Easy Tahini Sauce Recipe
This easy tahini sauce recipe can be whipped up in just 5 minutes, making it the perfect addition to falafels, veggie bowls, and salads. Creamy and flavorful, it enhances any dish with its rich, nutty taste while providing a nutritious boost!
This easy tahini dressing recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make with only a handful of ingredients. It’s delicious on pasta, salad, veggie bowls, vegan falafel chicken patties, and more!
We have more simple and delicious sauce recipes on this website like my easy oil-free miso sauce, our miso-ginger dressing, and this oil-free teriyaki sauce.
What is tahini?
Tahini is a creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds, celebrated for its rich, nutty flavor and smooth texture. Often used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, tahini is a versatile ingredient that can be incorporated into dips, dressings, and sauces.
Packed with healthy fats, protein, and essential vitamins, tahini adds both nutrition and flavor to a variety of dishes. It is sometimes called sesame butter. Be forewarned though; unlike peanut butter, tahini paste does not taste good on its own but is great for adding to sauces.
Most often, tahini is used in making hummus like our roasted red pepper hummus, dips, and dressings. It has a nutty flavor that even lends itself well to some desserts like Minimalist Baker’s Chocolate Banana Soft Serve.
Reasons you will love this sauce
- Quick and Easy to Prepare: This homemade tahini sauce dressing takes just 5 minutes to make, providing a hassle-free way to elevate your meals without the need for complicated recipes or long prep times.
- Nutritious and Wholesome: Packed with healthy fats, protein, and essential vitamins, tahini sauce is not only delicious but also a nutritious addition to your diet, making it perfect for plant-based eating.
- Versatile Flavor Enhancer: This dressing complements a variety of dishes, from falafels and veggie bowls to salads and grain dishes, adding a creamy, nutty flavor that enhances any meal.
- Customizable to Your Taste: Easily adjust the flavor of this tahini sauce by adding herbs, spices, or citrus to suit your preferences, allowing for endless variations and creativity in your cooking!
Ingredients you will need
- Tahini- This is a creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds, known for its rich, nutty flavor and smooth texture. It serves as the perfect base for tahini sauce, providing a deliciously creamy consistency while adding healthy fats, protein, and essential nutrients to enhance your dishes.
- Citrus juice- Lemon or lime juice adds a bright, tangy acidity to tahini sauce, balancing the rich, nutty flavor of tahini. This acidity enhances the overall taste, making the sauce more vibrant and refreshing, while also contributing vitamin C and aiding digestion.
- Maple syrup- Adds a touch of natural sweetness to tahini sauce, balancing the nutty and tangy flavors for a more harmonious taste.
- Garlic- Creates a bold, savory flavor to tahini sauce, enhancing its overall depth and complexity. Its aromatic quality provides a delightful contrast to the creamy texture of tahini.
- Turmeric– Adds a warm, earthy flavor and a beautiful golden color to tahini sauce, enhancing its visual appeal. Additionally, turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and health benefits.
- Spice- Optionally, you can add sriracha, cayenne pepper, or other hot sauce to give this sauce a kick.
Tips and Suggestions
- Consistency- If the mixture seems stiff at first, continue to whisk and add small amounts of water at a time until smooth and creamy.
- Where to buy- Many grocery stores stock tahini paste, and it can usually be found in the same aisle as peanut butter.
- Storage- Tahini sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
How to make tahini dressing
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
This tahini dressing really is easy to make with only a few ingredients, a bowl, and a whisk.
STEP #1: Add all ingredients except the water to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together. Slowly add in water and mix until creamy and pourable.
STEP #2: Drizzle over falafels, veggie bowls, and salads for an extra burst of flavor, or used as a dip for fresh vegetables and pita bread. It also makes a delicious dressing for grain dishes, enhancing everything from quinoa salads to roasted vegetables!
Creative ways to serve tahini sauce
Tahini sauce is incredibly versatile; it can be drizzled over salads, grain veggie bowls, or roasted vegetables for added flavor, or used as a creamy dip for fresh veggies and pita bread. It also works wonderfully as a dressing for veggie wraps and sandwiches, enhancing your favorite dishes with its rich, nutty taste.
Tahini sauce can also be used as a flavorful marinade for plant-based proteins like tofu or tempeh, infusing them with a rich creamy taste. Additionally, it makes a delicious pasta sauce, adding creaminess and depth to your favorite noodle dishes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can omit garlic if you prefer a milder flavor or are sensitive to it. You can also substitute it with garlic powder for a similar taste.
Yes, tahini sauce is naturally gluten-free, making it a great option for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
To make the dressing thinner, simply add more water until you reach your desired consistency. For a thicker sauce, reduce the amount of water or add more tahini.
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, tahini sauce can last up to 5-7 days. Stir well before using, as it may separate over time.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Tahini Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup tahini paste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup lime juice or lemon
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic or sub garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon tumeric optional
- sriracha sauce optional, or other hot sauce
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the water to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.
- Slowly add in water and whisk until creamy and pourable. If the mixture seems stiff at first, continue to whisk and add small amounts of water at a time until smooth and creamy.
- This makes approximately 3/4 of a cup and keeps in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Video
Notes
- Consistency- If the mixture seems stiff at first, continue to whisk and add small amounts of water at a time until smooth and creamy.
- Where to buy- Many grocery stores stock tahini paste, and it can usually be found in the same aisle as peanut butter.
- Garlic- You can omit garlic if you prefer a milder flavor or are sensitive to it. You can also substitute it with garlic powder for a similar taste.
- Storage- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
This is GREAT! I make it with a little more garlic and a little less sweetener, and will often double the recipe for pasta. This is very savory, even without the hot sauce, and we like it cold or hot. Makes an excellent salad dressing, also.
Gale- I love how you are tweaking it to fit your tastes! Awesome!
I love this sauce. I am trying to limit fats due to diabetes and I would love to know what a serving size actually is so I can put it in MyFitnessPal. Also I really can’t cook very well and math has always been an issue. Some guidance on how to figure out serving size would be wonderful for me.
Hi Mary- This recipe makes approximately 3/4 of a cup of sauce. A serving size is about 2.5 tablespoons. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe.
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Surely you jest! Just tried this for the first time on our veggie-rice bowls…no stinkin way this stuff will last 10 days in our fridge…we’re pouring it like gravy over here …it’s not gonna last overnight!!! ? GOOOOOD STUFF!!!!! ??
Ha! We love it too! It’s even good on pasta, in my opinion. 😀
My goodness me, this dressing is a winner in so many ways. Easy to prepare, tasty, lasts considerable time in the fridge and can be (as I have done) used for a variety of meals. Brilliant over vegetarian sausages and home made black bean patties. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Cheers.
Frank
So glad that you love the tahini dressing recipe. Thank you for the terrific feedback!