If you're looking for a sauce that makes any vegetable or basic Buddha bowl taste amazing, then try out this recipe for Crack Sauce! This tahini soy dressing recipe is easy to make and will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.
Whenever I don't know what to make, I whip up this Crack Sauce recipe! If you have no idea what Crack Sauce is, I understand. Crack Sauce is a tahini soy dressing that seems to make anything you drizzle it on taste amazing...or like crack! This crack sauce recipe was shared in my Plant Based Meal Prep for Beginners YouTube Video and everyone who tries it loves it as much as we do! We love to drizzle it over buddha bowls or pair it with tempeh bacon in a veggie wrap. If you like more mediterranean flavors, they definitely check out my Lemon Tahini Dressing!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe!
- If you have a hard time eating your veggies, this crack sauce will definitely help you out! It makes anything and everything taste amazing!
- This sauce comes together in minutes thanks to pantry staples. I always have all of the ingredients for this sauce on hand, making it the perfect weeknight sauce for simple buddha bowls.
- If tahini isn't your favorite food, but you want to grow to like it, this sauce will help you get started. Mixing tahini with soy sauce, maple syrup and other spices creates a flavor-packed sauce that most people enjoy!
Ingredients
- Tahini - Tahini makes up the base of this crack sauce recipe, so it's important that you find a tahini that you enjoy on its own. You can read the section below titled "What Brand of Tahini is Best" for a good starting point on which tahini you should try.
- Soy sauce - Soy sauce adds lots of umami flavor and saltiness to this dressing. I always use less-sodium soy sauce as that way I can control the saltiness in my recipes. You can always add more salt, but you can't take it away.
- Rice vinegar - Rice vinegar is often used in Asian dishes. It's adds the sour taste you're looking for in a well rounded sauce. You should be able to find rice vinegar in the condiments section or the Asian section of your grocery store.
- Maple syrup - Maple syrup add some sweetness to this sauce. You won't be using a lot, but it helps to balance out the saltiness from the soy sauce and the bitterness from the tahini.
- Sesame oil - Sesame oil adds even more depth of flavor to this tahini soy dressing and a little goes a long way!
- Garlic - I always try to use fresh garlic when I'm making homemade sauces and dressings. Just be sure to finely mince the garlic so you don't get large pieces of raw garlic in your sauce.
- Ginger - Ginger is a common ingredient in Asian sauces so I had to include it in this crack sauce recipe. I love to peel fresh ginger root and grate it with a grater or zester. This way the ginger is super fine and basically dissolves in the sauce.
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Soy Sauce - If you can't eat soy, you can try using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. You may just want to cut back on the maple syrup a little as I've found coconut aminos to be on the sweeter size.
- Rice Vinegar - Rice vinegar adds sourness to the sauce. If you don't have it on hand, I would try using fresh lime juice or plain white vinegar instead.
- Maple Syrup - Agave, brown rice syrup or honey, if you're not vegan, would all make good substitutes for maple syrup. Even brown sugar would work!
- Fresh Garlic and Ginger - Whenever I'm out of fresh ginger and garlic, I just add a few dashes of dried, ground garlic and ginger. I always have those on hand in my spice cabinet.
How to Make Crack Sauce
Step 1: Start by gathering the ingredients. Grate your fresh ginger and mince the garlic. Combine everything, except for the water, in a jar and stir well to combine.
Step 2: Stir in water, a splash at a time, until the dressing reaches your desired consistency.
Storage
Thanks to rice vinegar and salt, this dressing should last up to a week in the fridge. Simply make and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Towards the end of the week, smell it before using to make sure it hasn't gone off.
Expert Tips
- Use the best quality ingredients you can find, especially when it comes to the tahini. If you don't like the tahini you're using on its own, you probably won't enjoy this sauce.
- Fresh ginger and garlic make all the difference. Just be sure to minced or grate them super finely so that they incorporate easily into the sauce.
- Everyone's taste preferences are different. Once you mix this sauce together, taste and adjust some of the ingredients as desired. Add more soy sauce for saltiness or umami. And more rice vinegar for tang and sourness. Add more maple syrup for sweetness.
Recipe FAQs
What is Crack Sauce Made Of?
As I mentioned, this crack sauce is really just a tahini soy dressing.
So as you can guess, tahini and soy sauce are the main ingredients!
I'm sure you already have the other ingredients on hand as well.
What is Tahini?
Tahini is basically the sesame seed version of peanut butter. It's a middle eastern condiment that is made from raw or toasted hulled sesame seeds that have been ground into a smooth, ideally runny, butter or sauce. It can be served by itself as a dip or sauce or added to other ingredients to create popular dishes such as hummus or baba ganoush.
Which Brand of Tahini is Best?
My first taste of tahini was less than enjoyable. I thought it tasted super bitter! Looking back, I'm guessing the brand of tahini I tried out wasn't the best. Now, however, I could drink good quality tahini by the glassful! Thankfully, good brands of tahini are easier to come by now.
You should be able to find tahini at:
- Your local grocery store
- An International market/grocery store
- Online
My personal favorite brands of tahini, so far, are Ziyad and Baron's! However, there are so many brands of tahini that I have yet to try which I'm sure are amazing! For an easy to find tahini, there is always Simple Truth Organic Tahini as well.
What to Eat with Tahini Soy Dressing
We love this dressing on anything and everything...hence the name Crack Sauce! But if you need some meal inspiration, I'll share some ideas for how to serve this dressing below:
- On buddha bowls
- As a salad dressing
- With noodles
- As a dip for veggies
- With homemade spring rolls
- Paired with tempeh bacon in a veggie wrap
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
📖 Recipe
Crack Sauce Recipe (AKA The Best Tahini Dressing!)
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- Water to thin
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients (except for the water) to a glass jar and stir until combined.
- Add water to thin until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Seal the jar and store the sauce in the fridge for up to a week.
Adam says
Found this recipe when searching for a tahini salad dressing, and this looks great so thank you! I just wondered if you thought about the name “crack” sauce being problematic. If you do not think it is, please think for a second why you would not choose to call it “meth” sauce or “heroin” sauce, other highly addictive drugs that have similarly ruined lives and communities that we don’t choose to playfully make light of. Just something to think about, I’m sure you were just referencing Milk Bar, but they have since changed the name of their pie.
Faith VanderMolen says
I hope you can try it out and that you like it! And thank you for sharing your thoughts on the name. I have thought about it, but wasn't sure I should change it as many of my followers know this dressing as "crack sauce" and look up this recipe by searching that name. I wish I had thought through the name more before I put it out in public!
Jeanne Petrus-Rivera says
Yep. My thoughts exactly. Crack isn’t cute. But I still might try the recipe.
Faith VanderMolen says
Thanks for sharing. I hope you like the sauce, despite the name!
Sandy R says
Absolutely delicious. I was skeptical about the maple syrup but not only does it work, it's WONDERFUL! Have also made it with lemon juice instead of vinegar and a shallot. Ran the sauce through my blender. This is a keeper. Thank you!!
Faith VanderMolen says
So happy to hear you enjoyed this sauce!
Colleen says
Delicious! I thinned it down for salad dressing. So quick and easy!
Faith VanderMolen says
So happy you enjoyed this recipe Colleen!
Haley says
Just curious if it would taste the same if using coconut aminos or liquid aminos in place of the low sodium soy sauce? Has anyone tried it? Maybe I’ll just have to try it!
Faith VanderMolen says
I hear that is a good substitute for soy sauce, so I'm sure it would work pretty well. Let us know if you try it and what you think!
Anneli Dover says
Very delicious!! All the flavors compliment each other so well! Great sauce recipe! One I am keeping for sure! What would you say is a serving? Would it be 2 tablespoons, or a quarter cup?
Faith VanderMolen says
So glad you enjoyed this! And it depends on who you're asking about serving sizes. For me it'd be 2 tablespoons, for my husband definitely 1/4 a cup or more!
Ann-Marie says
I haven’t been a big fan of tahini dressing after trying a recipe from a different blog, but this absolutely lives up to its name. It is really good! I also love the tahini brownie energy bites recipe here.
Faith VanderMolen says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this tahini dressing Ann-Marie! Thanks for sharing!