Lemon Tahini Dressing

This Lemon Tahini Dressing is perfectly light, creamy, nutty, and zesty. It is made quickly with simple ingredients, including tahini, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and garlic—just mix the ingredients together and enjoy! It is also gluten-free and vegan.

Easy Lemon Tahini Dressing Recipe

This lemon tahini dressing is one of my favorite ways to add flavor to salads and roasted veggies. It’s made with my homemade tahini recipe as a creamy base (store-bought tahini can be used in its place) and a handful of other simple ingredients! It is dairy-free and vegan-friendly and made with healthy ingredients that you have full control over.

Add all of the ingredients to a jar or bowl and shake or stir – no need for a blender or food processor. It takes just 10 minutes and can be used immediately or stored for later. It’s a perfect alternative to standard vinaigrette.

Key Ingredients

Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Tahini—Store-bought or homemade tahini can be used for this dressing. It creates a creamy base. My favorite store-bought tahini are Soom, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods.
• Olive oil—A neutral-flavored oil is best for combining with tahini sauce without adding overpowering flavors. I recommend lightly flavored olive oil, but you could also try avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or untoasted sesame oil. 
• Lemon juice—Adds freshness and helps balance the rich flavors. 
• Garlic – Preferably freshly minced garlic for the best flavor. 
• Maple syrup—Adds a touch of sweetness and helps balance any bitterness from the tahini. If you prefer, use honey instead.
• Salt and Ground black pepper—To taste. If you are using a tahini with a good amount of salt, simply omit the salt from this dressing. 

How to Make Lemon Tahini Dressing

1. Combine the ingredients: Add everything to a sealable jar or medium bowl. Seal tightly and shake or whisk well until combined.

2. Serve or chill: You can serve your lemon tahini dressing immediately, or store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Shake well before using.

Recipe Tips

• The garlic flavor intensifies in storage. If you decide to make a double batch of this dressing, it may be worth only using a single batch of garlic instead of doubling this ingredient. 
• If the dressing is too thick, slowly add additional water and whisk until the desired consistency is reached. Adjust the flavor by adding more lemon juice, maple syrup, oil, and salt if needed. 
• Add some lemon zest to the dressing for an extra dose of lemony flavor. 
• Dijon mustard is a delicious alternative to garlic if you don’t want to use garlic in your dressing.
• If you do choose to use store-bought tahini, make sure it’s high quality as this will impact the overall flavor of the dressing. A few of my favorite brands include Soom, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods.
• You can easily turn this into a herbed lemon tahini dressing by adding fresh dill, basil, mint, cilantro, or parsley to the mixture.

Why Does Tahini Seize with Lemon Juice?

Tahini seizing (clumping) up when mixed with lemon juice is a common occurrence due to the chemistry between fat and acid, combined with the unique properties of tahini itself. Fortunately, the tahini seizing is not permanent. By mixing continuously and gradually adding more liquid (such as water or lemon juice), it’s easy to reverse the seizing to create a smooth and creamy dressing. 

Here’s a breakdown of the science behind why this happens:

1. Emulsion Breakdown: Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds, which contain oil. When tahini is mixed with lemon juice (or any acid), the acid begins to break down the emulsion of oil and solids in the tahini. This can cause the mixture to seize or thicken and clump together suddenly as the oil separates from the other components.
2. Protein and Acid Interaction: Sesame seeds are rich in proteins, and when these proteins come into contact with an acid (like lemon juice), they can thicken or clump together. This reaction contributes to the thickening or seizing effect.
3. Water Content: Lemon juice adds water to the tahini, which can initially cause it to seize up as it tries to absorb the liquid. Tahini’s consistency is sensitive to the addition of water due to its high-fat content. However, as more water (or any liquid) is added and thoroughly mixed, the tahini can become creamy and smooth again.

How to Serve Lemon Tahini Dressing

Lemon tahini dressing is such a versatile dressing! Here are some ways I suggest serving it:

• Add it to your salads, such as Easy Tomato Salad, Cucumber Salad, Mediterranean Salad, Couscous Salad, Freekeh Salad, and Tabouli Salad.
• Drizzle it over roasted veggies, like these Savory Butter-Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Roasted Eggplant. 
• Spoon it over Homemade Falafel, Grain Bowls, Buddha Bowls, Mediterranean Chicken Wraps, Chicken Skewers, Quinoa, or Brown Rice.

Storage

This lemon tahini dressing should be stored in an airtight container or jar in the fridge and will last for up to one week. Give the stored dressing a good shake or stir before serving as it may have separated.

Can You Freeze Lemon Tahini Dressing

Yes, you can. Pouring the lemon tahini dressing into ice cube trays is a great way to freeze this dressing and makes thawing it quick and easy. This dressing can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and give it a good stir before use to reincorporate any separated oil.

More Homemade Dressings and Salads

• Green Goddess Dressing
• Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
• Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing
• Autumn Chicken Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
• Japanese Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing
• Crab Louie Salad with Homemade Thousand Island Island Dressing

If you make this Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing Recipe, please leave me a comment below! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!