Classic Tahini Sauce
A smooth, creamy, lemony tahini sauce with a sharp garlic bite. It takes 10 minutes and works on falafel, roasted vegetables, grilled meats, grain bowls and shawarma.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Makes
- About 1 cup (240 ml), 8 servings of 2 tablespoons
Steps
Before you start
- Stir the jar of tahini well before measuring, because the oil separates and rises to the top.
- Use ice-cold water. It makes the sauce lighter and creamier.
- Squeeze the lemon juice fresh. Bottled juice tastes flat and can turn bitter.
- Expect the sauce to thicken and look curdled at first. This is normal, and it smooths out as you add more water.
Mix garlic and lemon
- Add the grated garlic, lemon juice and salt to the mixing bowl.
- Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.
- The acid softens the raw garlic's harsh edge and dissolves the salt.
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Ready when: The salt has dissolved and the garlic smells less sharp.
Tip: Grate the garlic on a Microplane so no chunks remain in the smooth sauce.
Add the tahini
- Add the stirred tahini, and the cumin if using, to the bowl.
- Whisk firmly for about 30 seconds.
- The mixture will turn thick, pasty and slightly grainy.
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Ready when: A stiff, uniform paste with no streaks of oil.
Tip: Don't worry if it looks seized. This is the right stage before the water goes in.
Whisk in water
- Pour in the ice-cold water 2 tablespoons (30 ml) at a time, whisking hard after each addition.
- The paste first stiffens, then loosens and turns pale and creamy.
- Keep going until all 1/3 cup (80 ml) is in.
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Ready when: Smooth, pale cream colored, and it falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon.
Tip: Adding the water gradually is what makes it emulsify. Pouring it all at once can leave the sauce split.
Adjust and taste
- Check the consistency.
- For a drizzling sauce, whisk in 1 to 2 more tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of cold water.
- For a dip, leave it thicker.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lemon if needed.
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Ready when: It coats the back of a spoon and runs off slowly, like heavy cream.
Tip: The sauce thickens as it chills, so make it slightly thinner than you want.
Serve or store
- Spoon the sauce into a jar or serve it right away.
- Stir again before using, and thin with a splash of cold water if it has tightened.
Good to know
Tips
- Use a good-quality, runny tahini made from hulled sesame seeds. It gives a milder, smoother result.
- If the sauce tastes bitter, add a little more lemon juice and salt. A pinch of sugar or a teaspoon of honey also helps.
- For an extra-smooth sauce, blend everything in a small food processor for 1 minute.
- If the sauce splits or looks broken, whisk in 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time until it comes back together.
Make ahead
Make up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate. The garlic flavor gets stronger over time. Stir in cold water before serving to loosen it.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 5 days in an airtight jar. Freezer: up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge and whisk in a little cold water to bring back the creamy texture. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Substitutions
- fresh lemon juice → Lime juice, or 2 tablespoons lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Lime gives a slightly different, more floral tartness.
- garlic → 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. The flavor is milder and less fresh. Skip the resting step.
- ice-cold water → Cold sparkling water. Gives a slightly lighter, fluffier texture.
- tahini (pure sesame paste) → Unhulled (whole sesame) tahini. It is slightly more bitter and darker, so you may want a little extra lemon.
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- Meal
- Dinner
- Cuisine
- Middle Eastern
- Method
- No-Cook