Yogurt tahini sauce is easy, creamy, and refreshing and is a wonderful way to add a tangy Mediterranean flavor to grain bowls, salads, sandwiches, and vegetables.

All you need to do is whisk together plain, Greek, or non-dairy yogurt, tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper and enjoy it as a dressing, dip, or marinade for your favorite dishes.

tahini yogurt dressing

Check out our best sauce recipes.

Yogurt tahini sauce is one of the easiest, most delicious, and most versatile condiments you’ll ever make.

It takes 5 minutes to make in a bowl with simple ingredients. If you are on a dairy-free diet, you can make it with non-dairy yogurt, provided it’s unflavored and unsweetened.

You’ll love this recipe because you can use it as a dip, spread, or dollop on most dishes, such as curries, stews, soups, salads, grain bowls, and roasted and grilled veggies.

It goes exceptionally well with Mediterranean, North African, Middle-Eastern, and Indian-inspired recipes thanks to its creamy texture and tangy, aromatic, refreshing taste.

If you follow us on social, you know that this is one of our most used and favorite condiments. So make it today and serve it with one of the recipes we recommend below, and you’ll learn why.

Lentil carrot salad with yogurt sauce
Lentil carrot salad with cumin dressing topped with tahini yogurt sauce.

Ingredients

Tahini yogurt sauce ingredients

Yogurt

Our favorite is plain Greek yogurt or Greek-style non-dairy yogurt because it’s thicker and tastier than plain yogurt. However, since greek style yogurt is quite thick, you’ll need to dilute it with some water until you reach your desired consistency.

Plain yogurt also works for this recipe, and there’s no need to dilute it with water as it’s already pretty liquid.

If you use non-dairy yogurt, make sure it’s unsweetened and unflavored. You don’t want a fruit-flavored yogurt in this recipe. Our favorite non-dairy yogurt is plain and unsweetened soy yogurt.

When choosing yogurt, we would recommend full-fat because it tastes better. However, if you use fat-free yogurt, you might have to reduce the amount of lemon juice because the yogurt is more acidic than the full-fat one.

Tahini

Tahini is everything in this recipe. It adds a creamy dreamy texture and a wonderful nutty flavor.

We recommend tahini made from 100% hulled sesame seeds with a light color and relatively liquid consistency. Pick a brand imported from Levantine countries like Lebanon or Palestine if you want to be sure it’s the best tahini.

Lemon juice

Try to use freshly squeezed lemon juice if you can. Add a little, then taste and adjust if you like your yogurt tahini dressing with more tang and acidity.

As mentioned before, you might want to reduce the amount of lemon juice if you are using a fat-free yogurt.

Garlic

Go for fresh garlic rather than garlic powder. It’s a lot more zesty, tangy, and almost spicy, making the sauce a sure hit.

We recommend grating the garlic very finely with a zester or Microplane. Start with half a clove and add more as desired.

Note that the garlic flavor will get stronger as the recipe sits in the fridge, so keep this in mind if you make this ahead of time.

Cumin

Ground cumin is optional, but we like to add it in. If you don’t have cumin, you can add a touch of paprika.

Salt & Pepper

We like our yogurt tahini sauce with a salty taste, so we add a hefty pinch of sea salt and a couple of twists of black pepper. Adjust salt based on your taste and dietary preferences.

Herbs

Customize your yogurt tahini dressing by adding a pinch of your favorite herbs. You can use finely chopped fresh herbs like fresh parsley, mint, cilantro, and dill or dried ones like dried mint and oregano.

You can also add fresh herbs on top with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds, and a pinch of sumac or za’atar.

Couscous salad with yogurt dressing
Couscous salad with tahini yogurt sauce

Instructions

In a small bowl, add yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and ground cumin.

Yogurt Tahini Dressing ingredients in a bowl

Whisk until the ingredients are well combined, and add a little water to make the sauce more liquid if you like. Adjust the water based on your preference.

Taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice.

yogurt tahini sauce in a bowl

Serving suggestions

Honestly, you can use yogurt tahini dressing with most recipes, especially with Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern, North-African, and Indian-inspired ones. For example:

Couscous salad on stuffed eggplant
Stuffed eggplant with yogurt tahini sauce, couscous salad, and tahini sauce.

Salads and grain bowls

  • Couscous salad (chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, bell pepper, lemon, etc.)
  • Lentil carrot salad (canned lentils, carrots, parsley, lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, etc.)
  • Chickpea salad (corn, avocado, chickpeas, olives, mustard, olive oil, lemon, etc.)
  • Rice salad (cucumber, shallot, wholegrain rice, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, etc.)
  • Vegetable couscous (zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, cumin, couscous, etc.)
  • Fattoush (lettuce, toasted pita bread, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.)
Microwave sweet potato
Microwave sweet potato with couscous salad and yogurt tahini sauce.

Veggies

zalouk with yogurt and mint dressing
Zaalouk with a dolloip of tahini yogurt and mint.

Mains, curries, soups, and stews

  • Lentil mujaddara (lentils, rice, caramelized onions, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, etc.)
  • Red lentil soup (red lentils, rosemary, cumin, carrot, onion, celery, vegetable broth, etc.)
  • Easy lentil curry (coconut milk, lentils, canned tomatoes, ginger, garlic, onion, curry, etc.)
  • Chana masala (chickpeas, canned tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, garlic, coriander, etc.)
  • Aloo gobi (potatoes, cauliflower, coriander, turmeric, onion, cumin, etc.)
  • Zucchini fritters (grated zucchini, fresh herbs, garlic, etc.)
Mujadara lentil with lemon and yogurt
Lentil and rice mujaddara with caramelized onions and yogurt tahini sauce.

Appetizer

Serve as part of a mezze (appetizer platter) with:

  • Hummus (chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, etc.)
  • Falafel or falafel sandwich (chickpeas, parsley, coriander, garlic, etc.)
  • Shirazi salad (cucumber, tomato, mint, lemon juice, etc.)
  • Tabbouleh (parsley, cucumber, tomato, lemon juice, etc.)
  • Muhammara (bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, etc.)
  • Pita bread (flour, instant dry yeast, sugar, water, etc.)
mezze platter with tabbouleh and hummus
Mezze platter with hummus, pita, tabbouleh, and falafel.

Make ahead & storage

Make ahead: you can prep yogurt tahini sauce up to a day or two in advance and keep it ready in the fridge. The sauce will thicken up, so you might need to add some water the day after.

Refrigerator: keep in a bowl wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer: transfer to a freezer friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator, it’ll take about 24 hours.

More sauce recipes

For more dressings and dips, take a look at these easy sauces:

  • Romesco sauce (bell pepper, almonds, hazelnuts, paprika, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, etc.)
  • Marinara sauce (canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, dried oregano, olive oil, basil, etc.)
  • Chimichurri (parsley, vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic, olive oil, etc.)
  • Vegan mayo (lemon juice, soy milk, garlic, apple cider vinegar, mustard, etc.)
  • Tzatziki (cucumber, garlic, greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt, mint, lemon, etc.)
  • Cashew sour cream (cashews, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, etc.)

More tahini recipes

Try these wholesome and tasty tahinipacked recipes; they’re true crowd-pleasers:

  • Tahini salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, tahini, lemon juice, chickpeas, etc.)
  • Hummus (chickpeas, tahini, cumin, lemon, garlic, water, etc.)
  • Easy tahini sauce (tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, salt, etc.)
  • Tofu cream cheese (tofu, tahini, garlic, chives, lemon juice, etc.)
  • Eggplant dip (roasted eggplant, cumin, tahini, garlic, mint, parsley, olive oil, etc.)

For more condiment ideas, check out our dressing and sauces category page.

yogurt tahini sauce

Yogurt Tahini Sauce

By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 4 votes
Yogurt tahini sauce is easy, creamy, and refreshing and is a wonderful way to add a tangy Mediterranean flavor to grain bowls, salads, sandwiches, and vegetables.
All you need to do is whisk together your plain, Greek, or non-dairy yogurt of choice, tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper and enjoy it as a dressing, dip, or marinade for your favorite dishes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 heaping cup
Course: Dip, Dressing & Sauces
Cuisine: Eastern Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt sub unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic grated
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons water add more or less depending on your desired consistency

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, add 1 cup Greek yogurt, 3 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 clove garlic (grated), ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 3 tablespoons water.
    Yogurt Tahini Dressing ingredients in a bowl
  • Whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice. Add more water if you desire a thinner sauce.
    yogurt tahini sauce in a bowl
  • Serve on your favorite salads, grain bowls, roasted or grilled vegetables, stews, soups, curries, as part of an appetizer platter and on most Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern, North African, and Indian-inspired dishes.
    Couscous salad with greek yogurt

Video

Tahini Yogurt Sauce (for salads, grain bowls & sandwiches)

Notes

Nutritional information is for the one heaping cup of tahini yogurt sauce.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Check out the serving suggestions chapter above for many ideas on how to serve this delicious condiment.
GARNISH WITH
Excellent ingredients for sprinkling on top of yogurt tahini sauce are finely chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, and mint, toasted pine nuts, slivered almonds, sumac, za’atar, extra virgin olive oil, and pomegranate seeds.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
Make ahead: you can prep yogurt tahini sauce up to a day or two in advance and keep it ready in the fridge. The sauce will thicken up, so you might need to add some water the day after.
Refrigerator: keep in a bowl wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: transfer to a freezer friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator, it’ll take about 24 hours.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Potassium: 627mg, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 58IU, Vitamin B6: 0.3mg, Vitamin C: 15mg, Vitamin E: 0.1mg, Vitamin K: 1µg, Calcium: 362mg, Folate: 68µg, Iron: 3mg, Manganese: 0.2mg, Magnesium: 78mg, Zinc: 4mg
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below or mention @theplantbasedschool on Instagram. We are also on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok.

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Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Great as is! I added a little Dijon because I love Dijon and it was also very good. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    1. You are very welcome, Glenna, I’m delighted you enjoyed the sauce!

      Thank you for your kind comment and Dijon tip 🎉

      Kindest, Louise