Recipes with tahini are becoming increasingly popular across the globe. Not only is tahini tasty and nutritious, but it’s also a staple ingredient in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African cuisine. Without it, signature dishes like hummus wouldn’t be possible. That being said, hummus is not the only recipe you can use tahini in! It is a versatile ingredient perfect for both sweet and savory dishes. If you’re looking for easy recipes with tahini, you’ll love this collection for new and exciting flavors to experience. Tahini is known for its rich and nutty flavor and nutritional value. It’s a great source of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron. So whether you’re trying to eat healthier or just looking to add some more flavor to your recipes, tahini is definitely worth trying out!
What is Tahini Made From?
Tahini is made from ground roasted sesame seeds blended with oil to create a smooth paste. The traditional method involves using hulled sesame seeds, but unhulled sesame seeds can also be used for a slightly bitter and nuttier taste. For more information about tahini, head over to my comprehensive post on what it is.
Why You Should Make More Recipes with Tahini
Tahini is a versatile ingredient. This sesame seed paste can be used in a wide range of dishes, from hummus to sweet desserts, adding depth of flavor and creaminess to each bite. Excellent allergy-friendly option. Tahini is a great vegan alternative to dairy-based ingredients. It’s also a delicious option for those with nut allergies, providing a similar creamy texture and nutty flavor without nuts. Packed with nutritional benefits. Tahini is a nutritious ingredient high in healthy fats, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Instantly improve texture with tahini. The creamy texture naturally present in tahini helps create smooth and velvety sauces, dips, spreads, and more.
Tips for Using Tahini in Recipes
What is Tahini Used For?
Hummus. Tahini is a key ingredient in classic hummus recipes, adding richness and creaminess to the dip. Other dips and spreads. Tahini can be mixed with other ingredients to make delicious dips and spreads, such as baba ghanoush, muhammara, or even as a sandwich spread. Salad dressings. Add a creamy texture and highlight the roasted sesame flavor of tahini by using it to make salad dressings. It’s also a great vegan alternative to dairy-based dressings. Grilled meats and vegetables. Tahini can be used as a marinade or sauce for grilled meats and vegetables, adding depth of flavor to the dish. Baked goods. Tahini can be used in baked goods like cookies, cakes, and bread, adding a rich and nutty flavor to the recipe. Smoothies and ice cream. Add tahini for a protein boost and to add a unique and deliciously nutty flavor.
Best Tahini Recipes
Tahini is a versatile ingredient that can be used in various recipes. Some common uses of tahini include making dips and hummus, adding a nutty flavor to desserts, using it in vegetarian dinner recipes, or as a base for salad dressings. In this collection, you’ll discover a whole gamut of delicious recipes, spanning from classic hummus to irresistible dessert recipes with tahini.
Hummus Recipes with Tahini
Roasted Garlic and Lemon Hummus – This hummus is for all garlic lovers! It uses two full garlic heads that are roasted and squeezed into the mix for an aromatic hummus dip. Easy, delicious, and a great way to jazz up plain hummus. Roasted Red Pepper Hummus – This tahini hummus adds a little more color and savory pepper to your spread, making it a perfect addition to your collection of vegetarian recipes with tahini. Authentic Lebanese Hummus – Made with tahini, this healthy homemade hummus is perfect for dipping and can be used in sandwiches, salads, burgers, and more. Hummus with Ground Beef – Take your hummus to the next level and literally beef it up with savory ground beef on top! A must on your list of easy recipes with tahini and one you won’t regret making. Avocado Hummus Dip – Think hummus with a guacamole twist! It starts as a classic hummus with the addition of avocados and fresh cilantro. It’s hearty, easy to make, and oh-so-delicious! Beet Hummus – Roasted beet hummus has a beautiful pink hue that is so fun to eat. Pair it with pita chips and veggies for one of my favorite easy recipes with tahini. White Bean Tahini Dip – Skip the chickpeas and use white beans for a variation of the traditional recipe. This tahini bean dip also includes ground cumin for a warm, earthy seasoning.
Snack Recipes with Tahini
Tahini Sauce – This authentic Lebanese tahini sauce is simple and delicious, and serves as the backbone to many of the other easy recipes with tahini. Lebanese Baba Ghanoush – Smokey, creamy, and oh-so-flavorful, this easy dip is made with only 4 ingredients, including eggplant and tahini. It’s a great alternative to hummus and one of my favorite vegan recipes with tahini. 7-Layer Mediterranean Dip – This recipe combines classic Mediterranean flavors with a layer of homemade tahini hummus, labneh, chopped vegetables, and feta cheese. Easy, quick to make, and oh-so-good! Artichoke Tahini Dip – Served hot, this cheesy dip is made with spinach, artichokes, feta cheese, and the special ingredient – tahini! It’s flavorful yet surprisingly quick to whip up, making it a standout among easy recipes with tahini. Baked Kale Chips – If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to potato chips, these leafy greens are perfect and so tasty, dipped in a smooth and creamy sesame sauce. It’s one of my favorite vegetarian recipes with tahini because that combination is oh-so-good! Air Fryer Falafel – Crispy, golden brown, and irresistibly delicious, this will hands down become one of your go-to vegan recipes with tahini. The air fryer gives it that crispy texture without frying it in loads of oil.
Recipes with Tahini Salad Dressing
Chicken Shawarma Salad – This chicken shawarma salad is an authentic Lebanese shawarma recipe made with a warm spice blend and served over salad with tahini dressing! It’s one of those refreshing dinner recipes with tahini that you’ll be returning to repeatedly. Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl – I love pairing quinoa with brightly colored veggies! Together they create not only a beautiful dinner but an amazingly delicious one, especially with a light tahini, lemon, and garlic dressing. Quinoa Buddha Bowl – This vegan quinoa bowl is loaded with heart-healthy quinoa as the base and then topped with massaged kale, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted chickpeas. Drizzle some tahini sauce over the bowl for the ultimate meal. Tahini Salad – Made with fresh veggies, herbs, and a dreamy creamy tahini dressing for a nutritious and oh-so-good salad. This will easily be one of your go-to vegan recipes with tahini. Mediterranean Hummus Bowl – Have you ever tried hummus as a dressing? While classic hummus is undeniably delicious, you can experiment with any tahini-based hummus to dress your veggies. Cauliflower Salad – If you love refreshing and easy vegan recipes with tahini that are no-cook and fuss-free, you will love this tasty salad. It’s herbaceous and citrusy yet savory with an irresistible nutty tahini flavor. Fall Harvest Salad – Festive, nutritious, and delicious, this salad is great to accompany a weeknight meal or as part of a larger holiday spread. The dressing is so tasty it makes all your vegetarian recipes with tahini pop with bold flavor.
Vegetarian Recipes with Tahini
Hummus Toast – 4 Ways – You will love this easy protein-packed healthy snack. Use my homemade hummus with tahini and customize it with any toppings! One of the easiest and quickest vegan recipes with tahini. Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad – This salad is full of healthy ingredients! Chickpeas, crisp vegetables, and fresh herbs are tossed in a simple yogurt and tahini dressing, making it a must from your list of vegetarian recipes with tahini. Chickpea Fritters – We already know chickpeas and tahini are a match made in heaven, so making these quick and easy fritters for dunking in a creamy sesame sauce is an obvious combination! Vegan Cauliflower Pita Sandwiches – If you’re looking for tasty vegan recipes with tahini, you will love this one. It’s filled with roasted cauliflower generously seasoned with bright Mediterranean spices, fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and tahini! Cauliflower with Tahini – Some of the best vegetarian recipes with tahini call for the shortest ingredient list, like this bite-sized roasted cauliflower. It’s excellently seasoned and perfectly dippable and makes a delicious appetizer or side dish. Lebanese Crispy Falafel – Dunk these crispy bites into a delicious sauce made with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic for a tangy, nutty flavor that perfectly complements the taste of falafel.
Dinner Recipes with Tahini
Chicken Shawarma – When it comes to traditional dinner recipes with tahini, a classic chicken shawarma tops the list. It’s easy to whip up and irresistibly delicious when served with tahini sauce. Lebanese Chicken Fatteh – Tahini is often added to the yogurt to thicken it and add a nutty taste and creamy consistency. We didn’t grow up eating it with tahini, but it’s still very enjoyable with it! Beef Shawarma Wrap – One of the best parts of this beef wrap is drizzling a lemony tahini sauce over it. It pairs perfectly with savory beef and fresh vegetables and makes one of my family’s favorite dinner recipes with tahini. Meat Stuffed Pitas – If you’re looking for easy recipes with tahini, this one won’t disappoint. Also known as Lebanese Arayes, this dish features ground beef pan-fried in a thin pita and dipped into a nutty tahini sauce. Chicken Shawarma Pita Pizza – It’s basically taking the idea of a pizza (flat dough with toppings) and adding a Mediterranean flair to it. Drizzle that rich sauce over it for one of the best dinner recipes with tahini. Oven Roasted Chickpea Shawarma – For an easy weeknight meal, it doesn’t get better than throwing everything together in one pan and roasting it in the oven. Add to a bowl and drizzle delicious tahini sauce. Sayadieh – While there is so much flavor in the spiced rice and cooked fish, we love to add a lemony tahini dressing on the side to drizzle over every bite. It’ll quickly become one of your go-to dinner recipes with tahini!
Dessert Recipes with Tahini
Sesame Tahini Cookies – Sweet almond flour, honey, and tahini cookie dough is pressed into sesame seeds before baking. They’re perfectly chewy, deliciously nutty, and have a slight crunch from the toasted seeds. Tahini Milkshake – Super simple, rich, and delicious. This is basically a dairy-free banana shake with tahini added for a delightful and nutty treat. It’s one of those dessert recipes with tahini that hits the spot just right. Sfouf (Turmeric Cake) – This cake has such a beautiful color and rich taste that pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee. Plus, it requires only 3 simple ingredients, making it a delightful addition to your collection of easy recipes with tahini. Tahini Shortbread Cookies – Buttery and rich shortbread cookies are made with tahini for a delicious sesame-flavored bite with a Mediterranean flair. Simple, classic, and one of the best dessert recipes with tahini. Namoura (Semolina Cake) – This authentic Lebanese cake is made with ghee, almonds, and drizzled with a simple syrup while the cake is still hot. It’s a nostalgic dessert my mom always made when I was a child and is still one of my favorite dessert recipes with tahini. Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies – Instead of using only butter to make the cookies, swap half the amount for tahini. It adds a slight savory taste to the cookies, similar to adding sea salt, and makes them so flavorful and irresistible! Tahini Brownies – Super thick and fudgy brownies have the best nutty flavor thanks to tahini swirled into the batter just before baking. You won’t regret adding this to your repertoire of dessert recipes with tahini.
Get nutty with these easy recipes with tahini! Add a toasty twist to your dishes with this versatile ingredient. From condiments to incorporating this sesame paste into recipes, tahini will rock your kitchen. Don’t limit it to just hummus – try these recipes and taste the magic yourself!
Full List of Tahini Recipes
Check out the picture cards for all the recipes listed above. You can click on any of the recipe cards to take you directly to those recipes. For more similar roundup of recipes, be sure to check out: Best Recipes for Ramadan, Plant-based Dinner Recipes, Authentic Lebanese Recipes, and Satisfying Smoothies. If you found this Recipes with Tahini roundup helpful or if you try any recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipes! It helps others who are thinking of trying out this tutorial and we would love to hear about your experience. And if you snapped some shots, share them on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
