Quick and Easy Tahini Yogurt Sauce (dip/dressing)

Why you’ll love this yogurt tahini sauce

Here are some reasons why this delicious tahini yogurt sauce will become your new kitchen favorite:

1. Speedy sensation: It takes just 5 minutes to whip up this healthy dip, making it the perfect solution for busy days when you want maximum flavor with minimum effort.
2. No-blend sauce: This easy sauce is like my green mango chutney. You don’t need a blender or food processor to make it.
3. Versatile wonder: Use it as a tahini dip or dilute it with a little water (with added seasoning) to make it a salad dressing or a drizzle.
4. Creamy & healthy: This sauce delivers creamy goodness without the guilt (as the avocado green goddess dressing). Made with plain yogurt and tahini, it’s a healthier alternative without compromising on flavor.
5. Fresh flavors: The nutty richness of tahini paired with the tangy creaminess of yogurt creates a blend of flavors that’ll tantalize your taste buds.
6. Customizable magic: Make this sauce your own. Feel free to add more garlic, spices, a splash of lemon juice, or your favorite herbs.
7. Mealtime elevator: It’s the perfect companion to take your appetizers, salads, wraps and bowls from ordinary to extraordinary.

So grab your whisk, gather your taste buds, and get ready to transform veggies, protein, and everything in between into a culinary masterpiece.

Ingredients

(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)

You’ll need 5 basic ingredients to make this simple sauce:

1. Plain Greek yogurt: Plain yogurt or homemade whole milk yogurt.
2. Tahini: You can make your own or use store-bought tahini.
3. Fresh garlic cloves
4. Fresh lemon juice
5. Ground cumin
6. Sea salt and black pepper

How to make tahini yogurt sauce

Take Greek yogurt in a medium bowl. Mince the garlic cloves and add with the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk until everything is well incorporated.

Taste and adjust the seasoning as you go. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl. 

Sprinkle your favorite toppings. Serve immediately with veggie sticks and crackers. Or refrigerate to use later.

Recipe tips

Tahini: The solids tend to settle down at the bottom of the container. So give it a good stir before scooping it out.

Tahini, and hence the sauce tends to get thicker over time. If you’re not serving immediately, add a few spoons of ice water or yogurt to thin it down before serving.

Consistency: Depending on how you want to use this sauce, adjust the consistency. If you’re planning to use it as a savory dip for veggies, you might want it to be thicker. I like to drain the yogurt using a cheese cloth on a sieve to make it more thick and creamy.

Hand mixer: If you have an electric hand mixer, you can use it to whip up the sauce. It makes whisking easier and the sauce turns out more creamy. (Do not overprocess.) If not, a regular whisk will do.

Interesting toppings

This tahini sauce is like a blank canvas. As in the paprika feta dip, I like to play around with the toppings. Some of them would be:

• Black sesame seeds
• Roasted pine nuts
• Fresh parsley (or other fresh herbs like dill or mint)
• Pomegranate seeds
• Lemon zest
• Orange zest

Variations

This delicious sauce is quite versatile. Small variations can give different depths of flavor to it.

Garlicky tahini yogurt sauce: Add more garlic if you like garlicky sauces.

Smoky sauce: Replace raw garlic with roasted garlic. Brush a pan with olive oil and roast the minced garlic before whisking it with the yogurt. You can also use oven roasted garlic.

Spicy Greek yogurt tahini sauce: Love spices? Add ¼ teaspoon each of paprika and cumin.

Sweet citrus sauce: Love citrus flavors? A splash of orange juice and zest will add a hint of sweetness too.

Fruity dipping sauce: Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for fruity tones. (Use a hand mixer if you have. It will emulsify the oil and make the sauce more creamy.) 

A fruity dip tastes amazing with fresh fruits like pears and figs. 

Storage and make ahead tips

Storing: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container  in the refrigerator. This tahini and yogurt sauce tends to become thicker when refrigerated. Feel free to dilute it with a tablespoon of water. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Making ahead: Tahini yogurt dip can be made 3 to 4 days ahead of time and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature by keeping it out of the fridge a couple of hours before serving.

Freezing: Its texture changes when frozen and thawed. This creamy sauce is all about texture, so it is not suitable for freezing. 

Making it for a crowd

This sauce recipe can be easily scaled up or down. Use the slider that will appear if you hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card below.

Ways to use tahini Greek yogurt sauce

Tahini yogurt sauce can be used in a lot of healthy recipes to give an excellent flavor boost:

Wraps: Spread yogurt tahini sauce on tortilla wraps and load them with protein like shawarma and fresh (or roasted) veggies and herbs for a quick and delicious dinner.

Falafel sandwiches: Make sandwiches or pita pockets with falafel and fresh veggies, drizzled with this creamy tahini yogurt sauce.

Salads and grain bowls: Add a splash of water (with a pinch of salt and pepper) to this sauce to use it as tahini yogurt dressing.

Fresh vegetables: Dip your chips or veggie sticks into this tahini yogurt dip for a creamy appetizer experience.

Protein and fish: Use it as an accompanying sauce with roasted chicken or fish. (Specific options given below:)

What to pair with Greek yogurt tahini sauce

Tahini Greek yogurt sauce is a perfect addition to a mezze platter, middle eastern style. Serve it with warm pita bread, crackers or crunchy pita chips alongside other dips like harissa hummus or easy paprika feta dip.

This tahini Greek yogurt sauce tastes great with sheet pan chicken and potatoes or easy baked thin-sliced chicken breasts.

Pair it with baked salmon kabobs to take it to the next level.

Transform it into a salad dressing (as mentioned above) and drizzle it on beet walnut feta salad or roasted green beans and carrots.