This Tahini Dressing is luxuriously thick and creamy without any mayo or cream! It’s delightfully flavored with a hint of lemon and touch of honey. Drizzle this dressing on your favorite salad for a delightful accent.
While you can buy just about any salad dressing in the store, I’ve never been able to find where to buy Tahini Dressing, so all the more reason to make your own!
Lemon Tahini Dressing Recipe
We love a good creamy dressing (who doesn’t?!), but it’s rare to find a creamy dressing without… well…. cream, milk, or mayo. Even this fabulous, herb-packed Green Goddess Dressing requires mayo to get the classic creaminess.
But with tahini you really do get an ultra thick and creamy dressing without the milk, mayo, or cream. Tahini thickens the dressing beautifully while simultaneously offering loads of health benefits-score! And nothing pairs quite as perfectly with tahini than lemon–the two were meant to be together (like in this stellar Hummus recipe!)
Quick Tip
What Does Tahini Taste Like?
If you haven’t tried tahini, it’s a sesame paste you can find in most grocery stores. It’s kind of like peanut butter but made from sesame seeds. It might look like peanut or almond butter, but the taste is totally different—earthy, nutty, and a bit bitter. I don’t love it by itself, but it’s awesome with the right ingredients.
What Can You Mix With Tahini?
Mix it with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper to create a fantastic Tahini Dressing!
Most tahini pastes will separate quite a bit, so be sure to shake the jar or mix the container really well before measuring for this recipe. Also, be sure to use hulled tahini (not unhulled or whole seed, which are bitter).
What Is Tahini Dressing Made Of?
This dressing combines tahini, oil, Dijon, honey, lemon juice and zest, plus seasoning. Below is a breakdown with more details of the Tahini Dressing ingredients.
- Tahini paste. Not all tahini pastes are made equal — get a good one! My personal favorite is Soom ® Foods Sesame Tahini Paste (affiliate links, but not sponsored).
- Olive oil. We recommend extra virgin olive oil for this recipe.
- Dijon mustard. We love Grey Poupon® Dijon best here.
- Honey. The small amount of honey adds a very subtle sweetness. For a sweeter dressing, add additional honey– slowly, and to taste.
- Lemons. Bottled lemon juice doesn’t pack the same flavor as fresh, and lemon is one of the main flavors here. We love zesting the lemon with a microplane and then juicing with this citrus juicer.
- Salt and pepper. No dressing is complete without salt and pepper, and this Tahini Dressing is no exception! Add to taste preference, remembering that an extra pinch can be the difference between a good and a stellar dressing!
Quick Tip
Looking to make this Tahini Dressing vegan? Replace the honey with pure maple syrup.
Quick Tip
How To Make Tahini Dressing
You won’t believe how easy this dressing is to make! All you need is a jar with a lid or a small bowl and whisk. Just put all the ingredients in the jar and shake, or put them in the bowl and whisk until mixed. It’s really that simple!
What To Put Tahini Dressing On
- Make this Tahini Dressing for falafel! Try this Baked Falafel or Air Fryer Falafel.
- Use as a spread for Salmon Burgers or Tuna Patties.
- Dip raw veggies in it!
- Finish your favorite veggie salads with this dressing.
- Add to a veggie wrap (like these Hummus Wraps).
- Drizzle on these Vegetarian Gyros or Chicken Shawarma Wraps.
Tahini Dressing FAQs
Can I use tahini straight from the jar?
Most tahini pastes separate quite a bit, so be sure to shake the jar or mix the container really well before measuring for this recipe.
Does tahini need to be refrigerated after opening?
Not necessarily. Store in a cool and dry area away from any moisture or heat. If you would like it to be thicker, then store in the fridge.
Storage
Store for 5-7 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Shake or stir well before using.
Heads up: Leftover dressing might separate and get a bit solid (since olive oil does that when cold). Just let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, then shake or stir it well to mix it back together. Then it’s ready to use again!
More Homemade Dressing Recipes:
- Poppy Seed Dressing with lemon
- Greek Salad Dressing with dried oregano
- Lemon Vinaigrette with honey
- Citrus Vinaigrette with oranges and lemons
- Honey Mustard Salad Dressing only four ingredients!
Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- Wide-mouth jar or small bowl
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tahini see note 1
- 1 large lemon
- 1-1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1-1/2 teaspoon honey
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons water as needed to thin
Instructions
- Zest and juice lemon to get 1/2 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice. In a wide-mouth mason jar or small bowl, combine zest and juice, along with all the dressing ingredients. Season to taste; I add a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
- Whisk or shake to combine, then thin with water; I add 2 tablespoons. Taste and adjust any flavors to personal preference.
Recipe Notes
- 4 cups massaged kale (Follow preparation directions in this Grapefruit Salad recipe.)
- 1/2 of 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup banana pepper rings, drained and diced
- 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and diced
- 1 small avocado, diced
- Optional: feta cheese (to taste), handful of toasted pine nuts
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good morning, I can no longer print your recipes. Every attempt directs me to a pop-up requiring me to download software. And, this is new. I’ve been enjoying your recipes for several years, so this is frustrating and disappointing. Do you have any instructions or advise for this problem?
I am so sorry Sarah! I have hired a tech team to try and fix it and we haven’t been able to figure out what’s going on yet. Hopefully we’ll have a solution soon!