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Home | Recipes | Garlic Tahini Sauce

Garlic Tahini Sauce

Published on April 30, 2026 by Stephanie Kay

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Learn how to make creamy garlic tahini sauce with this easy recipe. This 5-ingredient recipe is ready in 5 minutes and is a great addition to salads, wraps, pitas, bowls, and more.

Small grey bowl of garlic tahini sauce with a small spoon with pita bread, lemons, and fresh parsley on the side on a white background.

I’ve included tahini sauce in a lot of my recipes over the years, so I figured it deserved its own spot on my website. This oh-so-easy and versatile sauce is a highlight ingredient in many recipes, helping to add healthy fats and flavor to any humble dish.

So, whether you’re making a batch to go with dinner or want to store a jar in the fridge for days to come, this garlic tahini sauce recipe will be a welcome addition to your healthy recipe repertoire.

Jar of cumin, garlic cloves, bowl of tahini, lemon, and wood bowl of salt on a white background.

Ingredients + Substitutions

  • Tahini – If you’ve never used it before, tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. While you can use any brand of tahini paste you like, a runny and creamy version works best.
  • Garlic – To flavor the sauce. The recipe calls for garlic cloves, but you can use garlic powder if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
  • Lemon Juice – To balance the acidity of the sauce. I used fresh lemon juice, but you can use bottled lemon juice or apple cider vinegar if needed. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
  • Cumin – To add some additional flavor, although optional.
  • Water -To thin the sauce as needed.
  • Salt – To season.

Dietary Adaptions

To Make it Gluten-Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is gluten-free.

To Make it Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is dairy-free.

Grid of 4 images of a food processor with tahini; a food processor with tahini, lemon juice, garlic cloves, cumin, and salt; a food processor with tahini paste; and a food processor with creamy tahini sauce.

Ways to Use Garlic Tahini Sauce

Tahini sauce is a versatile condiment that can be used as a dressing, spread, or dip. It works particularly well in Middle Eastern dishes; however, it can be used in a variety of ways. For example:

  • Use it as a salad dressing. Drizzle it over salads as a creamy dressing.
  • Drizzle it over grilled meats. Drizzle it over grilled chicken, steak, or tofu.
  • Use it as a dip. Serve it with raw veggies as a simple snack or appetizer.
  • Add it to wraps. Top shawarma wraps and pita bread sandwiches with tahini sauce.
  • Use it as a sauce. Drizzle it over roasted or grilled vegetables.

While you can make the sauce in a bowl, to ensure you get creamy tahini sauce, I suggest making it in a small food processor or blender.

Small bowl of tahini garlic sauce with a silver spoon with lemons, a plate of pita bread, a small bowl of salt and pepper, and a small bowl of parsley on a white background.

Storage

To Refrigerate: Place the garlic tahini sauce in a small jar or airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.

To Freeze: Place the creamy tahini sauce in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the tahini sauce to thaw completely before using.

Recipes with Tahini Sauce:

  • Beef Shawarma Wrap
  • Chicken Shawarma Bowls
  • Vegetarian Power Bowls
  • Spicy Roasted Chickpea and Veggie Bowls
  • Sheet Pan Tofu and Veggies
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Small grey bowl of garlic tahini sauce with a small spoon with pita bread, lemons, and fresh parsley on the side on a white background.

Garlic Tahini Sauce

Author: Stephanie Kay

Made with 5 ingredients and ready in 5 minutes, this garlic tahini sauce works well as a dressing, sauce, or dip.

  • Author: Stephanie Kay
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cup 1x
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch ground cumin (optional)
  • 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

Instructions

  1. To make it in a bowl, in a medium bowl, add the tahini, minced garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and water, and whisk until well combined. Depending on the thickness of your tahini, you may need to add additional water, so continue whisking and adding water one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
  2. To make it in a food processor, add the tahini, garlic cloves (whole), lemon juice, cumin, salt, and water, and run the food processor for 30 seconds to 1 minute until well combined. Depending on the thickness of your tahini, you may need to add additional water. With the food processor running, continue adding water one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
  3. Once whisked or blended, taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and/or cumin as needed.
  4. Once prepared, the tahini sauce can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Notes

To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 2 teaspoons of garlic powder.

To Use Bottled Lemon Juice: Swap the whole lemon for 1/4 cup of lemon juice.

To Use Apple Cider Vinegar: Swap the whole lemon for 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
  • Calories: 94 calories
  • Sugar: 0 grams
  • Fat: 8 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 4 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Protein: 3 grams

Did you make this recipe?

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