Tahini sauce is one of our go-to toppings for a variety of savory dishes. It’s made from tahini, a dense paste made from crushed sesame seeds. Tahini sauce is a mixture of tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and water. This traditional sauce is served in Israel and in Arab countries throughout the Middle East. The sauce is used as a condiment to accompany dishes like hummus, falafel, and babaganoush. It can also be served alongside a kosher meat meal as a dairy-free alternative to cream sauce.
Tahini Sauce Recipe & Video – How to make creamy, delicious tahini sauce with garlic and fresh lemon juice. Step-by-step video below!
Tahini paste can usually be found in the peanut butter aisle or the Middle Eastern section at the grocery store. Middle Eastern stores sell pre-mixed tahini sauce, but my husband swears by making it from scratch. The flavor of homemade is fresher, creamier, and more delicate. My husband walked me through the process, step by step, just like his mother used to make it when he was a child in Ramat Gan, Israel.
While I would love to give you the definitive tahini sauce recipe, making it properly is a bit of an art form. It’s best learned in the kitchen beside somebody who has been making it their whole life. I have included the basic process and ingredient measurements here, but bear in mind that each batch of tahini sauce is different. Ingredients must be added slowly, and the cook should keep a close eye on consistency and flavor throughout the process.
Once prepared, this recipe can be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. This sauce is gluten free, vegan, healthy and tasty. Enjoy!
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Video by Entice Films
Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup tahini sesame seed paste - I prefer the paste made from light colored seeds
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water, or more for consistency
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced (optional)
NOTES
Instructions
- Grind tahini paste, lukewarm water, garlic, lemon juice and salt together in a food processor or blender until sauce is creamy and ivory-colored. A food processor is the easiest way to make this sauce; scrape the sides of the processor periodically during processing. If using a blender, you may need to use a long-handled spoon to break up the thick part of the sauce once every 30 seconds; this will keep it from clogging your blender blades. After a few minutes of blending, sauce will turn into a rich, smooth paste. If mixture is too thick, slowly add more water until it reaches the preferred consistency. You may need quite a bit of water depending on the thickness of your tahini paste.
- If using tahini to top hummus or a meat dish, keep it thick and creamy. As a condiment for pita or falafel, a more liquid sauce is usually preferred. Taste often during the blending process; add more lemon juice or salt, if desired.
Vanessa says
Absolutely perfect combination of ingredients! Thank you for the recipe!
Chandra says
I just made this recipe while my gluten free pita bread was baking. I used more garlic because I love garlic. OMG, it tastes just like the tehina sauce from the Israeli restaurant when I was a kid. Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Glad to hear it!
Kristina Demers says
do you mind sharing the recipe for the gluten free pita bread?
Heidi says
So excited to try this on the falafel I’m making tomorrow! My tahini wasn’t the best and left this with a slightly bitter flavor. I added a little agave to make it milder (I went a little overbaord on the lemon) and some smoked paprika for a twist!
moira says
Thank You For Sharing This Recipe !
zack says
Used it on my falafel. Very good.
Diane K (foodieforpeace) says
Well, Tori, this recipe is a big, big winner! I was planning to make baked falafel in organic whole wheat pita and really wanted a creamy element. This recipe is huge on flavor with easy preparation. I followed your recipe with the exception of the addition of about 1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cumin. I used an immersion blender and it was silky smooth. I make Meatless Monday for 7 folks (plus leftovers) every week. They all loved your sauce. Thanks so much!
Gordon Gardiner says
In Cyprus it is called Tashi….. it is an acquired taste..moped up with traditional Cypriot bread… there is no better starter to a Cypriot meal or Mezi. Love it!
Sophie says
How long will this keep for? We have kept the leftovers in the fridge and found mold on it after only one week. 🙁 I was surprised as it seems like a sauce that would keep for a while just like a salad dressing, especially with the lemon.
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Sophie, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. We have had luck with this keeping for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. Unfortunately you can’t always predict exactly how long things will last without preservatives. Sorry to hear your batch didn’t last longer!
Celeste Apostolides says
I’ve never made tahini before and this recipe turned out great!! My family raved about it. I will definitely make it again.
JS says
Excellent! Best tahini sauce I have ever made! Thank you for the recipe!
Freyda says
Hi. I made this – it’s delicious! However, I do not need all of it. Can it be frozen?
Tori Avey says
Hi Freyda, I’ve never frozen it before but in theory it should freeze fine.
Ken says
Wow. So delicious, complementary of so many pairings.
Suzanne says
I emailed yesterday because I couldn’t get the recipe for the tahini sauce and suddenly it appeared, yay! While I didn’t have paste to work with, I added to ingredients to my tahini and it worked, it was delicious and a hit!
I was on a roll so I also made your Winter Citrus Salad which was a great addition too.
Thank you for two delicious recipes which will be appearing in our house all winter long!
Tori Avey says
So glad you found it! 🙂
Paul says
There’s a falafel place in NYC that adds Sriracha to their mix and it’s really great. I’ve used Sriracha and Harissa and both give the sauce a slightly pink color as well as a spicy kick. Just a suggestion for those who like spicy food.
Jaki says
Hi
Great recipe!!
I love to add a bit of turmeric as well 🙂
As well found a real high quality and not industrial home made sesame seed paste, see link below.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Israel-Organic-Tahini-Including-Recipe-Benefits/273258060114?hash=item3f9f731952:g:K6gAAOSw3tBbJ2u-
Maggie says
Thanks, is so so good just like at my fave Mediterranean restaurant!
PJ says
High-quality Tahini is available on Amazon and Jet.com . Try Pepperwood or Kevala brands.
Rebecca Littorin says
Amazing !! Spot on with flavour and texture – wonderful memories of back packing in Egypt !
Lisa says
Sooo so good! I have made this twice. The first time it was perfect in every way. This time, it… well, sort of froze up. It turned into a very, very thick paste. I slowly added more warm water into the food processor and it seemed fine, rested while I did a few things in the kitchen and when I checked it, it was super thick again (?EH). Same jar of tahini so that can’t be the problem. Tory, do you have any suggestions as to my error in method? The resulting paste was wonderfully tasty and I was loathe to add more water as I didn’t want to dilute the flavor. It most certainly wasn’t the sauce I had made the time before. Thanks
Tori Avey says
If it was tahini from the bottom of the jar, it might have less oil than the tahini in the top of the jar, which means a thicker, denser paste… you just need to add more water until you get the texture you desire. 🙂
Kathy says
Don’t judge me but my first introduction to tahini sauce was the Trader Joe’s brand that I quickly became addicted to. It was recalled and I have been forced to try and make some myself. I found tahini paste at my local Walmart and I just made your recipe. It is delicious. I do admit to adding a bit more garlic and lemon juice but it is amazing! I could eat it with a spoon! Thanks for sharing! I put it on a lot of things but my favorite thing to put it on is roasted cauliflower and crispy onions. A dish I tasted at Pita Jungle in Arizona. It is Whole30 approved too 🙂
Tori Avey says
No judgement! 🙂 Glad you like the homemade version!
Karalee says
I know tha tj’s brand tahni sauce was one of my favorite. So versatile. I have a coworker that had a very restricted diet and she was sp glad to have that as a grab and go option. This recipe is great too, pretty close. I also added more lemon juice, garlic and salt.