Tahini Stir Fry Sauce
This 4 ingredient tahini stir fry sauce is creamy and spicy with plenty of savory flavors. It’s delicious on top of your favorite vegetables and protein!
I’m focusing on getting more protein and less carbs in my diet. I absolutely love bread, chips, crackers, etc. but they don’t fill me up the way protein and fiber do. So I’ve started cooking more proteins at night, such as tempeh, tofu, beans, etc. The other night, I wanted to do a stir fry, but I wanted a sauce more substantial than soy sauce, so I whipped up something lightly based on my peanut sauce recipe.
What is Tahini?
If you’re not familiar with tahini, it’s a creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds. It’s frequently used in hummus but it makes a great replacement for nut-based spreads like peanut butter. You can usually find it in the grocery store near the peanut butter or by the condiments. You can also order Tahini on Amazon!
Is Tahini Healthy?
Tahini is made from sesame seeds, so it’s high in fat, but it’s a good kind of fat! It’s also full of vitamins and minerals, so it has a lot of nutrients. You may also be wondering, “Is tahini vegan?” It is! Since it’s made with nothing but sesame seeds, it’s vegan. However, some people are allergic to sesame, so be aware that tahini can be an allergen for some.
How to Stir Tahini
Tahini may separate, with the oil floating at the top. It can be messy to try to stir the oil back into the tahini paste. The best way to incorporate it is to stir the tahini jar upside down in the pantry overnight. This helps the oil travel to the bottom of the jar, making it easier to stir. For the least messy option, look for a squeeze bottle of tahini!
Tahini Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients
- Tahini– Obviously, you need tahini to make this sauce. Tahini is made from sesame seeds, so it adds healthy fat to the sauce without oil.
- Soy sauce– This adds a salty, umami flavor to the sauce. It’s perfect for a stir fry!
- Maple syrup– This adds a hint of sweetness to balance out the salty flavor of the soy sauce.
- Red pepper flakes– These add a little heat to the sauce. You can skip them if you don’t want a spicy flavor.
- Black pepper- A pinch of black pepper adds complexity to the sauce.
Substitution Ideas
If you don’t have tahini, try using peanut butter! You can make this easy 5 ingredient peanut sauce with similar ingredients. To make this recipe gluten-free, use liquid aminos or gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce. (Most soy sauce contains gluten.) If you don’t have maple syrup, you can use honey instead.
How to Make Tahini Stir Fry Sauce
This recipe couldn’t be easier! All you have to do is combine the tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, and red pepper flakes. You can make this in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Ways to Use Tahini Stir Fry Sauce
If you’re looking for ways to use this tahini stir fry sauce, try it with mixed vegetables and tempeh! Or you can substitute your favorite protein for the tempeh. This is delicious with any combination of vegetables but broccoli, carrots, and red pepper is my favorite mix!
PrintTahini Stir Fry Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1/4 cup sauce 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
This 4 ingredient tahini stir fry sauce is creamy and spicy with plenty of savory flavors. It’s delicious on top of your favorite vegetables and protein!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce (or liquid aminos)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Dash of black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk together the tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
- Add to your favorite combination of vegetables and protein!
More Sauce Recipes
- 5 Ingredient Peanut Sauce – For a different twist on a stir fry sauce, try this delicious peanut sauce!
- Romesco Sauce – This sauce is made with roasted red peppers and almonds and it’s incredible drizzled on top of vegetables!
- Easy Cilantro Sauce – This creamy sauce is perfect for drizzling on vegetables, tacos, and just about anything!
Stellar work there everyone. I’ll keep on reading.
Was looking for a stir-fry sauce that used tahini and came across your recipe. So glad I did! I used it in a chicken stir fry and it was very tasty. I subbed one of the tbsp of soy with pineapple juice. My son loved it and he doesn’t usually like sauces. Definitely a keeper for us…now checking out your other recipes as I am incorporating more and more meatless meals. Thank you!
Aw this made me so happy to hear, Karen! I hope you find other recipes you like!
I know I need to up my protein uptake, too! Thanks for the wonderful stir fry sauce…I have all those ingredients on hand, so it’s an excellent recipe to add to my repertoire.
Mmmmm stiryfry 🙂
I love stir fries! Thanks for a delicious topping! <3
Tahini in stir fry is a brilliant idea, delicious 😀
Cheers
CCU
I’m so in love with this weather as well :). And I need a new sauce for my stir frys!
This sounds amazing, especially since it is paired with tempeh!! I bet it would also be super fantastic with tofu!
I always love to try new stir fry sauces. I really love ones that include almond butter. I’ve been wanting to make some hummus though, so maybe I will have to buy some tahini and make this sauce as well!
Your stir fry sauce sounds good to me! I usually just got for a bit of lower sodium soy sauce or TJ’s red curry sauce (obsessed with that stuff.)