Lemon Tahini Dressing is creamy and tangy, made with wholesome ingredients like tahini, honey, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices, ready in under 5 minutes!

A bowl of lemon tahini dressing with a whisk resting in it, in front of a bowl of salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and chickpeas.

Lemon Tahini Dressing is really quick and easy to make, and it’s made using just a few simple ingredients. It has a good combo of sweet and savory flavors, and comes from both mediterranean and middle eastern cuisines. I like to serve this over salads, steak, or chicken, but you can pair it with a lot of different dishes to upgrade the flavor. Best of all, it comes together in under 5 minutes, with minimal prep time, and makes a jar of dressing!

If you love this recipe, you may also love this Greek Salad Dressing, and my Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing!

Table of contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Meal Prep – This is one of my favorite homemade salad dressings to make when we’re doing our weekly meal prep. Tahini has a really nice creamy texture, and we’re mixing it with a lot of bright fresh flavors that keep it from feeling too heavy.

Tons of Flavor – This homemade tahini sauce is savory, sweet, and tangy! You’ll especially love this if you are a fan of garlic.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Individual ingredients for Lemon Tahini Dressing on a table.

Sesame Tahini. This is the main flavor of the dressing, made out of roasted and ground sesame seeds. It has a really nice creamy texture and the sesame seeds have a nice nutty taste.

Garlic. I like to use fresh garlic cloves for this recipe. Another option would be roasted garlic (check out my Roasted Garlic page to learn how to do it).

You can also use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder instead.

Lemon Juice. This adds a nice bright flavor, and the acidity balances out the savory notes of the tahini.

Vinegar. I like this dressing to be a little thinner, so I usually add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar for flavor and texture.

Honey. This adds a touch of sweetness, while balancing the savory and tangy notes of the dressing. You can also use maple syrup instead of honey.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This adds a nice richness and helps keep the dressing smooth, along with toning down some of the tangy or acidic notes from the other ingredients. You can also use avocado oil or canola oil instead.

Spices. I like a mixture of ground cumin, kosher salt (or sea salt), and black pepper to add flavor to the dressing.

Kitchen Tools

For this creamy tahini dressing recipe, you’ll need a medium mixing bowl and a whisk.

How to Make Lemon Tahini Dressing

A bowl on a table full of lemon tahini dressing, with a whisk resting in the bowl.

Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together until well-combined.

A salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and chickpeas topped with lemon tahini dressing in a bowl on a cutting board.

If needed, add additional olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dressing reaches the desired consistency.

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Recipe Variations

  • Make this tahini sauce spicy with a dash of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or chili powder.
  • Instead of honey, try adding maple syrup for a different flavor profile.
  • If you want to use this as a sandwich spread, leave out the vinegar and whisk everything together. Then add it a small amount at a time, stopping when the dressing is still thick enough to spread.
  • For even more flavor, try adding fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, or fresh dill. Or a teaspoon of dijon mustard with onion powder and smoked paprika for a dijon lemon tahini dressing.

Recipe Tip! For the best flavor, grate the garlic or finely mince it to help it distribute evenly throughout the dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you pair with lemon tahini dressing?

This recipe works perfectly as a tahini salad dressing paired with gluten free pita chips, and also as a sandwich spread, or a topping for a meat, falafel, or rice or quinoa bowl. This has a really nice garlic lemon flavor, and pairs nicely with a lot of different dishes! Try using this as the dressing for my Quinoa Kale Salad, or Roasted Carrots.

Recipe Tip! This dressing tastes better the longer it sits, so I recommend making this ahead of time and refrigerating for a few hours before serving. If it thickens in the fridge, whisk some olive oil or lemon juice in before serving.

More Salad Dressing Recipes

Storage

Refrigerate homemade tahini dressing for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

I don’t recommend freezing tahini dressing because it can separate or change texture when defrosted.

Cooking Tips

  • If your dressing thickens in the refrigerator, just stir in a bit of lemon juice or olive oil until you get back to a texture you’d like.
  • Whisk everything together until the dressing has a smooth texture, it might take a second for everything to come together.
  • To make this even easier, you can just add everything to the food processor and blend until completely smooth, or use an immersion blender.
  • Taste the dressing once it’s mixed together and adjust with any honey, lemon juice, or olive oil as-needed for flavor and texture.
A salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and chickpeas topped with lemon tahini dressing in a bowl on a cutting board, in front of a jar of dressing.

Tried this recipe? ⭐ Leave a review and share what worked best for you—your tips help other home cooks get the same delicious results!

A bowl of lemon tahini dressing with a whisk resting in it, in front of a bowl of salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and chickpeas.

Lemon Tahini Dressing

Lemon Tahini Dressing is creamy and tangy, made with wholesome ingredients like tahini, honey, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices, ready in under 5 minutes!
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Course: dressing, sauce
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle East
Author: Jacqui
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1/2 cup sesame tahini
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Equipment

  • 1 medium mixing bowl with a whisk

Instructions
 

  • Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together until well-combined.
  • If needed, add additional olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dressing reaches the desired consistency.

Notes

Storage
Refrigerate for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
I don’t recommend freezing this dressing because it can separate or change texture when defrosted.
Cooking Tips
  • This dressing tastes better the longer it sits, so I recommend making this ahead of time and refrigerating for a few hours before serving.
  • If your dressing thickens in the refrigerator, just stir in a bit of lemon juice or olive oil until you get back to a texture you’d like.
  • Whisk everything together until the dressing has a smooth texture, it might take a second for everything to come together.
  • For the best flavor, grate the garlic or finely mince it to help it distribute evenly throughout the dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal (6%)Carbohydrates: 4g (1%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 12g (18%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 121mg (5%)Potassium: 71mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 20mg (2%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

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