The flavor of tahini is versatile, and it is a key ingredient in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Here’s 35+ creative recipes using tahini. From dips like hummus and baba ganoush, as well as dressings, sauces, and marinades. You’ll also find sweet recipes, such as desserts and baked goods, where it adds a distinctive nutty flavor.
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Tahini is a versatile ingredient that is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and North African cuisines. It is a paste made from ground sesame seeds and has a rich, nutty flavor. Here are several popular uses for tahini:
- Hummus: Tahini is a key ingredient in traditional hummus recipes. It adds creaminess and depth of flavor to the chickpea dip.
- Salad dressings and sauces: Tahini can be used as a base for creamy salad dressings, such as a tahini-lemon dressing. It can also be thinned out with water, lemon juice, or other liquids to create sauces for drizzling over vegetables, falafel, or grilled meats.
- Dips and spreads: Beyond hummus, tahini can be used to make various dips and spreads. It can be combined with yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs to create a tasty dip for vegetables or pita bread.
- Baked goods: Tahini can be incorporated into baked goods like cookies, cakes, and brownies. It adds a distinct nutty flavor and can enhance the richness and moistness of the final product.
- Middle Eastern dishes: Tahini is commonly used in Middle Eastern recipes such as baba ganoush (roasted eggplant dip), tahini sauce for falafel or shawarma, and halva (a sweet confection made from tahini and sugar).
- Smoothies and shakes: Adding a spoonful of tahini to your smoothies or shakes can provide a creamy texture and add a nutty taste.
- Marinades and dressings for roasted vegetables: Tahini can be combined with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and spices to make a delicious marinade for roasted vegetables. It adds a wonderful depth of flavor and helps to create a caramelized coating on the vegetables.
These are just a few examples of how tahini can be used. It’s a versatile ingredient that can enhance both sweet and savory dishes.
Keep reading to discover 35+ delicious recipes that use tahini!
The BEST Recipes Using Tahini
Tahini Yogurt Sauce
This creamy Middle Eastern Yogurt Sauce will quickly become your new favorite quick & easy go to. Drizzle it over grilled salmon, serve it with lamb kebabs or shawarma, or use it as a yogurt dip for veggies.
Middle Eastern Yogurt Sauce
Smashed Brussel Sprouts
These Crispy Smashed Brussel Sprouts are flattened so that they become extra crispy when roasted in the oven. Drizzled with the most amazing Lemon Tahini Sauce.
Smashed Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower Chickpea Salad
This Cauliflower Chickpea Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing combines roasted cauliflower & chickpeas with fluffy quinoa and creamy avocados. It’s a healthy, protein-packed salad that can be made ahead of time.
Cauliflower Chickpea Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
Tan Tan Ramen
Tantanmen Ramen (aka Tan Tan Noodles or Dan Dan Noodles) combines delicious ramen noodles and ground pork with a spicy, creamy broth that's seasoned with chili oil, peanut butter and sesame paste.
Tantanmen Ramen
Roasted Squash Salad
This Roasted Squash Salad with Crispy Chickpeas combines roasted butternut squash & chickpeas with fluffy quinoa and a dreamy, creamy maple tahini dressing. It’s a delicious and fresh salad that can be made ahead of time.
Roasted Squash Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
Whipped Feta Hummus with Chili Oil
Never choose between hummus or whipped feta again! This Hummus with Whipped Feta and Chili Oil is a party-ready dip that features layers of whipped feta cheese and homemade classic hummus. The spicy chili oil on top cuts through the richness and explodes with flavor!
Hummus with Whipped Feta
Easy Lamb Kebabs
This Lamb Kebab Recipe is delicious! Served with a creamy sesame sauce, every bite is enhanced with its rich, nutty, and pleasantly tangy flavors.
Lamb Kebab Recipe
Creamy Harissa Dressing
This naturally dairy-free and gluten-free Creamy Harissa Sauce is addictively delicious! Tahini, harissa paste, lemon, and maple syrup are whisked until smooth, leaving you with a bold and tangy sauce to drizzle over everything, from salads to eggs to meat.
Creamy Harissa Sauce
Harissa Hummus
This easy and spicy Harissa Hummus will have you hooked with its smoky and wonderfully aromatic flavor.
Harissa Hummus
Farro Salad Recipe
This Farro Salad with Basil & Lemon Tahini Dressing is a delicious salad that can be made ahead of time, making it perfect for busy workday lunches or potlucks.
Farro Salad with Basil & Lemon Tahini Dressing
Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush Recipe
This Baba Ganoush recipe with grilled eggplant is amazingly smooth and creamy with a delicious smoky flavor. Serve it alongside some fresh pita bread and vegetables for a delicious Mediterranean spread.
Baba Ganoush
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Green Tahini Sauce
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Green Tahini Sauce are perfect for summer barbeques and so simple to prepare.
Shrimp Skewers with Green Tahini Sauce
Veggie Burgers with Pickled Cabbage & Tahini Sauce
These Veggie Burgers with Pickled Cabbage & Tahini Sauce are full of flavor & plant protein! Perfect for the grilling season!!
Veggie Burgers with Pickled Cabbage & Tahini Sauce
Roasted Broccoli with Basil Tahini Sauce
This Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Basil Tahini Sauce will seriously knock your socks off. Who knew that veggies could taste so good! Warning: You will want this sauce on everything…
Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Basil Tahini Sauce
Grilled Falafel Burgers & Green Tahini (Vegan Chickpea Burgers!) | PWWB
A cross between a falafel sandwich & chickpea veggie burger, this Grilled Falafel Burger recipe is filled with fresh flavor & hearty texture!
Get the RECIPE from Plays Well with Butter
Saucy Tahini Noodles with Honey’d Sweet Potatoes.
Easy, quick-cooking (30 min), Saucy Tahini Noodles with Honey’d Sweet Potatoes…the perfect colorful, healthy, saucy noodle to enjoy any night of the week!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Herby, Seedy Butter Lettuce Salad with Tahini… | The Modern Proper
This loaded, lush butter lettuce salad recipe—drizzled with a delicious tahini dressing—sparkles with fresh herbs and a seed mixture that’s anything but ‘for the birds’.
Get the RECIPE from The Modern Proper
Sheet Pan Chickpea & Veggie Shawarma Bowls – Plays Well With Butter
This EASY and HEALTHY veggie shawarma recipe is the ultimate sheet-pan veg shawarma dinner! It takes just 15 min to prep (w/ 2 meal prep options).
Get the RECIPE from Plays Well with Butter
Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Sauce
This Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Sauce is great both as a main or as a side dish. Try it with a toasted baguette or a choice of protein.
Recipe
Crispy Halloumi Kale Salad with Garlic Tahini Dressing
Crispy halloumi salad – topped with salty fried pieces of halloumi, chickpeas, parsley, and avocados in creamy garlic and tahini dressing.
Get the RECIPE from Cooking with Cocktail Rings
Cauliflower Shawarma Wraps with Green Tahini and Feta.
Cauliflower Shawarma Wraps with Green Tahini and Feta: a mostly healthy, delicious, well rounded meal, that’s quick and easy to make and full of middle eastern flavor!
Get the RECIPE @halfbakedharvest.com
Roasted Vegetable Bowls with Green Tahini
Roasted Vegetable Bowls with Green Tahini are perfect for lunch or dinner!
Get the RECIPE from Pinch of Yum
Honey Harissa Chicken Sheet Pan | The Modern Proper
Chicken thighs and potatoes get a spicy-sweet harissa glaze and flavorful tahini sauce in this easy sheet pan recipe.
Get the RECIPE from The Modern Proper
Tahini Pasta Salad with Halloumi | foodiecrush.com
This tahini pasta salad with halloumi, snap peas, radishes, arugula, and mint is loaded with bright flavors and a creamy tahini dressing.
Get the RECIPE from Foodie Crush
Roasted Cauliflower Pita
This cauliflower pita is made with roasted whole cauliflower mixed with green onion, tahini and zhoug piled into pita for a vegetarian entrée
Get the RECIPE from Cooking with Cocktail Rings
Citrus Avocado Salad with Orange Tahini Vinaigrette.
Citrus Avocado Salad with Orange Tahini Vinaigrette. A go-to wintry salad…fresh, easy, and delicious. Enjoy for lunch, as a light dinner, or as a side!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Chipotle Tahini Bowls
Healthy and versatile bowls that come together under a generous drizzle of addictingly creamy vegan chipotle tahini sauce.
Get the RECIPE from Pinch of Yum
Pan Fried Chickpea Patties – Well Seasoned Studio
Chickpea patties are made with all the same ingredients as classic falafel, but they’re pan fried instead of deep fried.
Get the RECIPE from Well Seasoned Studio
Buddha Bowl | The Modern Proper
This one-dish meal is abundant in good-for-you ingredients, and is endlessly customizable. We build ours around whole grains, legumes, and fresh vegetables with a drizzle of vegan cashew cheese sauce.
Recipe
Zhoug Sauce
Zhoug is a vibrant green Yemini spicy cilantro sauce/ condiment used for sandwiches, grilled meats and seafood.
Get the RECIPE from Cooking with Cocktail Rings
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch.
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch…a delicious alternative to restaurant buffalo chicken…made in a healthier, less greasy, way.
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Chilled Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Shiitake Mushrooms
Chilled soba noodle tossed in tahini miso sauce topped with crispy shiitakes, thinly sliced cucumber for a healthy-ish salad bowl.
Get the RECIPE from Cooking with Cocktail Rings
Rich and Creamy Tahini Hot Chocolate.
Rich and Creamy Tahini Hot Chocolate: Perfectly sweet and best enjoyed with a large helping of whipped cream and chocolate shavings…DELISH!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
tahini scotcheroos (nut free & gluten free!) – plays well with butter
Tahini scotcheroos are an update on the classic no-bake summertime dessert we all know & love!
Get the RECIPE from Plays Well with Butter
Tahini Banana Bread
Tahini Banana Bread is a must try breakfast treat!
Get the RECIPE from Cosette’s Kitchen
Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Healthier, but so delicious, Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies…easy to make, no chill, gluten-free, and take less than 30 minutes!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Tahini Caramel Sauce
Tahini Caramel Sauce is delicious on ice cream, pies, cakes and more!
Get the RECIPE from Cosette’s Kitchen
Tahini FAQs
What Does Tahini Taste Like?
Tahini has a unique flavor profile. It is made from ground sesame seeds, resulting in a rich, nutty, and slightly bitter taste. The flavor can vary depending on the brand and the specific sesame seeds used.
The bitterness in tahini can be subtle or more pronounced, depending on personal preference and the quality of the sesame seeds. Some tahini varieties may have a milder, smoother taste, while others might have a stronger, earthier flavor.
Tahini also has a creamy and smooth texture, which adds to its appeal. It is often described as having a buttery consistency, similar to a thick nut butter.
How Long Does Tahini Last?
The shelf life of tahini can vary depending on various factors such as the brand, storage conditions, and whether it has been opened or not. In general, unopened tahini can last for a year or more beyond its “best before” date when stored in a cool, dry place.
Once opened, tahini should be stored in the refrigerator to help prolong its freshness. When properly stored in the refrigerator, opened tahini can typically last for about 6 to 12 months.
It’s worth noting that tahini, especially if it’s all-natural without any preservatives, can develop a layer of oil on top, even when unopened. This is a natural occurrence, and it can be easily mixed back into the tahini before use.
Always refer to the packaging or manufacturer’s instructions for specific guidelines on the shelf life of the tahini you have purchased, as it can vary slightly between brands.
Can you Freeze Tahini?
Yes, you can freeze tahini. Freezing tahini can help extend its shelf life and prevent it from going bad. However, it’s important to note that tahini may undergo some changes in texture after being frozen and thawed. The oil in tahini can separate and form a layer on top, resulting in a thicker consistency.
To freeze tahini, follow these steps:
- Ensure the tahini is stored in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. If the tahini is in a glass jar, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, leaving some space at the top for expansion.
- Label the container with the date of freezing to keep track of its shelf life.
- Place the container in the freezer.
- When you’re ready to use the frozen tahini, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator. Thawing slowly in the refrigerator helps maintain the tahini’s quality.
- After thawing, stir the tahini thoroughly to incorporate the separated oil. The texture may be slightly different, but it should still be usable.
More Ingredient Guides
- Ricotta Recipes
- Sour Cream Recipes
- Cannellini Bean Recipes
- Pesto Recipes
- Goat Cheese Recipes
- Gnocchi Recipes
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Full Recipe
35+ BEST Uses for Tahini
Tahini is versatile & it's a key ingredient in many Middle Eastern & Mediterranean dishes. Here's 35+ creative recipes using tahini! Try this creamy Tahini Yogurt Sauce will quickly become your new favorite quick & easy go to. Drizzle it over grilled salmon, serve it with lamb kebabs or shawarma, or use it as a yogurt dip for veggies.
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Serves 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- 3 Tablespoons Tahini
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
To Garnish:
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon pomegranate seeds
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Combine yogurt, tahini and lemon juice in a large bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and top with pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley, cumin seeds and chili powder. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve.
Notes
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Store tightly wrapped or in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 106IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
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