All-Purpose Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

My tangy tahini dressing is creamy and so versatile, an all-in-one sauce or salad dressing you’ll want to use it on everything! Make the dressing and keep it in the fridge to use all week for salads, as a dip with fresh vegetables, or to sauce chicken or fish.

Lemony, creamy, and savory tahini dressing belongs in your life! I pour it over everything from plain green salads to grilled chicken and fish. It’s pairs so perfectly Mediterranean dishes, and especially this caesar salad with a tahini-based dressing. Stash a jar in the fridge so you can easily assemble an instant salad fix.

• Aside from salads, use this dressing as a sauce for cooked proteins like meat, poultry or fish. I love it spooned over gyro-spiced chicken meatballs and these marinated chicken kabobs.
• I’ve been known to substitute tahini dressing for mayo in this herby smashed potato salad.

Ingredient notes

• Tahini paste: Tahini is made from roasted, ground sesame seeds, usually hulled, which gives you the smooth, creamy beige paste found in most supermarkets. Fresher tahini is less likely to separate, and will have a consistency of thick heavy cream. I avoid jars that have a layer of oil on top of the container that don’t budge when I shake them.
• Cold water: Ice-cold water makes a super-smooth and creamy dressing. Pro tip: If you’re whisking the dressing by hand, add in 1 or 2 ice cubes and stir until they melt into the dressing.

Email this recipe

Enter your email address and I'll send it straight to your inbox! Plus, get weekly recipe updates.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Post URL Email

By signing up, you agree to receive weekly emails. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Submit

All-Purpose Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing

Karen Tedesco

Creamy, tangy lemon tahini dressing is all-in-one sauce or salad dressing that's so versatile you'll want to use it on everything! Make a batch and keep it up to a week in the refrigerator to use as a sauce for roasted veggies and grain bowls.

Print SaveSaved

5 from 7 ratings

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Sauces

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 10 servings

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

Food processor or blender

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Yield: About 2/3 cup

• ▢ ⅓ cup (80 g) tahini paste, stirred
• ▢ ⅓ cup (80 ml) ice-cold water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 garlic clove
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

• Put all ingredients in a work bowl of a food processor. Process until the dressing is smooth and creamy. Depending on the thickness of the tahini, you may need to scrape down the bowl once or twice.
• Pour into a lidded container, such as a glass jar. Use the dressing right away, or store in the refrigerator up to 1 week (shake the dressing to blend if it separates).

Karen’s Notes and Tips

• If you don’t have a food processor, blend the dressing in a blender or whisk all ingredients in a bowl. Tip: If whisking by hand, add in 1 or 2 ice cubes and whisk until they melt into the dressing. They will make the consistency so light, fluffy and creamy!
• Add in a handful of fresh herbs such as cilantro, dill, parsley, basil or mint. They will make a fragrant green tahini dressing!
• If you enjoy a sweeter dressing, add a tablespoon or so maple syrup or honey before blending.
• Blend in ground spices or herbs you enjoy, such as za’atar, cumin, coriander. Improvise a dairy-free “ranch” style dressing by adding in tarragon, onion powder, black pepper and garlic powder.
• Storage: Tahini dressing keeps well in the refrigerator for a week or so. Stir it up to blend before using, adding additional water and/or lemon juice if it has thickened up.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 74kcal Carbohydrates: 2g Protein: 1g Fat: 7g Sodium: 247mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Tried this recipe? A star rating takes 5 seconds and helps more people find it

Save to Pinterest Email

• Mediterranean Diet
• Sauces
• Vegetarian and Vegan

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

---

I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.