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Best Tahini Sauce Recipe

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This Best Tahini Sauce Recipe is quick, easy, and perfect for pairing with proteins, salads, and grain bowls. It’s creamy, flavorful, and ready in under seven minutes using just five ingredients!
Finished tahini sauce in a jar with a gold spoon, alongside jars of red pepper tahini sauce, turmeric tahini sauce, and herb tahini sauce, with squash, herbs, peppers, and red onion in the background.

I love this Best Homemade Tahini Sauce Recipe because it’s so easy, versatile, quick, and totally yummy on everything. Made with simple ingredients, it’s quick, healthy, and perfect for everything—from falafel, grain bowls, and roasted vegetables to sandwiches, salads, and grilled proteins. Tahini sauce is a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, traditionally served with warm pita and falafel. Still, its rich and creamy texture makes it a delicious vegan, dairy-free dressing or dip. Whether a plant-based eater or a meat lover, this homemade tahini sauce will become your go-to condiment!

What is Tahini Sauce?

Tahini sauce is a creamy Middle Eastern condiment made from ground sesame seeds, lemon juice, ice water, garlic, and salt. It’s commonly served with falafel, pita, grilled meats, and vegetables, but it’s also a fantastic dressing for salads and grain bowls.

This Homemade Tahini Sauce is amazing because it’s both vegan and dairy-free, yet still incredibly creamy and flavorful! It’s perfect for drizzling over roasted vegetables, dipping with fresh pita, or even as a sandwich spread.

Ingredients for tahini sauce, including tahini, lemons, garlic, ice cubes, salt, and parsley.
Fresh ingredients for making tahini sauce.

Tahini Sauce Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Tahini Sauce Recipe:

Tahini Paste: Opt for high-quality, smooth tahini for the best flavor. 

Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice balances the richness of tahini, making it lighter and brighter. 

Ice Cubes or Water: Lightens the sauce and ensures a creamy consistency. 

Garlic: Adds a subtle heat and depth of flavor.

Kosher Salt: Enhances all the natural flavors in the sauce, making everything pop! 

Optional- Herbs and Chili Oil: I love garnishing or topping this sauce with fresh herbs (my favorites are dill, parsley, cilantro, or mint) and just a whisper of chili oil for heat. 

Find the full recipe with ingredients and directions below.

How to Make Tahini Sauce

Gather & Prepare Ingredients: Juice lemons, peel garlic, and measure tahini. 

Add Ingredients to Food Processor or Blender: Add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to a food processor.

Blend: Blend until a paste. Wipe the sides of the food processor down with a spatula. 

Thin: Add the ice cubes and blend until you don’t hear the cubes banging around, everything has melted, and the sauce is perfectly whipped and smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Periodically stop the processor and wipe down the edges to ensure all the tahini is properly mixed and smooth.

Tahini, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor, blended into a chunky base, ready to be processed into smooth and creamy tahini sauce. Fresh parsley, lemons, and ikat blue linen are in the background.
Blending tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt into a creamy and smooth tahini sauce using a food processor.

Taste & Adjust: Add extra lemon juice or salt if needed.

Garnish & Serve: Top with fresh herbs (or chili oil if desired)

A food processor filled with smooth, creamy tahini sauce, with a hand holding a gold spoonful of the finished sauce, showcasing its perfect consistency. Fresh parsley, lemons, and ikat blue linen are in the background.
Luxuriously smooth and creamy tahini sauce, ready to drizzle, dip, or spread.
Finished tahini sauce in a jar with a gold spoon, alongside jars of red pepper tahini sauce, turmeric tahini sauce, and herb tahini sauce, with squash, herbs, peppers, and red onion in the background.
Classic and flavored tahini sauces in jars.

Variations

This Tahini Sauce is an excellent, dreamy, creamy place to start as a base. From here, you can take liberties and add and subtract ingredients as desired. Below are some creative options: 

Turmeric Tahini Sauce: Add 1 tsp turmeric for a golden hue and anti-inflammatory boost. 

Spicy Tahini Sauce: Stir in chili oil, cayenne, chili flakes, or harissa for heat. 

Roasted Red Pepper Tahini: Blend in roasted red peppers for a smoky twist and a vibrant red hue. 

Herb Tahini Dressing: Add parsley, cilantro, or mint for freshness.

How to Use

This Homemade Tahini Sauce is fabulous as a sauce, dip, and even a dressing for greens and veggies!Below are some of my favorite ways to serve and use this sauce.  

Grain Bowls: You can place simple steamed rice, or go toasted with this pearl couscous, or nutty with this farro that’s super healthy as your base, then top it with raw veggies or roasted vegetables, or some roasted peppers, maybe some roasted beets, or some roasted tomatoes, or some tomato confit, and drizzle this creamy dressing on top for the perfect bowl! You can even top it with a soft-boiled egg for jammy indulgence. 

Salads: This sauce is wonderfully mixed with raw greens and veggies, and you can use it as a vinaigrette for simple salads like this Cucumber Tomato Salad or this summery Corn Salad, which is loaded with crunch and color.  

Proteins: This sauce is fabulous to serve with simple proteins like this Pan Seared Salmon, this decadent Duck Breast Recipe that’s sure to impress, or this finger-licking Teriyaki Chicken that’s finger-lickin’ good! 

Vegetables: You can use this sauce to add a bit of pop drizzled over simply cooked vegetables like this Sautéed Kale, Garlicky Swiss chard, or even this Baby Bok Choy or Turnip Recipe, both super simple and easy.

How to Store

Refrigeration: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Separation Fix: Stir or shake well before using.

Freezing: Not recommended, as the texture may change.

FAQs About Tahini Sauce

What Does Tahini Sauce Taste Like?

Tahini sauce is nutty, creamy, slightly tangy, and rich with a hint of garlic.

Can I Make Tahini Sauce Without Garlic?

Yes! Simply omit garlic for a milder flavor.

Is Tahini Sauce Healthy?

Yes! It’s rich in healthy fats, antioxidants, and essential minerals like calcium and magnesium.

More Favorite Sauce and Dressing Recipes

  • Pistachio Pesto
  • (Thai) Peanut Sauce 
  • Tzatziki Sauce
  • Nuoc Cham-Nuoc Mam Pha
  • Avocado Dressing
  • Dill Sauce
  • Basil Vinaigrette
  • Tirokafteri
  • Tahini Dressing
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Finished tahini sauce in a jar with a gold spoon, alongside jars of red pepper tahini sauce, turmeric tahini sauce, and herb tahini sauce, with squash, herbs, peppers, and red onion in the background.

Best Easy Tahini Sauce Recipe

This Best Tahini Sauce Recipe is creamy, decadent, and flavorful. It uses just five key ingredients and is ready in under seven minutes! Serve it with your favorite protein, grain bowl, or vegetable dish.
Prep Time 12 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Course Basics, Dips, Dips and Spreads, Dressings, Sauces
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Servings 6
Calories 182 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup tahini paste
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large ice cubes (or 4 smaller)
  • Optional: 1 tbs fresh herbs (parsley, dill, chives, tarragon or mint)

Instructions
 

  • Add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to a food processor.
  • Blend until a paste. Wipe the sides of the food processor down with a spatula.
  • Add the ice cubes and blend until you don’t hear the cubes banging around, everything has melted, and the sauce is perfectly whipped and smooth about 3-4 minutes.
  • Periodically stop the processor and wipe down the edges to ensure all the tahini is properly mixed and smooth.
  • Season to taste with additional salt if necessary, and add herbs if desired.

Notes

Tahini Sauce Variations
This Tahini Sauce is an excellent, dreamy, creamy place to start as a base. From here, you can take liberties and add and subtract ingredients as desired. Below are some creative options: 
Turmeric Tahini Sauce: Add 1 tsp turmeric for a golden hue and anti-inflammatory boost. 
Spicy Tahini Sauce: Stir in cayenne, chili flakes, or harissa for heat. 
Roasted Red Pepper Tahini: Blend in roasted red peppers for a smoky twist and a vibrant red hue. 
Herb Tahini Dressing: Add parsley, cilantro, or mint for freshness.
 
How to Store Tahini Sauce
Refrigeration: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Separation Fix: Stir or shake well before using.
Freezing: Not recommended, as the texture may change.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 205mgPotassium: 156mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 77IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg
Keyword tahini sauce
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Sarah blair

Adding a generous dose of enthusiasm, excitement, and creativity to the culinary world, Sarah began her career at the French Culinary Institute in NYC. Sarah has worked for the past decade as a Culinary Producer and Food Stylist.

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