Cilantro Tahini Dressing
on Jul 10, 2024, Updated Mar 12, 2025
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Cilantro tahini dressing is a refreshing and versatile sauce perfect for salads, wraps, bowls, or dip for vegetables. It’s packed with flavor and nutrients, thanks to the combination of fresh cilantro, tangy lime, creamy tahini, and garlic.
This recipe is incredibly easy to make, requiring minimal prep work and just a handful of ingredients. You can also customize it by using different herbs or swapping lime for lemon juice for lemon cilantro dressing.
This dressing can be used for green salads, rice or quinoa, roasted veggies, grain bowls, wraps, sandwiches or as a dip for veggies or pita. It would be a great sauce option for this Lentil Quinoa Bowl, Chickpea Veggie Salad, Veggie Power Bowl or Kale Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Carrot.
I love using tahini to make dairy-free sauces. You can also try it in this Miso Tahini Dressing and Maple Dijon Dressing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Vegan, gluten-free and oil-free.
- Easy to make in 5 minutes.
- Make ahead and store up to 5 days.
- Use as a dip for raw veggies or tortillas.
- Drizzle over tacos, salads, bowls, meat or fish.
- Spread on sandwiches and wraps.
Ingredient Notes
- Tahini: Look for a tahini made from just sesame seeds with no other ingredients. A good tahini should be very smooth, drippy and not overly bitter. Give it a good stir before scooping it out for the dressing.
- Cilantro: You could substitute other herbs like parsley or basil or do a combination of fresh herbs for herb tahini sauce.
- Lime: You can use fresh lime or lemon juice.
- Maple Syrup: Technically optional but I recommend using it. I prefer the dressing with the acidity balanced by a touch of sweetness. You could substitute honey or agave syrup.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
How to Make Cilantro Tahini Sauce
To make this recipe, I recommend using something like a Nutribullet, or mini food processor or chopper. I used a Ninja Chopper. You’ll get a smoother result with a mini-blender like a Nutribullet.
To make it, add all of the ingredients and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides. You may need to add a little more water to adjust the consistency after blending. You can also taste and season with additional salt or lime juice, as needed.
Recipe FAQs
You can store this dressing for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It will thicken once chilled so you may need to add a bit of extra water to adjust the thickness after storing.
You can use tahini dressing on green salads, roasted vegetables, falafel, avocado toast, rice or quinoa, grain bowls, as a dip for veggies, tortillas or pita or a spread for wraps and sandwiches.
Tahini is made from sesame seeds so it has a nutty, earthy flavour similar to other nut and seed butters, though not as sweet as peanut butter or almond butter. It may taste slightly bitter but shouldn’t be overpowering.
Chef’s Notes
- Start with 1/4 cup water and blend the sauce. If it’s too thick, add 1 tbsp water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- For a smooth, more emulsified sauce, you can add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to this dressing.
More Recipes to Try!
Cilantro Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cilantro, lightly packed, 15g
- 1/3 cup tahini, 80g
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a mini food processor or small blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the container as needed.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more lime juice to make it more tangy, more salt to taste or more water to adjust the thickness.
- Use dressing right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Loved it. I have made it as written and with soaked cashew and it’s great. I made it once and my garlic was strong and it was next level
Thanks so much, Maria.
I make this dressing or variations of it often. It works with any herbs and is good with rice, bowls, roasted veggies, salads, sweet potato fries, lots of things! If you try this recipe be sure to leave me a comment and star rating and let me know how you liked it!