This simple creamy Tahini Yogurt Sauce is deceptively flavorful thanks to a drizzle of warm spice-infused oil. It's a delicious sauce for fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, crispy tofu or even fritters.
With the start of a new year, I'm always looking for ways to refresh my dinner rotation. That is where recipes like this tahini yogurt sauce come in handy. The tahini gives the sauce a nutty flavor while lemon zest and juice add a pop of fruity acidity. I like to make the sauce at the start of the week and use it for lunches, dinners and even snacks. I use it as a dip for crudité or my Air Fryer Steak Fries.
I think it's important to have food that is both healthy and delicious. No matter how good something is to eat (nutritionally), it means nothing if it doesn't taste good. That's why I like to make sauces and dips to enhance meals. This tahini yogurt sauce is right at home next to our Buffalo Ranch Sauce, Creamy Chipotle Lime Sauce and Easy Sour Cream and Chive Dip in terms of versatility and deliciousness.
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Ingredients that Matter
This recipe could be made well with just a few ingredients, but I'll show you how and why I recommend going just a bit further to add big, bold flavor to this sauce. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:
- Yogurt. I recommend using either Greek-strained or regular plain yogurt for this sauce. I typically use Greek-strained as it has a good amount of body and will stay sauce-like longer than regular yogurt. Use full fat or low fat, depending on your preference.
- Tahini. This ground sesame paste is widely used throughout Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. It has a nutty, slightly bitter flavor and is creamy like peanut butter, but not quite as thick. Look for tahini with only sesame seeds (and maybe salt) listed as the ingredients.
- Spices. Here you can get pretty creative, but I recommend reaching for warm spices like cumin, coriander and even turmeric. These spices will really brighten when bloomed in a bit of oil.
- Olive Oil. Use a good quality olive oil to bloom the spices (blooming simply means cooking spices briefly to release their natural oils, creating a more intense flavor).
- Lemon. A bit of lemon juice and zest help balance the richness of the yogurt and tahini, providing a nice kick of acidity.
- Parsley. Serving the sauce with some fresh chopped parsley provides a nice herbaceous flavor and beautiful presentation. You could also use mint or dill.
- Salt and Pepper. Use salt and pepper to taste.
- Garlic (optional). You can add one or two minced or grated cloves of garlic, if desired.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe comes together in about 5 minutes, and you'll get a lot of flavor for little effort! Here is how the recipe comes together:
Start by blooming the cumin, coriander and turmeric in oil in a small skillet. Cook just until sizzling, about 1 minute, and be careful not to burn the spices. Cool slightly.
Stir together in a medium bowl the yogurt, tahini, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper and about 1 teaspoon of the spice oil until smooth.
To serve, top with freshly chopped parsley, a drizzle of the spice oil, a pinch of black pepper and a bit more lemon zest.
Substitutions
This recipe is quite simple to adjust based on your dietary needs and flavor preferences. Here are some recommendations:
- Dairy-Free - You can make this recipe dairy-free, and even vegan, by using a plant-based yogurt instead of regular yogurt. Just be sure to use a plain, unflavored yogurt.
- Spices - Not a fan of the spices in this recipe? No problem! You can either leave out the spice oil completely, or change up the spices in the oil to garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, etc.
- Garlic - I don't love raw garlic in my sauces (usually), so I leave it out of my tahini yogurt sauce. You can, of course, stir in one or two minced or grated cloves of garlic, if preferred.
- Herbs - Parsley is my go-to herb for this recipe, but you can always swap in fresh dill or even mint.
Serving
This sauce can be used as a dip, sauce or even dressing. It goes incredibly well with our Za'atar Chicken and Crispy Pita Salad recipe. Or make our Pulled Chicken in a Dutch Oven and serve the chicken with a salad and this tahini sauce for a delicious lunch.
If you want to keep it vegetarian, try using the sauce with our Sheet Pan Tofu Fajitas or our easy and vegan Chickpea Patties.
If you add a bit more water to this yogurt tahini sauce, it will thin out to more of a dressing consistency, making it ideal for salads like this Carrot and Pea Shoot Spring Salad or this Crispy Prosciutto, Blueberry and Blue Cheese Salad.
Storage
This sauce will keep well stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. I do not recommend freezing this sauce as most dairy-based sauces don't keep well in the freezer. Be sure to refrigerate the sauce within 2 hours of making it for food safety.
All About Tahini
Tahini is a condiment made from hulled (and often roasted) sesame seeds. It's widely used in Middle Eastern cuisines, and even in some Mediterranean dishes. It is the essential ingredient in popular dishes like hummus, baba ghanoush and sweet halva.
One tablespoon of tahini has nearly 3 grams of protein, 1 gram of fiber and about 90 calories.
If you stir or whip tahini, it becomes incredibly light and fluffy! That is why I recommend giving this sauce a good stir or even whisk to make it super fluffy.
Tahini also keeps well at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It's very similar to peanut butter in this way, as tahini at room temperature is easier to stir and a bit looser compared to refrigerator tahini. But, storing tahini in the refrigerator means it'll stay fresh longer, up to 2 years!
FAQ
While there are many similarities between tzatziki and tahini yogurt sauce, the main difference is tzatziki has cucumbers.
Tahini is simply hulled (and often roasted) sesame seeds ground to a thick paste, similar in texture to peanut butter but with a more nutty flavor.
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Recipe
Tahini Yogurt Sauce
- Total Time: 5 min.
- Yield: ¾ cup 1x
Description
This simple creamy Tahini Yogurt Sauce is deceptively flavorful thanks to a drizzle of warm spice-infused oil. It's a delicious sauce for fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, crispy tofu or even fritters.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. ground coriander
- ¼ tsp. ground turmeric
- ½ cup plain Greek-strained yogurt
- 3 Tbsp. tahini
- zest and juice from ½ lemon, plus more as desired
- ¼ tsp. table salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper, plus more for serving
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced or grated (optional)
- chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil, cumin, coriander and turmeric in a small skillet over medium until just sizzling, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool at room temperature for about 2 minutes.
- Stir together yogurt, tahini lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of the oil mixture (add garlic, if desired) in a medium bowl until smooth. Serve garnished with more of the oil mixture, a pinch of black pepper, more lemon zest and fresh parsley.
Notes
- Store leftover tahini yogurt sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can use fresh mint or dill instead of parsley, if desired.
- If you want a very light and fluffy sauce, but sure to whisk the sauce as tahini lightens up as it's stirred.
- You can swap in other spices for the cumin, coriander and turmeric if desired. Tried garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, etc.
- Serve this sauce with our Za'atar Chicken and Crisp Pita Salad recipe or our easy and vegan Chickpea Patties recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 min.
- Cook Time: 2 min.
- Category: sauces
- Method: Sautee/No Cook
- Cuisine: American/Middle Eastern
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