Garlic Sesame Sauce with Tahini Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis easy garlic sesame sauce with tahini recipe is light, flavorful, and so easy to make! Great for dipping meats into, or use it as a sandwich sauce, or spread on pita bread. This tasty sauce is light, garlicky, nutty, and delicious.
Ready in just 5 minutes, this easy sauce can be mixed in a bowl or made in a blender. It uses all whole ingredients and makes the perfect condiment.
Want more great sauce recipes? Try our Greek yogurt Hollandaise sauce, cottage cheese alfredo sauce, and our favorite copycat Trader Joe’s bruschetta sauce.
If you’re looking for a delicious and flavorful garlic sesame sauce recipe, this this easy 5-minute blender sauce is perfect for you. I recently had the best sesame sauce at my favorite shawarma place: JJ’s Shawarma in Kemptville Ontario. Their Lebanese sesame sauce is creamy, garlicky, and delicious – and I wanted to make my own version at home.
This sesame sauce couldn’t be easier to make – add all ingredients into a bowl (or a food processor or blender) and mix until smooth. Drizzle this sauce over oven chicken shawarma skewers, pour over sliced steak, or dip falafel into.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s light, airy, flavorful, and super creamy.
- This traditional Lebanese sauce is easy to make at home.
- Make this recipe in a blender or food processor for a super easy version.
- Made with simple ingredients, this sauce is inexpensive and makes a lot!
- A versatile sauce that is great for any protein.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tahini – another name for sesame seed paste, tahini has a similar consistency to peanut butter. Make sure to stir the tahini well before adding it to the sauce – it can separate in the container.
- Garlic – using fresh garlic cloves will give you the best flavor.
- Lemon – fresh lemon is best for this sauce, as it gives a wonderful and bright citrusy flavor.
- Sea salt
- Cumin – for a wonderful earthy taste.
- Water, to thin out the sauce to give it a wonderful pourable consistency.
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
Additions and Substitutions
- If you don’t have fresh garlic, you could use minced jarred garlic or garlic powder.
- Try this recipe with garlic salt instead of regular sea salt.
- If you don’t have fresh lemon juice, adding a bit of white vinegar or bottled lemon juice would work as well.
- For a sweeter sauce add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
- For a spicier sauce, add in 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
How To Make Sesame Sauce
Step 1: In a mixing bowl or a blender (I used a blender) add the tahini/sesame seed paste. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice.
Step 2: Add in the cloves of garlic (I roughly chopped mine), the salt, and the cumin.
Step 3: Start by adding 1/4 cup of water. Blend the sauce until it’s thin enough to spoon, adding 2 tablespoons of water at a time, if needed.
Step 4: Pour the sesame sauce into serving dish or an airtight container.
Step 5: Garnish with sesame seeds. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe FAQs
If your sesame sauce is too thick, you can add extra lemon juice or warm water to the sauce to thin it out.
Yes, this sauce freezes well! Store any extra sauce in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Tahini can naturally taste bitter, but there are things you can add to help! Try squeezing a little extra lemon juice in the sauce, adding a teaspoon or two of honey, or adding an extra pinch of salt to mellow out the tahini flavor.
What To Serve Sesame Sauce With
- Chickpea Shawarma Wraps
- Grilled Arctic Char Recipe
- Smoked Chicken Breasts In an Electric Smoker
- How To Cook Trader Joe’s Spring Rolls in the Air Fryer
- Bok Choy Ramen Recipe
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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Garlic Sesame Sauce with Tahini
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini or sesame seed paste
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 lemons juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/3-1/2 cup water
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or a blender (I used a blender) add the tahini/sesame seed paste. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice.
- Add in the cloves of garlic (I roughly chopped mine), the salt, and the cumin.
- Start by adding 1/4 cup of water. Blend the sauce until it’s thin enough to spoon, adding 2 tablespoons of water at a time, if needed.
- Pour the sesame sauce into serving dish or an airtight container. Garnish with sesame seeds. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
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- If you don’t have fresh garlic, you could use minced jarred garlic or garlic powder.
- Try this recipe with garlic salt instead of regular sea salt.
- If you don’t have fresh lemon juice, adding a bit of white vinegar or bottled lemon juice would work as well.
- For a sweeter sauce add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
- For a spicier sauce, add in 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
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Nutrition
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I loved developing this garlic sauce recipe for you – If you make it, please leave a rating and review and let us know how it went!
Very versatile and flavorful