Homemade Tahini Sauce
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. You can make a delicious and versatile tahini sauce by combining tahini with lemon juice, garlic, salt, and a small amount of water. Serve it with pita, kebabs, salad, falafels, and other Middle Eastern dishes.
If you opened my fridge right now, there’s a 99% chance you’d find a jar of tahini sauce sitting front and center. I love the stuff — it’s creamy, nutty, and endlessly versatile. I drizzle it over salads, use it as a dip, and often stir it into yogurt to make a quick, punchy sauce that works on everything from roasted veg to grilled chicken. It’s my go-to alternative to mayo-based dressings because it still gives you that satisfying creaminess, but with way less saturated fat.
In our house, tahini is basically a food group. My husband, who’s Israeli, could live on fresh pita and tahini alone — and honestly, sometimes he does. To him, it’s “poor man’s food,” but there’s something so comforting about it. No frills, just good, honest flavor. And over the years, it’s become part of my comfort food too. Whether I’m throwing it on a grain bowl or just spooning it onto a salad, tahini sauce is the one thing I never get tired of.
Why make homemade tahini sauce?
- It takes just three ingredients to create a creamy, light, and delicious homemade tahini sauce.
- Best of all, it takes less than 5 minutes to make this sauce, and you don’t need anything other than a mason jar. You don’t need a blender or any other special equipment.
- In addition, it is dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan, which means you can serve it to anyone.
- You can also flavor tahini by blending it with fresh herbs, such as cilantro, dill, parsley, or mint, when serving it with grilled meat.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Tahini paste – is ground sesame seeds with olive oil. Most supermarkets have tahini paste or tahini sauce in the condiments aisle these days. In some grocery stores, you can find it besides peanut butter, listed as nut butter under healthy products, or in the aisle that sells foreign products. Sometimes, the aisle that sells Middle Eastern or Asian foods.
- Garlic – I love to use garlic powder so it disappears; there is no taste of fresh garlic in the mouth. If you do use fresh garlic cloves, mince them to a smooth paste so that they disappear into the sauce. You can easily do this by adding salt to the garlic as you chop it. Press the garlic and salt with the flat of your knife to make a paste.
- Lemon juice – Use fresh lemons to make fresh lemon juice. While I say 3 or 4 tbsp, it certainly is to taste. When I make my tahini salad dressing, I often use apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice.
- Cold water – Some people recommend using warm water. However, a chef once told me that using cold, refrigerated water yields a brighter color. I find that room temperature water works just fine, too.
No Blender? No Problem – How to Make Tahini Sauce by Hand
- Sauce – In a mason jar, add the tahini paste, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Then, add the water. Close the lid and give it a good shake for 30 seconds.
Pro tip – You can also use a bowl and a whisk to make this sauce. - Taste and adjust – Adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste.
- Check consistency – Add more water or more tahini paste if necessary.
For example, make a thinner consistency to pour over salad and a thicker consistency to serve with hummus or grilled meats
Creative variations
- Classic Tahini sauce on its own with a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of paprika, ground cumin, or zaatar.
- Thick sauce – Served with kebabs and meats. You do not need more water. Keep it thick.
- Salad dressing – Add a few more tablespoons of water so it’s a pouring consistency. Better yet, add a few tablespoons of yogurt to make a tahini yogurt dressing.
- Mint Tahini – Use a blender or food processor to make the sauce and add a few parsley and mint leaves. Blend to a smooth paste first, then add the sesame paste and other ingredients to make a mint tahini sauce with the desired consistency. Perfect with lamb kebabs or grilled meats.
What do you serve tahini sauce with?
- Top it over Hummus, and serve it alongside Shakshuka with Israeli salad.
- A drizzle of little tahini sauce for authentic flavor over my healthy Hummus made without tahini.
- Perfect with my Ultimate Ground Beef Kebabs.
- Of course, drizzle over Shish Kabobs.
- Dip your Crispy Falafel Recipe in tahini.
- And, of course, over shawarma, try my Easiest Chicken Shawarma, Sheet Pan Shawarma Chicken.
Frequently asked questions
You can keep a tahini sauce in the fridge for up to a week. The sauce gets thicker over time, so you may need to dilute it with a few tablespoons of water.
Tahini sauce, as you can see, is made with tahini paste. Often, yogurt may be used to dilute the sauce, especially when making a salad dressing. Tzatziki, on the other hand, is a yogurt dip made with drained, grated cucumber with salt, lemon juice, and garlic.
You certainly can, but there is no need. As you can see in the video, you can make perfectly creamy tahini by simply combining the ingredients in a bowl.
Tahini Sauce Recipe
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. A delicious and versatile tahini sauce can be made with tahini by adding lemon juice, garlic, salt, and a little water to it. Serve it with pita, kebabs, salad, falafels, and other Middle Eastern dishes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 ml) Tahini paste
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Cold water
- ½ tsp Garlic powder or 1 large garlic clove minced
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- 2 – 4 tbsp Lemon juice or lime juice
Method
- Sauce – In a mason jar add the tahini paste, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Add the water. Close the lid and give it a good shake for 30 seconds.Pro tip – you can also use a bowl and a whisk to make this sauce.
- Taste and adjust – adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste.
- Check consistency – add more water or more tahini paste if necessary. For example – make a thinner consistency to pour over salad and a thicker consistency to serve with hummus or grilled meats
Notes
- Tahini paste has a long shelf life. I can stay in the pantry for a few months.
- And, tahini sauce can stay in the fridge for her week but ours never last more than a day or two. My husband is middle eastern so he can eat Tahini with pita bread for dinner with a side salad.
A little tip – store the tahini in a mason jar because it does become thicker over time. Instead of going through the process of mixing it again. Just add a few tablespoons of water to the mason jar and give it a good shake. Voila!! It’s back to consistency. - Tahini Sauce – served with kebabs and meats – you do not need more water. Keep it thick
- Salad dressing – add a few more tablespoons of water so it’s pouring consistency. Better yet, add a few tablespoons of yogurt to make a tahini yogurt dressing
- Mint Tahini – use a blender or food processor to make the sauce and add a few mint leaves (1/4 cup) – Perfect with lamb kebabs.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!- Hummus with Meat
- Roasted Eggplant Dip – Baba Ganoush
- Lebanese Roasted Eggplant Salad
- How to Make Shakshuka
I am SO addicted to this sauce. I just had some last week and thought to myself, WOW I can put this on everything! I am so happy to have found this, now I can make this anytime at home! 😀
I so agree with you. I love anything creamy so this is a real savior when I want a healthier alternative.
Having homemade sauces on hand in the refrigerator is a perfect way to brighten up boring weekday meals. Delicious!
Absolutely Sharon!! We love having this on hand all the time. Even simply tahini with Pita bread is an acceptable meal to my husband
This looks like a tasty sauce! I love that you added in a series of tips too. I would have never considered cold water vs warm, but if it gives it a brighter color that’s always helpful because we eat with our eyes first!
Thank you Jenni. I do believe it does. Thank you !
Nothing beats homemade sauce and this tahini sauce is perfect and looks so creamy! Saving it for later
Thank you Soniya. Yes homemade tahini sauce is absolutely the best to have on hand. Enjoy!
Ok, I am all over this! I cannot wait to make my own tahina at home and drizzle it on everything! Looks so simple!
Absolutely Megan. Tahini is definitely a perfect sauce to have on hand. You will love it on just about anything
I make a similar sauce, and you’re so right – it’s such a versatile sauce to keep on hand. Your tip about using cold water is interesting – I’ll try that next time.
Absolutely Renee.. Yes this sauce is so versatile.
I always (ALWAYS) learn something new about food or preparation when I visit your blog. Thank you for sharing this recipe, and great tip on storing it in a mason jar. 🙂
Aww thank you so much Teri. I am so happy to hear you say that. Thank you for the lovely comment
Love middle eastern food and tahini so this recipe sounds perfect to me! Can’t wait to try this!
Thank you Stephanie. We love middle eastern food too! I hope you try this.
I grew up on middle eastern food and I never knew you could make homemade tahini! This looks awesome and I can’t wait to make it!
Thank you Denise. I love tahini sauce very much and we have it at home all the time. You must try this you will love it.
I love tahini sauce and like you I too use it as my salad dressing. I made your falafel recently and made this sauce; was perfect! The falafel was to die or. And so true I did not need a food processor for this at all. It mixed up instantly. I love the taste of tahini sauce and this recipe definitely is just the right amount. Thank you so much for always sharing your recipes with such clarity.
Thank you so much Shalu. I’m happy to see that you are enjoying my recipes so much. Thank you for always giving me your valuable feedback and for coming back to leave these comments – Appreciate it very much.