The BEST Tahini Sauce Recipe | Downshiftology (2024)

Home Recipes Courses Sauces, Dressings and Seasonings Tahini Sauce

by Lisa Bryan

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Updated Feb 04, 2024

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This authentic tahini sauce is the best I’ve tasted (after many travels to the Middle East) and it’s easy to make with only a handful of ingredients. Just whisk together tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cumin and drizzle it on falafels, kabobs and roasted vegetables.

The Best Tahini Sauce Recipe

The best tahini sauce is creamy, tangy, garlicky, nutty and easy to make. While you can easily make variations on this sauce (which I’ll explain below) you can’t beat this classic, every day version.

I’ve enjoyed tahini sauce paired with a variety of foods while traveling Egypt, Israel and Jordan. It’s a staple item served at virtually every main meal in the Middle East and often accompanies falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, lentil salads, roasted vegetables and more. When you’re dining mezze-style, you drizzle it, dip it and enjoy it on a variety of foods!

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How to Make Tahini Sauce

The main ingredient in tahini sauce is tahini, which made from ground sesame seeds (and tahini itself has an interesting history). Here’s how you make the sauce at home:

  • Start with the freshest ingredients,including a high-quality tahini (you’ve seen my homemade tahini recipe, right?), freshly squeezed lemons (no bottled lemon juice) and minced garlic (no garlic powder). With only a handful of ingredients, you’ll get the most powerful and robust flavor from fresh ingredients.
  • Whisk the tahini sauce ingredients together, until it’s creamy and smooth. When you first start whisking you’ll noticed some separation, due to the water. Don’t worry, just keep whisking. After another minute or so, it’ll come back together for an ultra-creamy sauce.
  • Taste it and make any variations based on your personal flavor preferences. Want it tangier? Add more lemon. Want it spicier? Add some cayenne powder. Want it green? Add some herbs.
  • Use it immediately or store for up to two weeks in the fridge. This recipe makes a little more than one cup of sauce, so you should have plenty to enjoy!
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The BEST Tahini Sauce Recipe | Downshiftology (4)

Tahini Sauce Variations

Roasted Red Pepper Tahini Sauce: This version is smoky and nutty with a simple blend of tahini, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, and garlic.

Green Tahini Sauce: Add your favorite green herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill or mint, along with the tahini sauce to a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Spicy Tahini Sauce: Whisk in some cayenne powder, chili powder, za’atar spice or a little more cumin. You could also blend the tahini sauce in a food processor with a jalapeno or serrano pepper for that spicy kick.

Garlic Tahini Sauce: If you’re a garlic lover, you could always add another clove or two of minced garlic. For or a sweeter, milder garlic flavor you could roast a whole head of garlic and then add that to a food processor with the tahini sauce and blend until creamy.

Tahini Dressing: I’ve shown you how to make this lemon tahini dressing or maple mustard tahini dressing before, and it’s simply a thinner version of this classic recipe. The thinner consistency makes it perfect to drizzle on all your favorite salads.

After you’ve made a batch of this sauce, make sure to store it properly. Keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. It’ll last for up to 2 weeks!

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The BEST Tahini Sauce Recipe (How to Make Tahini Sauce)

4.98 from 36 votes

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Total: 5 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

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Description

Tahini sauce is made from tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cumin. Just whisk it together and drizzle it on your favorite Middle Eastern recipes. Watch how easy it is to make in the video below!

Video

Ingredients

  • ½ cup tahini
  • ¼ cup water, or more for a thinner consistency
  • ¼ cup lemon juice, from about 2 freshly squeezed lemons
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp cumin

Instructions

  • Whisk together. Add the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cumin to a mixing bowl. Then whisk together until it's creamy. It may look a bit separated at first, but keep whisking until it's creamy. Alternatively, you could add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend together.

  • Taste it. Taste the tahini sauce and adjust any flavors as desired to your liking, before serving.

Lisa’s Tips

  • If you use store-bought tahini, I recommend an organic brand like Kevala or Artisana.
  • But don’t forget that it’s easy to make tahini at home, especially if you have a Vitamix blender. Check out my Tahini Recipe and video for more information.

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 3.8mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Course: sauce

Cuisine: Middle Eastern, North African

Keyword: How to Make Tahini Sauce, Tahini Sauce, Tahini Sauce Recipe

©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

Read More About Me

The BEST Tahini Sauce Recipe | Downshiftology (2024)

FAQs

How do you make tahini sauce not bitter? ›

If it is too bitter, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey. And if the flavor is too sharp, mellow it with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Why is my tahini sauce not smooth? ›

The key to smooth and runny tahini is to give it time, so keep blending. Transfer to a container and enjoy!

Does lemon juice thicken tahini? ›

When a small amount of lemon juice (or water) is added to the tahini or peanut butter, the hydrophilic dry particles are drawn to the water. As a result, it clumps up. As water is added, more clumps develop, causing the tahini to thicken overall.

Why does my tahini sauce taste bitter? ›

Bitterness is generally part and parcel of tahini - it's how ground sesame seeds taste. What you will find, however, is that some tahini can taste more bitter than others. This is down to a few things; like how that particular tahini is processed, or the levels of something called oxalic acid in the hulls of the seeds.

Why does my tahini taste bitter? ›

Your tahini has probably gone bad if it's bitter. Though if you had Asian style sesame paste, you should water it down before using.

What thickens tahini? ›

But tahini has a thin consistency, which means that it won't stay put on the moist, slick surface of a fish fillet. To thicken the tahini and give it some holding power, the solution is a bit surprising: We stirred in 2 teaspoons of juice. You'd think that adding a liquid would thin tahini rather than thicken it.

Do you stir tahini before using? ›

Stir your tahini well before using, as the oil separates during storage. Once opened, you may have to vigorously stir the oil back into the sesame paste. Store the jar in your fridge to prevent spoiling. Tahini keeps for many months, but the oils will go rancid over time.

What's the best way to mix tahini? ›

If you would like a well-blended green sauce, simply blend the tahini sauce and herbs together in a food processor or blender. Food processor option: (This makes more sense if you're doubling the recipe and/or making the blended herbed sauce option.)

Why is tahini so hard to stir? ›

Tahini that hides in the fridge for too long (or stored in fridges that feel more like freezers) can turn chunky and hard. So hard you'll feel like you need a cement mixer to get things moving again. That's why, if you are storing your tahini in the fridge, make sure the temperature of your fridge is not too cold.

What can I add to tahini to make it thinner? ›

but, if you would like it to be thinner and more on the drizzling side of spectrum, just whisk a bit of water in a little at a time to get your desired consistency - don't forget to taste it after and season the tahini if need be, the water can dilute it, especially if you add enough.

Why does tahini go bad? ›

Soom Tahini can last for a year after opening. The only thing that will make tahini “turn” is contamination with moisture. That's why we always stress using a clean, dry utensil when scooping that liquid gold from the jar.

What makes tahini split? ›

The seeds themselves are about 50 percent oil by weight, eliminating the need for any additional oil to achieve the proper consistency. “It should have a pourable texture, kind of like a pancake batter,” Sussman says. Over time, that oil will separate from the solids and rise to the top, like natural peanut butter.

Which tahini is not bitter? ›

#1: Baron's Organic Tahini

Naturally mild sweetness and not too bitter. Texture: 5 – About as creamy and smooth as it gets. Overall thoughts: 4.25 – We love how easy it is to stir and how creamy it is, and the flavor was pretty delicious.

How do you mix tahini before using? ›

If you're working with a jar of tahini, the first thing you'll need to do is give it a good stir. Tahini can be quite thick and can settle at the bottom of the jar, so it's important to make sure it's evenly mixed before using it. Once your tahini is mixed, you can start adding it to your recipes.

What happens when you add water to tahini? ›

A small amount of added water acts like a glue, wetting particles just enough to get them to stick together, but eventually if you add too much water, the mixture turns into an evenly thinned-out liquid.

Is hulled tahini less bitter? ›

You'll see tahini labelled as hulled or unhulled. Unhulled tahini is made from the whole sesame seed and tends to be more bitter than the hulled variety.

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