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Tahini Sauce Recipe for Falafel—Elevate your Mediterranean dish with this creamy sauce crafted with the finest sesame paste, yogurt, zesty lemon, and a hint of garlic. Versatile and irresistible, it adds a delectable touch to salads, sandwiches, and more.
Serve with the Best Falafel Recipe.
Why you’ll love this sauce
This recipe stands out for its creamy texture, balanced flavors, and versatility. With a perfect blend of tangy lemon, nutty tahini, and subtle garlic, it elevates any dish it accompanies. Whether drizzled over homemade falafel and salads, used as part of a mezze platter, or a dip for fresh veggies/ grilled veggies, with baba ghanoush and even a perfect sauce french fries! It’s a rich and satisfying taste is sure to win you over.
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
This flavorful sauce comes together with just a few ingredients for a fresh taste you can’t beat! You’ll reach for this creamy lemon tahini time and time again.
- Plain Greek Yogurt (or dairy-free alternative): Provides creaminess to the sauce.
- Tahini: This ingredient adds a nutty and slightly bitter flavor, enriching the sauce. Tahini paste is made from ground sesame seeds, and it can be found at any grocery store.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Offers acidity and brightness to balance the richness of tahini.
- Garlic: Grated garlic adds a subtle pungency to the sauce.
- Warm Water: Adjust the sauce’s consistency to make it creamy and pourable. You can also use a bit of olive oil.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make the Best Tahini Sauce
This simple recipe comes together in 5 minutes or less! All you need is a jar, food processor, or blender. See the recipe card for full instructions.
Add all ingredients to a blender, magic bullet, or food processor. You can even make it with a whisk and a large bowl!
Best Tahini for Tahini Sauce
- Soom Foods Tahini: Known for its smooth texture and rich flavor, this creamy tahini offers a quality product made from single-origin Ethiopian sesame seeds.
- Seed + Mill Tahini: Seed + Mill produces tahini using traditional stone-grinding methods, resulting in a silky smooth texture and robust flavor profile.
- 365 Everyday Value Tahini: Available at Whole Foods Market, this budget-friendly option offers organic tahini with a creamy texture and a balanced flavor profile.
Substitutions
- Tahini: If you’re out of tahini, you can substitute with almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a similar nutty flavor and creamy texture.
- Lemon Juice: If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use lime juice, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar for acidity.
- Garlic: Instead of fresh garlic cloves, you can use garlic powder or garlic paste. Adjust the quantity to taste.
- Greek Yogurt: If you prefer a creamier texture but don’t have Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream, plain yogurt, or mayonnaise for a similar texture.
Variations
- Spicy: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, or a dash of hot sauce for a spicy kick.
- Herby: Mix in finely chopped fresh herbs such as fresh parsley, cilantro, dill, or mint for an herby twist.
- Citrusy: Increase the amount of lemon juice or add a splash of orange juice for a brighter, citrusy flavor.
- Sweet: Stir in a touch of honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar for a hint of sweetness. Adjust to taste.
How to Store
- Refrigerate: Place the sealed airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Duration: store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Stirring: Before serving, give the sauce a good stir to recombine any separated ingredients.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
- Quality Tahini: Start with high-quality tahini made from roasted sesame seeds for the best flavor and texture.
- Balanced Flavors: Taste the tahini sauce as you go and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Add more lemon juice for brightness, garlic for depth, or a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors.
FAQs
This sauce is incredibly versatile and can be used as a dressing for salads, a dip for vegetables or bread, a sauce for grilled meats or falafel, or a spread for sandwiches and wraps.
If the tahini sauce is too thick, you can make a thinner sauce by gradually adding water, lemon juice, or olive oil until you reach your desired consistency. Conversely, if it’s too thin, you can add more tahini paste to thicken it.
More Recipes
Looking for other recipes? Try these:
Serve with a Falafel Sandwich
This delcious creamy tahini sauce is perfect with falafel patties or falafel balls inside a pita bread with fresh herbs and veggies. This authentic falafel recipe uses dry chickpeas to replicate the classic Mediterranean dish. You can also make a falafel salad!
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Print
Best Easy Tahini Sauce Recipe
- Total Time: 5 min
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
Drizzle this delicious tahini sauce over homemade falafel, grain bowls, salads, and more!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (can use dairy-free yogurt if vegan)
- 2 tablespoons good quality tahini
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 clove garlic, grated
- 2–3 tablespoons warm water
- Pinch kosher salt
- Optional Additions: You can customize tahini sauce with various optional ingredients like chopped parsley, cilantro, cumin, paprika, or honey for added flavor. Experiment with different combinations to suit your taste preferences.
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine Greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic, warm water, and a pinch of kosher salt. If you don’t have a food processor or blender you can use a bowl and a whisk and make it by hand.
- Process until smooth and well combined.
- Adjust the consistency by adding more water if needed. The sauce should be creamy and pourable.
- Serve with homemade falafel and more!
Notes
How to store: Refrigerate: Place the sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. Duration: Tahini sauce can typically be stored in the fridge for up to one week. Stirring: Before serving, stir the tahini sauce to recombine any separated ingredients.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Category: Savory
- Method: Greek
- Cuisine: American
