Tarator sauce is a delicious tahini-based sauce made with crushed garlic and lemon juice. My family always served it as a sauce with fish and sandwiches, as a dip with fried cauliflower, falafel, and appetizers, and even as a salad dressing.

This tahini sauce recipe is so versatile and just adds that extra something to any dish, especially when you know how to make it just right. It's garlicky, lemony, and has that perfectly unique tahini nuttiness.

What is Tahini Sesame Paste?

The main ingredient in tarator is tahini paste, a smooth paste made with toasted sesame seeds. It's a super common ingredient in Middle Eastern countries. Tahini is made purely of sesame seeds and is used in dishes like hummus, baba ghanouj, as well as numerous other appetizers and dishes.

How To Make Tarator Sauce

Peel and mash the fresh garlic cloves using a mortar and pestle.

Wash and finely chop the parsley leaves. Squeeze the lemons for fresh lemon juice.

Add the tahini, lemon juice, mashed garlic, salt, and ground cumin to a large bowl. Mix everything together until well combined.

Gradually add water until the desired consistency.

Add the chopped parsley.

Tips and Tricks

Add the water gradually. I always mix the tahini, lemon juice, and other ingredients first, then gradually add the water while mixing. This gives me more control over how thick or thin the dressing is. If I'm making this tarator as a dip, I'd go for a thicker consistency. If I were making it as a salad dressing, I'd go for a runnier consistency. It's really up to you and how you prefer it.
Add parsley before serving. If you want the parsley to stay fresh and flavorful, add it right before serving. These little things make a world of difference.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. If you make extra sauce, it'll keep in the fridge for 3-5 days (since it does have some fresh ingredients that will go bad if stored for longer). If it gets thick after you refrigerate it, just add in a splash of water, give it a mix, and you're good to go.
Taste your tarator and adjust. This is just the way my family likes it. I suggest you taste the tahini sauce as you mix and adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Uses for Tarator

This tahini dressing pairs well with falafel sandwiches, fresh vegetables and salads, fried cauliflower, fish, chicken, grilled meat, and even serves as a dip for pita bread.

📋 Recipe