Authentic, ultra creamy and salty tahini sauce or tahini dip. Learn how to make rich classic Middle Easten tahini sauce in just 5 minutes.
This authentic,creamy, rich super delicious tahini sauce pairs very well with almost anything in this world!!, use it as a healthier alternative to mayo in sandwiches, specially falafel, foul and shawarma. We use it to accompany our grilled meats and also with seafood dishes, or you can use it as a dip with your favorite veggie sticks, it is simply one of today's culinary wonders.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- An easy recipe with just a handful of ingredients.
- A delicious dip with a smooth consistency.
- Irresistible creaminess.
📝 Ingredients
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
- Tahini Paste.
- Warm water.
- White vinegar.
- Lime or lemon juice.
- Garlic cloves.
- Spices.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a small food processor or a small mixing bowl, add all the sauce ingredients.
- Mix with a whisk or process until thoroughly mixed.
- Check consistency and taste to adjust seasoning to your liking.
💡 Tips
- Using warm water, not boiling, makes mixing tahini paste easier.
- Using a small food processor is much easier than the bowl and whisk method but no worries if you don't have one.
- If that tahini sauce came out too runny for your taste mix in a little more tahini paste and if you want a thinner consistency add a bit of water.
- You can buy a jar of tahini from a nearby grocery store or make your own tahini.
👩🍳 Variations
- Some people like using only vinegar others only use fresh lemon juice, I like using a combination of both.
- I love adding coriander in my tahini sauce, many people don't but I feel this is what gives it a very distinctive flavor.
- Also some people like using garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, I do not do that I like fresh in this recipe.
- You can add a 1 teaspoon dry mint or spice it up by using cayenne pepper.
- Adding a little bit of freshly diced onion to the tahini is optional and actually recommended when serving it with seafood recipes.
- Many people do not add garlic when serving tahini with ful medammes.
- Add fresh parsley or more commonly fresh dill.
🧺 Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks or even more just check it before consuming. Your sauce will thicken as it sets in the fridge so to thin it out all a bit of water and mix well.
🍽️ Serve With
- Use it as a dip with fresh veggies.
- Scoop with pita bread or chips.
- Great with grain bowls or Buddha bowls.
- As a spread for sandwiches, cheese, burgers, falafel, ful.. etc.
- Serve it on the side with fish or shrimp.
- Serve it with your grilled meats like beef kebabs, kofta, chicken kebabs...etc.
- Use it as a salad dressing.
💬 FAQs
Tahini sauce is made from tahini paste, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and spices. This traditional sauce is served throughout the Middle East countries.
Tahini sauce is rich in omega3. It contains copper, iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc. It is said that tahini can help promote brain and heart health and also strengthen your bones. Source.
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Tahini sauce/dip
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini paste
- ¼ cup warm water plus or minus depending on your preferred sauce thickness.
- 2 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to your taste
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
Optional
- 1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped onion.
- For garnishing: olive oil and any or all of coriander/cumin/red pepper flakes or fresh herbs….
Instructions
- In your processor add all the ingredients except for the garlic and the onion if using.
- Mix well until everything is well combined. Check seasoning and thickness then adjust accordingly.
- Pour contents in a bowl, add garlic, onion and mix.
- If serving in bowls, add a teaspoon of olive oil and garnish with whatever you like from the list above.
- Serving suggestions: as a dip with pita bread/chips or use it instead of mayo in many sandwiches specially falafel and foul, serve alongside seafood dishes or with grilled meat/chicken.
Video
Notes
- Using warm water, no boiling, makes mixing tahini paste easier.
- Using a small food processor is much easier than the bowl and whisk method but no worries if you don't have one.
- If that tahini sauce cames out too runny for your taste mix in a little more tahini paste and if you want a thinner consistency add a bit of water.
- Storage:
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks or even more just check it before consuming. Your sauce will thicken as it sets in the fridge so to thin it out all a bit of water and mix well.
Nutrition
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First published March 2016 . Last updated February 2023 with important tips, clear step by step instructions and readability.
👩🏫 My Experience
There are many tahini recipes out there most of them include lime juice, garlic and salt. I like my recipe because in all honesty I feel that coriander is a key ingredient that makes all the difference.
Tahini sauce shows up a lot during the holy month of Ramadan, no banquet is perfect without it and you know what? When one of my kids was just in first grade, he had a project to write and draw his favorite holiday. My kid wrote about Ramadan and he included a description of the tahini sauce and pickled green olives, he did not know the names of the dishes, so his teacher asked me " Is this some kind of holy food you eat at this month?" it was hilarious, then when I explained what he meant she burst into laughter 😃.
Jonathan
Hello and greetings from Cairo!!
I'm having falafal/tameya tonight in whole meal baladi bread with pickles and salad. So, I decided to make your delicious tahini sauce to go with it. I like it with the tablespoon of rough chopped onion. I did not have a lime to hand but substituted with lemon. It's so creamy, nutty and toasty.....thank you so much!!!
Amira
Oh hi there! how is it still hot I think.. right? Thank you so much for trying the recipe, glad you like it.