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You are here: Home / Recipes / Recipes by Course / Dips, Dressings & Sauces / Tahini Dressing – Seven Ways to Fantastic Flavour

Tahini Dressing – Seven Ways to Fantastic Flavour

Published on January 14, 2020 by Helen Best-Shaw 46 Comments
Last Updated on July 25, 2021

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Our easy to make tahini dressing is a kitchen staple. Make up a batch at the weekend and keep it in the fridge to use all week long.

Here are 7 delicious variations on the theme. Most of them are vegan and keto friendly. Just use non-dairy yogurt to adapt the rest.  

8 small bowls of tahini dressing on a discressed metal background viewed from above.

Everything You Need To Know

  • Tahini Dressing – a Kitchen Staple
  • How to Use It
  • Lemon Tahini Dressing With Herbs
  • Yogurt Tahini Sauce
  • Japanese Miso Tahini Dressing 
  • Indian Curry Tahini Sauce
  • Italian Tahini Sauce
  • Garlic Tahini Sauce
  • Maple Tahini Dressing 
  • Other Ideas for Tahini Dressing
  • 7 Variations of Creamy Tahini Dressing {Vegan, Gluten Free, Paleo, Keto}
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes

Tahini Dressing – a Kitchen Staple

A rounded storage jar full of cream coloured tahini dressing on a green back drop. Dressing is running off a honey dripper back into the jar

We love our original super simple tahini dressing. It is dreamy, creamy and delicious. What’s more, it goes with almost anything. 

This dressing is perfect for busy people, since you can make a big batch in advance at the weekend. Just pop it in the fridge so that it’s ready for evening meals and packed lunches.

I love to mix a large bowl of basic sauce. I can then take out a little at a time, adding different ingredients for each meal. This means that I avoid repetition and never get bored.

Tahini is great for vegans and those who don’t like dairy. This is because it’s a great source of calcium. It also contains plenty of minerals and vitamin B1. It’s even keto-friendly too!

It’s always better to get your nutrients from food rather than expensive supplements. So if you feel in need of a boost or want to look after your bones, try adding a little tahini to your diet. 

How to Use It

  • The basic thick version is ideal for dipping crudités, pickles and mezze dishes. 
  • The basic thin sauce is the perfect accompaniment to all sorts of salads. We love it with ‘slaw, but it’s also good on hearty bean or roasted vegetable salads, as well as with a classic green salad.
  • Drizzle over barbecued meat or vegetable skewers. For this, we like the lemon, yogurt, Indian and garlic variations.
  • I’ve been known to use tahini as a pasta sauce, and it is perfect to dress leftover cold chicken. 

Lemon Tahini Dressing With Herbs

A bowl of lemon herb tahini dressing on a distressed metal background. Also in the photo is half a lemon, fresh chives and parsley

My first variation is a lemon and herb dressing that goes well with both meat and vegetables. Take the basic dressing and then add lemon juice and your choice of herbs. This suits Middle Eastern dishes well. 

Yogurt Tahini Sauce

Blue patterned bowls of yogurt tahini dressing and nautral yogurt on a distressed metal background and

Yogurt tahini dressing is both lighter and creamier than the basic dressing. Use it with light herby salads. Mix equal amounts of thin tahini sauce and yogurt.

Japanese Miso Tahini Dressing 

A bowl of lght brown Japanese Tahini dressing on a distressed metal background. Next to the bowl is a dipping bowl of tamari, a reaspoon of white miso paste and a small green bowl if finely chopped nori

Tahini may not sound like a Far Eastern food but sesame seed pastes have a long history in East Asian cooking.

Just add miso, nori flakes and tamari in order to make a full-flavoured dressing with a Japanese twist. It packs a real umami punch! If you need a keto tahini dressing, this one is ideal.  

Try it with rice or any Japanese dish. We love it with crispy Katsu chicken.  

Make this Gluten-Free 

Some miso is made with soy (and rice), others are made with soy and various gluten containing grains so read the label.

Tamari is usually gluten free, whereas most soy sauces (especially the cheaper ones also contain wheat), so stick to tamari and read the label, if you need to take account of food sensitivities. It tastes richer, too. 

Indian Curry Tahini Sauce

A bowl of vibrant brigh yellow Indian Tahini Dressing with three teaspoons next to it containing curry powder, ground turmeric, and chilli sauce.

This brightly coloured dressing packs a punch, though you can make it as strong or as mild as you like. Serve as a sauce for paneer with rice.

Alternatively, use it as a dip with Indian starters such as bhajis, pakkoras and samosas.

Italian Tahini Sauce

A bowl of reddish borwn Italian Tahini dressing on a distressed metal background. there is also two tea spoons containing balsamic vinegar, sunried tomato paste and a sprig of basil

I have added Mediterranean flavours here with  sundried tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and basil. Excellent on a bitter green salad, as a dip for breads, or in a pasta salad.

You can even dribble a little onto a simple pizza. Again, this is a keto-friendly tahini dressing that works well with all sorts of dishes. 

Garlic Tahini Sauce

A bowl of garlic tahini dressing and two cloves of garlic viewed from above on a distressed metal background

This sauce is ideal if you like an extra hit of garlic. Perfect for a summer BBQ on charcoal-grilled meat, vegetable skewers or jacket potatoes. Again, it’s keto friendly.

Maple Tahini Dressing 

A bowl of maple tahini dressing and a measuring spoon of maple syrup vieed from above on a distressed metal background

A sweeter version of this tasty sauce. It’s great on a salad made of bitter leaves such as chicory or watercress.

However, you could also try this on sweet dishes if you leave out the garlic in the original dressing. Try it on sliced bananas on toast or even bananas and ice cream!

Other Ideas for Tahini Dressing

The ideas above are just a starting point. There are endless possibilities, so get creative!  Start with the plain sauce, either thick or thin, and add to it. And please comment to let us know what you made and how you used it.

Here are some more of my  ideas.

  • Ginger tahini dressing – Simply grate in some fresh ginger. You can also add a little honey for a sweeter dressing. Serve it with Asian starters or even sweet pastries such as baklava (leave out the salt and garlic from the base recipe if serving with sweet foods).
  • Dijon mustard tahini dressing – Add mustard to make a great salad dressing.
  • Pomegranate tahini dressing – Whisk in pomegranate molasses and top with pomegranate seeds in order to create the perfect dressing for Indian and Persian style dishes.
  • Honey and mustard tahini dressing – Stir in honey and mustard.

We love all of these served as a dip with homemade tortilla chips, crudities or melba toast. 

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8 small bowls of tahini dressing on a discressed metal background viewed from above.
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4.84 from 30 votes

7 Variations of Creamy Tahini Dressing {Vegan, Gluten Free, Paleo, Keto}

Our easy to make tahini dressing is a kitchen staple. Make up a batch at the weekend and keep it in the fridge to use all week long. Here are 7 delicious variations on the theme. Most of them are vegan and keto friendly. Just use non-dairy yoghurt to adapt the rest.  
Servings: 4 each variation makes about a 1/3 cup
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
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Ingredients

Lemon and herb tahini dressing

  • 2 tbsp thick tahini dressing
  • zest and juice of 1/4 lemon

Yogurt tahini sauce

  • 2 tbs thin tahini dressing
  • 2 tbs greek yogurt

Japanese Miso Tahini Dressing

  • 4 tbs thick tahini dressing
  • 1 tsp sweet white miso paste
  • 2 tsp tamari
  • 1 tsp nori flakes ((Or other dried seaweed. Chop finely))

Indian Tahini Dressing/Tahini Curry Sauce

  • 4 tbs thin tahini dressing
  • 1 tsp curry powder ((Or curry paste))
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chili sauce ((Adjust to taste))

Italian Tahini Dressing

  • 4 tbs thin tahini dressing
  • 1 tsp sundried tomato paste
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 stalk fresh basil ((Finely Chopped))

Garlic Tahini Dressing

  • 4 tbs thin tahini dressing
  • 1 clove garlic ((Crushed. Add more or less to taste))

Maple Tahini Dressing

  • 4 tbs thin tahini dressing
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

Lemon Tahini Dressing (with herbs)

  • Add juice, zest and finely chopped herbs to thick tahini dressing, and stir together.

Yogurt Tahini Dressing

  • Stir the yogurt and tahini dressing together until smooth. Adjust quantities to give the consistency you want.

Japanese Miso Tahini Dressing

  • Mix thick tahini dressing, sweet white miso, tamari, and finely chopped nori, or other seaweed. If you want a stronger flavour, use a different style of miso. To ensure a gluten free dressing, use tamari rather than regular soy sauce.

Indian Tahini Dressing

  • Mix thin tahini dressing, curry powder or paste, turmeric and chili sauce. Adjust the amounts to taste. If the sauce it too spicy, add some Greek yogurt.
  • For a more mellow sauce, dry fry the curry powder and turmeric. Then allow the spices to cool before combining with the tahini.

Italian Tahini Dressing

  • Mix thin tahini dressing, sundried tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and finely chopped fresh basil.

Garlic Tahini Dressing

  • Add crushed garlic to thin tahini dressing. Start with one clove per 60ml of dressing, and adjust to your preference.
  • For a more mellow garlic flavour, slowly fry the garlic in a little oil. Then allow it to cool before mixing into the tahini.

Maple Tahini Dressing

  • Stir maple syrup into thin tahini dressing.

Notes

Nutritional Information
  • This recipe is 1 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
7 Variations of Creamy Tahini Dressing {Vegan, Gluten Free, Paleo, Keto}
Amount Per Serving
Calories 79 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 4mg0%
Potassium 47mg1%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 5IU0%
Vitamin C 0.4mg0%
Calcium 14mg1%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dips and dressings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keyword: Tahini Dressing
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Filed Under: Dips, Dressings & Sauces, Recipes Ingredients: Tahini

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Laura Lynch

    5 stars
    I especially like the Japanese miso dressing. I’ve never thought to make variations of this great dressing before. It’s so versatile.

    Reply
    • Helen

      It is such an easy recipe to make and then taste to your choice at the time.

      Reply
  2. Angela Allison

    5 stars
    What an incredible post! So many awesome ideas. I especially love the Italian one… can’t wait to serve it on everything!

    Reply
    • Helen

      So many ways to enjoy these dressings.

      Reply
  3. Grace L

    5 stars
    Helen these dressings are just perfect for me. I have been vegan now for several months, and there are stupid things I miss like sauce that had cream or mayo in. I love how versatile these are.

    Reply
    • Helen

      These tahini dressings are a great alternative to mayonnaise dressings.

      Reply
  4. Sophie

    5 stars
    What a fabulous idea, and so easy to make. Great suggestion to make a batch of it and adapt to tastes.

    Reply
    • Helen

      The dressing keeps well in the fridge all week.

      Reply
  5. Jill

    5 stars
    Love all the flavor variations for this dressing. I must try it!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Thank you. I adore tahini dressing in all its forms

      Reply
  6. Heidy L. McCallum

    5 stars
    This was an excellent find for variations of tahini dressing! I enjoyed all the different ideas and looked forward to testing them out on my family.

    Have a fantastic day
    Heidy L. McCallum

    Reply
    • Helen

      Thanks Heidy, hopefully a flavour that everyone will love

      Reply
  7. kim

    5 stars
    Love these recipe ideas! These all are so easy with so much flavor and will definitely add something special to my salads!

    Reply
    • Helen

      I am obsessed with my tahini dressing!

      Reply
  8. Sim @ Sim's Life

    5 stars
    I love the fact the Tahini dressing is so adaptable – and most importantly, is Keto friendly! I am forever checking ingredients and nutritional facts of sauces, never realising it would probably just be easier to make my own! I bet the lemon and herb is lovely, especially for picnics in the summer! Nom nom nom! I will be giving this a go and batch cook for the week so that I am prepared! :) Sim x

    Reply
    • Helen

      Making your own sauce and dressing is so beneficial. You know what is going in it, and you can adapt to your tastes. Perfect.

      Reply
  9. Tricia L

    5 stars
    Tahini dressings sound delicious, and so good that you can make a variety of flavours.

    Reply
    • Helen

      A variety for any kind of dish.

      Reply
  10. Margaret

    5 stars
    I can just imagine this with fresh homemade bread and a selection of raw veggies. Such a great idea and I can’t wait to make it.

    Reply
    • Helen

      That sounds like a delicious idea, Margaret.

      Reply
  11. Rachael

    5 stars
    Wow, so many tasty and colourful tahini variations. These all look gorgeous, I’d never thought of stepping too far from the original before.

    Reply
    • Helen

      It is so easy to add the flavour you want for the dish you’re having.

      Reply
  12. Rebecca Smith

    5 stars
    I love tahini dressing – these different variations all have my mouth watering! Will have to give some of the variations a try and see which one is my favourite.

    Reply
    • Helen

      You’ll have to let me know which one you like best.

      Reply
  13. Kacie Morgan

    5 stars
    I love regular tahini but your variations sound delicious too. I especially like the sound of the pomegranate tahini; I don’t think I’ve tried anything quite like this before.

    Reply
    • Helen

      The pomegranate tahini dressing is wonderful, such a lovely flavour.

      Reply
  14. Yeah Lifestyle

    5 stars
    Surprisingly although I eat Tahini, I’ve never cooked with it or made any dressing using Tahini, so going to follow your recipe as a guide to create some

    Reply
    • Helen

      We really love tahini, and these dressings are a great way to use it.

      Reply
  15. Bella and Dawn at Dear Mummy Blog

    5 stars
    That keto friendly garlic sauce sounds amazing! We’d love to spice up our dips this January!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Great drizzled over chicken.

      Reply
  16. Rhian westbury

    5 stars
    My parents are also a huge fan of having dips around so some of these would be right up their street x

    Reply
    • Helen

      Using tahini is a great way of creating a delicious and creamy sauce, and so many variations for different flavours.

      Reply
  17. MELANIE EDJOURIAN

    5 stars
    I really do love tahini but didn’t realise there were so many options available. I’d love to try the Japanese version as I’ve not tried that before.

    Reply
    • Helen

      All so delicious, but adding miso is a delicious choice.

      Reply
  18. Charli

    4 stars
    I’ve never actually thought of tahini as a staple dressing but it sounds so delicious. I’ll definitely be trying out the Miso Tahini.
    C x

    Reply
    • Helen

      We absolutely love these tahini dressings, so good on many foods.

      Reply
  19. Nicola

    5 stars
    I have never tried Tahini before but from reading all your yummy recipes I am going to give it a try. I am stuck in a rut of always having the same dressing so looking forward to trying something new!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Such a good choice for a really tasty dressing.

      Reply
  20. Anosa

    5 stars
    I did not know you can make so many variations of tahini, I have tried the garlic one before but need to try the other.

    Reply
    • Helen

      The garlic variety is great with chicken.

      Reply
  21. Kara Guppy

    4 stars
    I have not heard of Tahini before, will have to give it a go

    Reply
    • Helen

      Tahini is such a great ingredient, I am slightly obsessed with it, but really worth trying.

      Reply
  22. Melanie williams

    5 stars
    Ooo these are great ideas to mix things up a little. Will be giving some of these a go for sure x

    Reply
    • Helen

      So many different ways to enjoy.

      Reply
  23. Kira

    4 stars
    I have never ever tasted tahini but a few recipes that I want to try calls for it . Will definitely try some of these :)

    Reply
    • Helen

      You must try tahini, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

      Reply

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Headshot of Helen Best-Shaw, Food Blogger at Fuss Free Flavours I'm Helen, full time freelance food writer, photographer and blogger. On this site you will find my fuss-free recipes, travel and reviews. Learn more here
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