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Spicy Tahini Sauce

Spicy tahini sauce is creamy, spicy and so easy to make! This chipotle tahini dressing takes 2 minutes to make and is perfect for tacos, taco salads, burritos and as a dip for roasted vegetables! Add heat and flavor to any meal with this vegan, Whole30, low carb friendly spicy tahini dressing.

Chipotle tahini dressing in white bowl, spoonful of sauce over the bowl.
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Why you will love this recipe

  • Easy to make – simply combine the ingredients for this spicy tahini sauce in a high speed blender and blend for 30-40 seconds until smooth and well incorporated. So easy!
  • Great way to change the flavor of a dish – this spicy chipotle tahini sauce will add some serious heat and flavor to any dish! It’s a creamy hot sauce that you can use on tacos, nachos, taco salads, burrito bowls, over roasted vegetables or drizzled over shredded chicken or as a dip for shrimp.
  • Perfect for meal prep – this spicy tahini dressing lasts about 7 days in the fridge, so make it early in the week and use it anytime you want to add some spice to a meal!
Ingredients to make spicy tahini sauce in ramekins.

Ingredients

  • Tahini – tahini is a creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds (similar to peanut butter or almond butter) and is the best way to make a creamy sauce without any dairy. Tahini tastes like sesame seeds and once you try it, you will love using it as the base for dressings, sauces and even in baked goods.
  • Chipotle in adobo – these spicy peppers are dried jalapenos in a tangy spicy sauce. You can find canned chipotle in adobo in most grocery stores. If you are doing a Whole30 or concerned about added sugar, you can find Whole30 friendly chipotle in adobo online or at some health food stores.
  • Water – water helps to thin out the sauce.
  • Apple cider vinegar – this is the acid in the dressing and it’s easy to find and doesn’t overpower the dressing. You could also use fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime).
  • Spices: Turmeric, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt – these spices help to add color (turmeric), smoky flavor (smoked paprika) and umami (garlic powder). You can omit any of these spices if needed except for the salt.

How to make spicy tahini sauce

Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender.

Blend on high 30-40 seconds until smooth.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Ingredients to make spicy tahini dressing in blender.

Top tips

  • Add some sweetness – this chipotle tahini dressing is spicy! To help make the spice more tolerable you may want to add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey(or 1-2 soaked dates) to make it more of a sweet and spicy dressing.
  • Add some water – if you want to thin out the dressing, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time to thin it out to your desired consistency. If you add too much water, add 1-2 teaspoons tahini and blend again to thicken.
  • Tahini thickens in the fridge, so allow the sauce to sit out for a few minutes before thinning it out with water.
  • Use less chipotle peppers if you don’t love spice. This spicy tahini sauce is spicy, but adds the perfect amount of heat when drizzled over tacos or as a dip for roasted veggies or shrimp. If you aren’t a big fan of heat, use less chipotle peppers or add some sweetness with maple syrup or honey (you could also use 1-2 soaked dates if you need this to be Whole30 friendly).
Spicy tahini dressing being spooned over tacos, bowl of red cabbage in background.

How to use spicy tahini sauce

Common questions

What is tahini

Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It tastes like sesame seeds and has the consistency of runny peanut butter or runny almond butter. When you open a jar of tahini, you often have to stir the oil into the tahini paste, this will help the tahini be thick and creamy. Tahini tastes nutty, earthy and like sesame.

Tahini is used in many Middle Eastern or Mediterranean dishes. You have probably had tahini before in hummus, where it adds flavor and helps create that creamy texture/consistency.                           

Glass jar filled with chipotle tahini sauce.

Where can you find tahini

Tahini can be found in most grocery stores, often in the same area of the other nut butters and peanut butter. If you cannot find it there, check out the international section of the grocery store.

Tahini can be made with raw or roasted sesame seeds

My favorite place to buy tahini is Trader Joe’s. You can also get tahini on Thrive Market or online (I recommend Soom foods if you can find it in grocery stores or online).

Other recipes that use tahini

Hand holding a spoon in a bowl of spicy tahini dressing.

Storing leftovers

  • Fridge: Store leftover chipotle tahini sauce in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
  • Freezer: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag. I like to freeze in 1-2 tablespoon cubes to defrost for single use.

Substitutions

  • Tahini – tahini can be replaced with almond butter, cashew butter or sunbutter.
  • Chipotle in Adobo – if you don’t have any chipotle in adobo, you can use ½ -1 teaspoon dried chipotle powder or 3-4 tablespoons pickled jalapenos.
  • Spices – you can omit any of the spices listed except for the salt. You can use regular paprika in place of the smoked paprika and onion powder in place of the garlic powder.
Sweet potato wedge dipped in spicy tahini sauce.

If you love this recipe, you should try

Vegan Chipotle Mayo

Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Honey Chipotle Sauce

Honey Sriracha Sauce

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Spoon in a bowl of spicy tahini dressing on wooden cutting board.

Spicy Tahini Sauce

$0.96 Recipe/$0.24 Serving
Spicy tahini sauce is a great way to add spice to any meal. Use on tacos, salads, grain bowls or as a dip for roasted veggies, air fryer broccoli or fries.
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chipotle tahini sauce, spicy tahini dressing, spicy tahini sauce
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender.
  • Blend on high 30-40 seconds until smooth.
  • Store excess in a airtight container for up to 7 days.

Notes

Top tips
  • Add some sweetness – this chipotle tahini dressing is spicy! To help make the spice more tolerable you may want to add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey(or 1-2 soaked dates) to make it more of a sweet and spicy dressing.
  • Add some water – if you want to thin out the dressing, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time to thin it out to your desired consistency. If you add too much water, add 1-2 teaspoons tahini and blend again to thicken.
  • Tahini thickens in the fridge, so allow the sauce to sit out for a few minutes before thinning it out with water.
  • Use less chipotle peppers if you don’t love spice. This spicy tahini sauce is spicy, but adds the perfect amount of heat when drizzled over tacos or as a dip for roasted veggies or shrimp. If you aren’t a big fan of heat, use less chipotle peppers or add some sweetness with maple syrup or honey (you could also use 1-2 soaked dates if you need this to be Whole30 friendly).
Storing leftovers
  • Fridge: Store leftover chipotle tahini sauce in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
  • Freezer: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag. I like to freeze in 1-2 tablespoon cubes to defrost for single use.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
61
Fat
 
4
g
Carbohydrates
 
5
g
Fiber
 
2
g
Sugar
 
1
g
Protein
 
2
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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