Keep this lemon tahini dressing on hand in the fridge, and you'll eat more salad than you ever have before! It's creamy, nutty, bright, and delicious.
Of all of the homemade salad dressings out there, this lemon tahini dressing might be the one I make most often. Itβs really versatile β it tastes just as good with tomatoes and cucumbers in the summer as it does with roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower, or broccoli in the fall. It consists of a short list of ingredients that I always keep on hand, and itβs super easy to stir together. No blender or food processor required!
Nowadays, most home cooks I know are familiar with tahini, but in case you havenβt heard of it, itβs a paste made from ground sesame seeds that originated in the Middle East. Itβs what makes dips like hummus and baba ganoush so velvety and rich, and if youβre a fan of falafel, thereβs a good chance youβve drizzled nutty tahini sauce on top. In my kitchen, I use tahini on oatmeal, in cookies, ice cream, and more, but I especially love it in this simple tahini dressing recipe. Itβs creamy, rich, nutty, and bright. I like to keep it on hand at all times, and once you try it, I think you will, too.
Tahini Dressing Recipe Ingredients
Ready to make tahini salad dressing? Youβll need these simple ingredients:
- Tahini β It makes up the dressingβs creamy base. For the best results, use really smooth, runny tahini here, not the dry, stiff stuff that you might find at the bottom of a jar. Tahiniβs consistency can also vary from brand to brand; my favorites are Soom, Cedarβs, Trader Joeβs, and Seed+Mill.
- Fresh lemon juice β It makes the dressing nice and bright.
- Sesame oil β It highlights the tahiniβs rich, nutty flavor.
- Garlic β For sharp depth of flavor.
- Maple syrup β For balance! It tames the bright lemon juice and sharp garlic.
- Extra-virgin olive oil β It adds body and richness.
- And sea salt β To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Add the ingredients to a small bowl along with 3 tablespoons of water, and whisk to combine.
As the dressing starts to come together, the tahini will seize up, and the sauce will thicken. Donβt worry about it! Itβs totally normal. Keep whisking, and youβll have a smooth, creamy tahini salad dressing in no time.
If the dressing is still thicker than youβd like it to be, add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Season to taste with more lemon juice, salt, maple syrup, or sesame oil, and enjoy!
How to Use Lemon Tahini Dressing
Clearly, this lemon tahini dressing is fantastic on salads. I call for it in this Sweet Potato Salad recipe, but itβd also be great on this kale salad, this roasted cauliflower salad, this pomegranate salad, this beet salad, or this butternut squash salad. Not in the mood for salad? No problem. Here are a few more delicious ways to use this tahini dressing:
- Drizzle it over roasted veggies like Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, acorn squash, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, or beets. I also love it with grilled eggplant, zucchini, and mixed grilled vegetables in the summertime.
- Spoon it over falafel or a chickpea shawarma wrap.
- Add it to a bowl. Try it in this Buddha bowl or this sweet potato quinoa bowl, or make your own bowl with your favorite veggies, a grain like farro, quinoa, or brown rice, and a protein like baked tofu, lentils, or roasted chickpeas.
How do you like to use lemon tahini dressing? Let me know in the comments!
More Favorite Dressings and Sauces
If you love this tahini dressing recipe, try one of these flavorful dressings next:
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- Homemade Italian Dressing
- Greek Salad Dressing
- Vegan Ranch
- Green Goddess Dressing
- Homemade Caesar Dressing
- Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Coleslaw Dressing
Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- ΒΌ cup smooth tahini*
- 3 tablespoons water, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- ΒΌ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, water, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, and salt until smooth.
- If the dressing is too thick, add more water, Β½ tablespoon at a time, until itβs a drizzleable consistency.
Many years ago I used to go to a salad bar in South Florida and they had tahini dressing which I loved. Yours is exactly what I can remember.
Itβs yummy..
Do you need to refrigerate?
A little on the sweet side for me, but thatβs a matter of taste. I doubled the lemon, and itβs fantastic. Itβs already becoming a staple in our fridge. Had it on some chicken shawarma and on a salad, and loved it.
Iβm glad you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe and make it quite often. It is my go to! I tend to need to add much more water than it says as others here even when using βrunnyβ Tahini. Also the sugar content seems a bit over kill for our tastes. Half as much is perfect. Otherwise recipe is on point and my absolute favourite!
Hi Matt, Iβm so glad you love the dressing!
I followed instructions given by other readers to mix the non-tahini ingredients first. My tahini was hardened so I added it in bit by bit and stirred hard with a small whisk and added some of the oil that had floated up as well.
Recipe is so delicious and I canβt wait to try it on my salad and wraps.
So glad you loved it, Angie!
Oh no!!! I read in the recipe you said βno blender requiredβ but maybe it should have been a warning NOT to use a blender? The ingredients reacted poorly and the tahini (I used Soom) got thick and sludgy, and the sesame oil wouldnβt emulsify into the mixture, and the more I tried to blend, the worse it got. Now I recall a previous failed kitchen experiment I had with combining citrus and nut butterβ¦ do you happen to know what causes that? Unfortunately that was the last of my tahini so I canβt give it another go today.
Hi Elise, ahh so sorry to hear that! Yes, tahini can seize up when itβs mixed with liquid ingredients like oil and citrus. Itβs usually not a problem to smooth out by hand, adding water as needed. Iβd recommend skipping the blender next time!
Thank you, love this so much. Delicious in salads and on roasted veg. Now having to make triple batches because we cant get enough!
So glad you love it, Luisa!
This was wonderful. I love the addition of the sesame oil!
This was amazing! You have to find the right amount of water based on the tahini youβre using in order to get the right consistency, but everything else was perfect. I enjoyed my salad with this dressing so much! And I love that itβs a protein dressing.
Iβm glad you loved it!
Wonderful dressing. I baked kumara, broccoli, cauliflower and onion. Served as a salad with Tahini dressing. Delicious!
I made this following the directions to add 3 TBS water. The tahini I used was Wegmans brand (which was thick upon opening but after a slight microwave and stir was normal consistency).
I like the taste of the dressing, but would not add 3 TBS or water, but add 2 β as the dressing was thin and runny.
Excellent recipe, delicious. May I make a suggestion though? Please find a translation site with an audio component so that you can pronounce the word βhummusβ correctly. Iβm not picking on you, most people Iβve met who are not Arabic or Hebrew speaking mispronounce it, because theyβve never heard anyone say it properly. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed the dressing, Gary!
I am a huge fan of tahini dressings. This recipe is my new favorite one. I use the juice of an entire lemon so itβs super lemony (and add a little maple if itβs too sour). If you combine all the non-tahini ingredients first, then incorporate the tahini in a couple batches, it never seizes up in the process.
Great tip, Caroline! So glad you love the dressing.
If I made a big batch, about how long do you think it would last in the fridge?
Hi Ruth, it keeps well for about 5 days in the fridge.
Yum! I also added grated ginger for a little kick. Delicious.
Iβm so glad you loved it!
Wow, can we talk about this dressing? I just made it to perk up my meal plan for the week. It is definitely a keeper. I highly recommend it.
Iβm so glad youβre loving it! One of my favorites!
Are the tablespoon measurements U.S (15ml) or UK (20ml)?
How do you store this dressing? Does it need refrigeration?
Hi Cindy, yes, I store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Iβm keeping mine in a ball jar with reusable plastic lid in the fridge. I donβt know if this recommended way, but since it has ingredients that can spoil outside the fridge i decided to be safe.
this is beyond delicious
i was eating it with a spoon
enough said!
Hmmβ¦followed recipe exactly and it was so thick it was almost a dough. Had to add so much water to get it to a pourable consistency that now itβs flavorless. π Used Soom tahini, which was fairly pourable. Itβs like everything seized up when mixed.
Iβm making this weekly now. Delicious!!