Middle Eastern Tahini Sauce Recipe

An easy everyday tahini sauce recipe that's perfect for falafel, shawarma and kabobs. You can make a big batch of this easy Middle Eastern sauce and always have it at hand.

You know that amazing tahini sauce your favorite middle eastern place adds to their wraps? This is it! Use it to top your falafel wraps, shawarma or even as a dip with some pita chips! Simple yet delicious, this is the sauce you want to have on hand at all times. 

Tahini sauce, a common Middle Eastern condiment

Ever got a falafel sandwich at a Middle Eastern place and with the first bite you've wondered what that awesome sauce is? That's tahini sauce!

This easy Middle Eastern sauce, also known as tahini dressing is perfect for dishes such as falafel, shawarma, kabobs and even roasted or raw vegetables. Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants serve this sauce alongside the main dish and it's truly addictive!

Today we are going back to basics. We all know one of the staples of Middle Eastern cuisine is Tahini so let's learn a bit more about this magic sesame paste that's taking over the world.

What is tahini?

Tahini, also known as Tahina is a creamy paste made of toasted ground sesame and is a common condiment used in Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. Tahini is the base for common Middle Eastern mezze and dips such as hummus and baba ghanoush. It's common to use tahini in sweet recipes such as halva. In Iran, people use sesame paste to make Halvardeh, a type of halva made with tahini, sugar and nuts and it's common to be served for breakfast.

Ingredients to make tahini sauce

Tahini

A good tahini is made 100% of sesame seeds. It's smooth, creamy and not grainy at all. You can find tahini at Middle Eastern and Mediterranean shops or online.  You don't need to refrigerate tahini after opening the jar. 

Garlic

This recipe calls for a few cloves of garlic. I like mine to have a stronger garlic taste but if you like your tahini sauce to have less of a "kick", you can use one clove of garlic. 

Lemon juice

Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a nice bright flavor to the sauce. You can also use lime juice. 

Cumin, cayenne and salt

These spices add enough flavor to our homemade tahini sauce. The amount of cayenne pepper depends on how spicy you like the sauce to be. 

Water

To thin out the tahini, we use water. Depending on the tahini's consistency and how thick you'd like the sauce to be. 

Parsley

This is optional, but chopped parsley adds a great flavor to the this recipe. 

How to make tahini sauce

• Stir the tahini with garlic in a bowl to combine. 
• Season with salt, cayenne pepper and cumin. 
• Add in the lemon juice and water. Stir to combine and add more water if needed. 
• Add the chopped parsley (if using), mix and taste to make sure the seasoning is right. 

That's it! Super easy and simple, yet mighty in flavor. Make sure to taste the sauce before serving and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. 

Can I make this ahead of time? 

Absolutely! I love making a large batch of this sauce and keep it in the fridge. Follow the recipe (you can double or triple the ingredients) and store in a jar with a tight lid. You can keep tahini sauce in the fridge for up to 7 days. 

Flavor variations

• Lemon tahini sauce: double the amount of lemon juice in the original recipe for more acidity.
• Spicy tahini sauce: Add ¼ tsp more cayenne pepper to the basic tahini sauce recipe.
• Tahini yogurt sauce: Add 2 tablespoons yogurt to the original tahini sauce recipe and add more water if needed. Tahini yogurt sauce has more subtle tahini flavor and is a bit creamier. 

Serving suggestions

I love this easy garlic tahini sauce recipe because I can use it in many different dishes. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:

• Sandwiches and wraps: You can serve this sauce with shawarma, chicken souvlaki, beef shish kabob, falafel or even chicken gyro. This sauce will make every sandwich and wrap 10 times better! 
• Plates and rice dishes: Top dishes such as Greek chicken and rice with some tahini sauce for more flavor!
• As a dip: This sauce make a delicious dip that you can serve with some homemade pita chips, roasted vegetables or fresh cut vegetables such as carrots and celery.