Tahini is a pantry staple in Lebanese kitchens. Tarator - a tangy tahini sauce that is perfect for dipping veggies or fries, slathering on sandwiches or using as a sauce on cooked meats and veggies. Tarator is a simple sauce that you'll use over and over. It requires no special equipment and comes together in 5 minutes or less. Tarator is made from ground tahini (sesame paste), garlic, lemon juice, salt and the magic ingredient WATER! You're left with an earthy, vibrant, tangy and punchy sauce that is used on so many dishes or simply dip chips or veggie into it.
Tarator is a staple sauce in Lebanese cooking. Most commonly found as the magic sauce for shawarma (try my easy ground turkey version)- extra for dipping please!!! Or used as a dipping sauce for delectable roasted cauliflower bites - Arnabeet. Whatever you decide to use it for you will love its flavor and ease to use on everything!
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Ingredients
The simplest ingredient lineup!
- Tahini - A good Middle Eastern tahini is my go-to, I've listed a few of my favorites in the recipe for you.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic or a tablespoon of toum for that punch
- Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice is key for a bright flavor
- Water - I don't normally list water as an ingredient in recipes but it truly is crucial in this one. The water is the key to creating the sauce - trust me!
- Salt - Always a pinch of salt to balance flavors
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The quickest one bowl recipe that requires no cooking!
Step 1: In a small bowl, crush your garlic and salt with a mortar or use a garlic press to obtain finely minced garlic.
Step 2: Add your tahini paste to the garlic and mix, it will be thick.
Step 3: Next, add your lemon juice and water and mix or whisk until smooth and light in color (pale beige - almost white). If your sauce is too thick, add a bit more water or lemon juice as needed to thin and make it a sauce consistency.
Step 4: Final consistency, adjust salt and lemon to taste and enjoy!
Storage
Tarator has a good shelf life in the fridge - 2 to 3 weeks in a sealed container in the fridge. The sauce does not freeze well. You'll need to whisk to mix back together - add additional water to thin out as needed.
Pro Tip
If you feel your sauce is clumpy and not coming together in a smooth consistency, add additional water one tablespoon at a time to thin out. This process is important and the key to tarator.
Why We Love This Recipe
This is a sauce you can use on just about anything and is so easy to make. Definitely something to include in your weekly meal prep! Not to mention, it's naturally gluten free as well as vegan so it makes it a crowd pleaser!
If you make Tarator, please let me know by leaving a rating and review below!
As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media #cosetteskitchen which lets me know what is working for you! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter , Tiktok and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
xoxo,
Cosette
5-Minute Tahini Sauce (Lebanese Tarator)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
- Category: Sauces
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Lebanese
Description
Tarator - a tangy tahini sauce that is perfect for dipping veggies or fries, slathering on sandwiches or using as a sauce on cooked meats and veggies. Tarator is a simple sauce that you'll use over and over.
Ingredients
- 1-2 large cloves of garlic, smashed or minced finely** see note for toum substitute
- ⅓ cup ground tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, additional to taste**
Instructions
- In a small bowl, crush your garlic and salt with a mortar or use a garlic press to obtain finely minced garlic.
- 1-2 large cloves of garlic, smashed or minced finely** see note for toum substitute
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add your tahini paste to the garlic and mix, it will be thick.
- ⅓ cup ground tahini
- Next, add your lemon juice and water and mix or whisk until smooth and light in color (pale beige - almost white). If your sauce is too thick, add a bit more water or lemon juice as needed to thin and make it a sauce consistency.
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- Adjust salt and lemon to taste and enjoy!
Notes
- Use 1 tablespoon of toum in place of crushed garlic.
- I always use Diamond Kosher salt in my recipes - if using table salt, half the amount of salt and adjust from there.
- Two of my favorite brands of tahini: MidEast and Ziyad. You can purchase online or any Middle Eastern grocery store will carry them as well.
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