Homemade tahini sauce is one of the best all-purpose sauces for drizzling on grain bowls, salads, roasted vegetables, and just about everything. Whip up this easy recipe in five minutes with only four ingredients!
If you like hummus and creamy sauce recipes, you're in the right place! At my house, we are all sauce people because sauce can magically tie any combination of ingredients together in texture and flavor. And this tahini lemon sauce is one of our favorites!
It's made with only four main ingredients and ready in less than five minutes, plus it goes with everything. We especially love it on grain bowl night!
Lately, this lemon tahini sauce has also become my go-to for roasted veggie side dishes. I'm obsessed with these Moroccan-spiced roasted carrots and these harissa roasted sweet potatoes, which have tahini sauce drizzled over the top to serve. Once you learn how to make this all-purpose sauce, you can take any dish to the next level!
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Key Ingredients
Tahini
Probably the best thing about this sauce (besides the flavor) is that it's made with a handful of simple, pantry/fridge staple ingredients. Tahini is the key ingredient here, which I typically keep stocked because we make homemade hummus frequently. It's made of ground sesame seeds, and I love the kinds by Soom and Trader Joe's.
Lemon
Lemon is our other primary driver of flavor as well as helping thin out the sauce (along with water) to the consistency you like best.
Recipe Variations
Feel free to vary the flavors and consistency by adding spices or adjusting the ingredient ratio. Here are some 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 ÂĽ teaspoon of cayenne.
- Cumin + coriander - Commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine (where tahini originates as well).
- Adjust the consistency - Use more/less water to thin or thicken. You might want it slightly thinner for use as a tahini dressing for salad, but thicker to smother on a sandwich or burger. Totally up to you!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine tahini, minced fresh garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Use a fork or mini whisk to combine.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: Almost there... keep whisking! It should take about 30 seconds total.
Step 4: 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!
How to Use Lemon Tahini Sauce
Because this sauce is so versatile, it can be used in so many recipes.
- Spread onto wraps and pita sandwiches
- Spoon over hummus before serving (have you tried my lemon dill hummus??)
- Drizzle over chickpea shawarma
- Serve as a salad dressing for salads or grain bowls (especially good with fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, and mint)
- Roasted veggies - either drizzle on top or dip (think honey roasted parsnips, air fryer parsnips, or simple roasted sweet potatoes)
- Use as a special sauce on burgers, like these smoky turkey burgers
Tahini Sauce FAQs
Nope! Basic tahini sauce is free from dairy and nuts. It does contain seeds (tahini is made of ground sesame seeds).
I recommend storing the leftover tahini sauce in an airtight glass jar or container in the fridge for up to a week. It'll get thicker as it cools, so I like to set it out on the counter for 15-20 minutes before using again.
Recommended Pairings
This sauce is amazing drizzled into other salads, as well as a dip for roasted veggies! Here are some ideas:
Did you make this tahini sauce recipe? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!
Printđź“– Recipe
Lemon Tahini Sauce Recipe (Perfect for Grain Bowls!)
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: ~1 cup
Description
This creamy lemon tahini sauce recipe comes together in minutes with no blender needed! A bright, versatile sauce for grain bowls, roasted veggies, protein, sandwiches, and more.
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (plus more to taste)
- ÂĽ teaspoon fine salt (plus more to taste)
- ½ cup water
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- 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.
- Add water. Add the water to the tahini mixture and begin whisking everything together.
- Whisk! It will look a little lumpy at first, but keep whisking until it becomes smooth.
- Taste and adjust. Taste, and add more salt or lemon if desired.
Notes
- Storage. Store leftover tahini sauce in an airtight glass jar or container in the fridge.
- Serving. Tahini sauce is so versatile! I love it as a sauce for grain bowls and salads, drizzled onto roasted veggies, as a sauce for falafel sandwiches, even drizzled onto hummus.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 78.6 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.5 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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