How to Make Lemon Tahini Sauce (Authentic and Easy)

Creamy tahini sauce garnished with sumac in a bowl with a spoon.

5 from 2 votes

How to Make Lemon Tahini Sauce (Authentic and Easy)

A classic Middle Eastern condiment, Lemon Tahini Sauce is used to dress shawarma, grilled meats, falafels, and more. It’s rich, unctuous and nutty. And best of all, this creamy sauce comes together in under 5 minutes and with only 5 ingredients!

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine: Levantine, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Palestinian

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $5

Ingredients

¼ cup Tahini paste
2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper
2-4 tbsp Water - See note

Instructions

Form the paste. In a small bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice and salt. Whisk until a thick smooth paste forms.
Dilute. Add water about 1 tablespoon at a time to reach the desired consistency.

Notes

See the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

WATER NOTE: For a dip consistency: use about 2-3 tablespoons of water. For a drizzling consistency: Use about 3-4 tablespoons of water.

Ingredient notes:

Tahini: Use a high-quality tahini. Tahini used to be challenging to find and you would have had to go to a local Middle Eastern grocery store to get it. Now you’ll find sesame paste at most grocery stores (either in the international aisle or where the oils and condiments are). Make sure to sit it up well before using it because it separates when it sits for too long without being used.
Lemon: Lemon is traditional, but you can certainly use another acid like lime juice or even vinegar.

Other additions: chopped herbs (like fresh parsley), garlic, sumac, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, sesame oil

Drizzle tahini sauce on beef kofta, chicken shish tawook, chicken shawarma, and chicken kofta.

Nutrition