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    Home » Sauces & Spreads

    Basic + Awesome Tahini Sauce

    May 11, 2022 by Tera Leave a Comment

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    Tahini sauce in small glass jar with spoon and lemons on the side, on gray and white surface

    Just a basic + awesome, easy tahini sauce! With just a couple ingredients, you have an all-purpose sauce for drizzling on anything.

    Tahini sauce in small glass jar with spoon and lemons on the side, on gray and white surface this recipe

    If you like hummus and creamy, healthy sauce recipes, you have stumbled upon the right corner of the Internet, my friend! At our house, we are ALL about the sauce, because sauce can magically tie any combination of ingredients together in texture and flavor.

    Lately, tahini sauce has been my go-to for wraps, salads, meat, fish, bowl recipes, roasted veggies... you name it. Once you learn how to make this all-purpose sauce, you can level up whatever dish your heart desires!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Tahini Sauce FAQs
    • How to Use Tahini Sauce
    • Basic + Awesome Tahini Sauce

    Ingredients

    Probably the best thing about this sauce (besides the wonderful flavor) is that it's made with a handful of simple, pantry/fridge staple ingredients. I typically keep tahini stocked up because we make homemade hummus almost weekly. If you don't usually keep tahini on hand, hummus and tahini sauce are two of the best reasons to start 😉

    Tahini sauce ingredients on white and gray surface

    You'll need:

    • Tahini
    • Garlic
    • Lemon
    • Water
    • Salt

    Instructions

    It's truly simple as whisking ingredients together... so this will only take you a few minutes!

    Tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in small clear glass bowl with mini whisk, on gray and white surface

    First, you'll combine tahini, minced fresh garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Use a fork or mini whisk to combine.

    Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and water in small clear glass bowl with mini whisk, on gray and white surface

    Add some cool or room temperature water (not warm), and whisk it together. It will look chunky and awkward at first, but just keep whisking!

    Tahini sauce being whisked together in clear glass bowl with mini whisk on gray and white surface

    Almost there... keep whisking!

    Tahini sauce completely whisked until smooth, in clear glass bowl on white and gray surface

    THERE it is. Once the tahini sauce becomes smooth, taste and add salt to your liking, and more lemon if desired.

    At this point it usually takes all my will power not to just keep eating this stuff by the spoonful!

    Hint: It usually takes me about 30 seconds of whisking to get that super smooth consistency.

    Tahini sauce dripping off of spoon into small glass jar, with lemons in the background

    Variations

    Because this recipe is made from just a few essential ingredients, I don't recommend any substitutions. However, you can vary the flavors and consistency by adding spices or adjusting the ingredient ratio. Here are some of my recommendations:

    • Maple syrup - Tahini + maple = DELICIOUS. Drizzle in about one tablespoon of pure maple syrup and whisk it in with the other ingredients.
    • Spicy - Whisk in some harissa paste, red chili paste, or ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to bring some heat.
    • Cumin + coriander - Add in some additional flavorings to mix it up a bit. I love the combination of cumin and coriander.
    • Adjust the consistency - use less water for a thicker consistency, or more water for a thinner consistency. You might want it slightly thinner for use as a salad dressing, but thicker to smother on a sandwich or burger. Totally up to you!

    Storage

    I recommend storing the leftover tahini sauce in an airtight glass jar or container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

    Tahini Sauce FAQs

    Does tahini sauce have dairy or nuts?

    Nope! Basic tahini sauce sauce is free from dairy and nuts. It does contain seeds (tahini is made of ground up sesame seeds).

    Does tahini sauce need to be refrigerated?

    Yes; since we make tahini sauce with a bit of fresh garlic and lemon juice, it does need to be refrigerated.

    How to Use Tahini Sauce

    Tahini sauce serving suggestions are the BEST part of this conversation. Because this sauce is a basic, no-frills sauce (that's also delicious), it can honestly go with anything! Here are some ideas:

    • Spread onto wraps and pita sandwiches
    • Spoon over hummus before serving
    • Drizzle over chickpea shawarma
    • Serve as a salad dressing
    • Roasted veggies - either drizzle on top or dip
    • Lather up burgers
    • Pour onto grilled proteins as a sauce
    • Use as a sauce for grain bowls
    Print

    Basic + Awesome Tahini Sauce

    Tahini sauce in small glass jar with spoon and lemons on the side, on gray and white surface
    Print Recipe

    An easy and delicious all-purpose tahini sauce. Drizzle over roasted veggies, your favorite grilled protein, burgers, wraps, shawarma, grain bowls... whatever your heart desires!

    • Author: Tera
    • Prep Time: 2 minutes
    • Cook Time: 0 minutes
    • Total Time: 2 minutes
    • Yield: ~1 cup
    • Category: Sauce
    • Method: Stir
    • Cuisine: Mediterranean

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • ½ cup tahini
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (plus more to taste)
    • ¼ teaspoon fine salt (plus more to taste)
    • ½ cup water

    Instructions

    1. Combine tahini, garlic, lemon, and salt. Add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt to a bowl. Use a small whisk or fork to whisk the ingredients a few times.
    2. Add water. Add the water to the tahini mixture and begin whisking everything together. It will look a little lumpy at first, but keep whisking until it becomes smooth. Taste, and add more salt or lemon if desired.

    Equipment

    Image of Mini Whisk

    Mini Whisk

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    Mixing Bowls

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    Notes

    1. Storage: Store leftover tahini sauce in an airtight glass jar or container in the fridge.

    Keywords: tahini sauce

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