and whisk until creamy and smooth.
It may stiffen up a bit at the start, but don’t worry, just keep whisking; it will get nice and creamy!
Step 3: Taste. Adjust salt and lemon to your liking. Add any of the optional additions!
Tahini Sauce Recipe Easy Variations
We love this basic tahini sauce recipe just as it is, but we like to vary it up a bit every once in a while, depending on what we are serving it with! Here are a few optional additions to give tahini sauce a burst of flavor.
- Make Green Tahini Sauce –add fresh herbs like basil, mint or fresh parsley. This is easiest to make by placing everything in a blender.
- Make it Spicy! To give your tahini sauce a hot, punchy flavor, add a tablespoon of zhoug, hot sauce, or sriracha. Perfect for Middle Eastern tacos or falafel sandwiches.
- Make it Golden– Add a pinch of turmeric for a beautiful golden hue, perfect for Buddha Bowls.
- Season it up. Add cumin, coriander, zaatar, sumac, or Dukkha for delicious flavor.
- Make Tahini Dressing. Blend in a little olive oil and more lemon juice!
How to use Tahini Sauce
There are many ways to use tahini sauce! Serve as a flavorful dressing for salads, use as a dip, or drizzle it as a sauce for any of the following:
- Falafel or Falafel Bowls or Falafel Burgers
- Use as a dip for veggies or pita chips, or mezze platters.
- Drizzle over Lentil Bowls or Lentil Wraps
- Drizzle over Whole Roasted Cauliflower or Roasted Vegetables
- Serve with Lentil Cakes, Zaatar Eggplant or Cauliflower Shawarma
- Drizzle over Middle Eastern Eggplant wrap
- Drizzle over Middle Eastern Salad Tacos
How to StorE Tahini Sauce
Tahini Sauce will last 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and whisk until smooth.
Tahini Sauce Recipe FAQs
Tahini sauce tastes creamy, nutty, and earthy with a subtle, yet not unpleasant, bitterness from the sesame seeds. Lemon juice and garlic add a punchy, vibrant flavor.
Tahini sauce is made with a creamy sesame seed paste, while tzatziki is made with tangy yogurt as the base. Tahini sauce is vegan, while tzatziki sauce is typically made with dairy (unless you use vegan yogurt).
More Favorite Tahini Recipes
Enjoy this lovely recipe for tahini sauce and please let us know what you think in the comments below! xo
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Easy Tahini Sauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
- Category: sauce / condiment / dressing
- Method: stir
- Cuisine: middle eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
How to make the best Tahini Sauce– a Middle Eastern sauce that is rich, creamy, smooth, tangy and flavorful- used to drizzle over salads, buddha bowls and falafels made with sesame paste, garlic and lemon juice. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini paste ( stirred)
- 1/4 –1/3 cup water, more to desired consistency.
- 1 –2 tablespoons lemon juice (more to taste)
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil (optional, feel free to leave it out if you prefer oil-free)
- 2 fresh garlic cloves (finely minced – grate it or use a garlic press)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Note: If your tahini paste has separated, stir it in the jar with a fork before measuring. If it’s very cold, bring it to room temp to make stirring easier.
- Place tahini paste and water in a 2-cup mason jar or medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Once you start whisking, it may actually stiffen up- you can always thin it out with more water at the end if using as a dressing.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the jar – lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper and whisk until creamy and smooth.
- Taste and adjust salt and lemon to your liking.
- Feel free to add any of the optional additions, see notes.
- Store in the fridge for 5-7 days- it will thicken up slightly.
Notes
Consistency: Start with ¼ cup water and add more to desired consistency. For a tahini “dressing,” add more water or a couple of tablespoons olive oil. Feel free to keep it thick like a dip or spread. Also, keep in mind that different brands of tahini paste are thicker than others.
Salt. You want the Tahini Sauce to be flavorful and slightly on the salty side. If there is not enough salt, it may taste “anemic” or bland. Remember it’s a flavor-boosting condiment! 🙂
Optional additions: chili flakes or chili paste (like sambal olek or sriracha) for a spicy kick, a dash of soy sauce or liquid aminos, for more depth, a dash of toasted sesame oil ( for extra sesame flavor), a teaspoon or two of zhoug for a burst of flavor, zaatar spice, cumin, coriander, sumac, or fresh chopped chives, Italian parsley, mint or basil, a few tablespoons of plain yogurt, for extra creamy richness.
I prefer mine a little spicy and tangy, so I’ll add more lemon, aleppo chili flakes and either zhoug or zaatar. 🙂
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 89
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 157.1 mg
- Fat: 7.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.8 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Super yummy on Buddha Bowls!
Glad you are enjoying Christina!
This was excellent on steamed broccoli. A half batch thinned a bit with water was the perfect amount for two heads of broccoli.
Happy to hear this- perfect over steamed broccoli!
This sauce was great over steamed broccoli. A half recipe thinned with a good amount of water was perfect for two heads of broccoli.
Love it with broccoli! Thanks for the review Karen.
My go-to tahini recipe. So quick, easy, and tasty!
Glad you enjoyed!