Creamy tahini brightened with lemon and a smoky harissa pulse—silky, peppery, and very drizzle‑able.←Back to Taco Topping Recipes
3 tbsp tahini
2 tsp harissa paste
2 tbsp warm water
1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
0.25 tsp kosher salt
Whisk tahini with warm water until smooth and lighter in color.
Add harissa, lemon juice, and salt; whisk to a pourable sauce.
Thin with 1–2 tsp water if needed. Taste for salt/acid.
Mild option: Use 1 tsp harissa or swap half for roasted red pepper purée.
Chef's Notes
The order of operations here is sacred and must not be violated. Tahini is ground sesame seeds, and it behaves like a moody oracle: add water first, and it magically loosens into silk. Add lemon first, and it seizes up into an angry paste that will require therapy to recover. Water, then acid. This is the way. Tahini separates in the jar, so stir it thoroughly before measuring (or buy Soom brand, which stays emulsified like it attended finishing school). Find tahini at Middle Eastern markets, Whole Foods, or increasingly at regular grocery stores near the nut butters. Harissa is a North African chili paste that varies wildly by brand. Some are smoky and complex, others are just angry. Mina and NY Shuk make excellent versions; the tubes at Trader Joe's work in a pinch. Start with less harissa than you think you need because you can always add heat, but you cannot remove it without summoning a second batch. This drizzle works on basically anything that isn't dessert, and even then, we've heard rumors.
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