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This 5-minute Asian Sesame Salad Dressing is made with simple ingredients like soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic! It’s super easy to make and SO flavorful!
This quick and easy Asian sesame dressing easily qualifies as one of my favorite homemade dressings. It’s bold and tangy, with just the right amount of sweetness. It’s made with simple pantry staples, takes just a few minutes to make, and stores well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Plus, it’s super versatile. Enjoy it with salads and slaws, as marinade for your next chicken stir fry, or even as a dipping sauce for pork potstickers and crispy fried egg rolls.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
For the complete list of ingredients plus ingredient amounts, please jump to the recipe card at the end of this page.
- Soy Sauce: Substitute with tamari (for gluten-free) or coconut aminos (for soy-free).
- Rice (Wine) Vinegar: Mild, slightly sweet acidity that balances the salty and sweet components. Substitute with red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar. Do not substitute with rice wine (like mirin or sake). These are sweet cooking wines, not vinegars.
- Fresh garlic and ginger: Adds flavor and depth. They are optional and better left out than substituted. Do not substitute with powdered equivalents.
Flavorful Variations
This dressing is super customizable, and you can easily switch up the flavor with just one or two extra ingredients.
For nutty creaminess, try adding in a spoonful of peanut butter. The peanut butter adds richness and turns the dressing into a quick peanut sauce perfect for noodle bowls or satay-style salads. You can also try mixing in as little tahini. Made from sesame seeds, tahini gives the dressing a creamy, velvety texture and even more sesame flavor. Be sure to adjust the liquid ingredients slightly if needed to maintain a pourable consistency.
For more umami flavor, your best bet is white miso paste. It makes the dressing even more savory and complex (just reduce the salt or soy sauce a bit to balance it).
How to Make Asian Sesame Dressing
To make this Asian sesame dressing, grab a medium bowl or a mason jar and add all your ingredients—soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, neutral oil (like canola or avocado), a spoonful of hoisin sauce if you’re using it, freshly grated ginger, minced garlic, a little honey or agave for sweetness, a dash of sriracha for heat, and of course, plenty of sesame seeds.
Give everything a good whisk until it’s well combined and slightly emulsified. If you’re using a jar, pop the lid on and give it a nice shake. It works just as well. Once it’s mixed, taste it and adjust to your preference. You can add a little more sesame oil for nuttiness, vinegar for tang, or agave for sweetness.
That’s it! Use it right away or store it in the fridge for later. Just remember to give it a good shake before each use since it may separate a bit as it sits.
This Asian Sesame Dressing Isn’t Just For Salads
This Asian sesame dressing is incredibly versatile, adding a burst of flavor to just about anything you drizzle it over. I love tossing it in slaws and salads like this Asian pasta salad or Chinese chicken salad that are loaded with shredded chicken, cabbage, and carrots.
It also works great as a stir fry sauce for this cabbage stir fry or bok choy recipe. Make it a complete meal by adding your favorite protein like shrimp or tofu and serve it with a side of cooked white rice.
Finally, try it as a marinade or finishing sauce for baked chicken breasts or baked salmon. It’s even great brushed over roasted vegetables like zucchini, giving them a nutty, umami-packed kick.
Looking for more delicious Asian-inspired salad dressings? Try my Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing next!
Asian Salad Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar; for a more mild taste, start with 2 tbsp
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha, optional
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave , plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl or mason jar, combine the canola oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, hoisin sauce (if using), grated ginger, minced garlic, sriracha (if using), honey or agave, and sesame seeds.
- Whisk vigorously until the dressing is well combined and emulsified. If using a jar, seal with a lid and shake until fully blended.
- Give it a taste and adjust as needed—add more honey for sweetness, sesame oil for nuttiness, or sriracha for heat. Season with salt to taste.
- Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Shake or stir before each use, as separation is natural.
Notes
- Store the dressing in a sealed jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The oil may separate from the vinegar, simply s hake well before each use.
- For best flavor and texture, allow the dressing to come to room temperature before serving if it thickens in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
