But don’t stop at salad. You can use sesame dressing as a marinade for any type of meat, or on top of sashimi, noodle salads, and rice bowls. Serve it as a dip for dumplings or sliced cucumbers and bell peppers in every color. It’s the kind of dressing you’ll be shaking up by the jar-full again and again.
For More Flavor, Toast the Sesame Seeds
For an extra flavorful dressing, toast the sesame seeds in a skillet. This can be done up to a day or two ahead of time—store the toasted seeds in an airtight container. I like grinding them up using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to make a creamier dressing with a little body. Leave them whole for a thinner dressing with the occasional crunch.
Delicious Substitutions that Work
This dressing is easy to adjust according to your diet, taste, and what you have in the pantry:
Soy sauce: Low-sodium is preferred, but regular soy sauce works too. Start with a little less, 2 1/2 tablespoons. You can also swap the soy sauce out for liquid aminos. Olive oil: For oil with a more neutral flavor, use canola or vegetable oil. Brown sugar: Replace with an equal amount of honey, adding more to taste. Rice vinegar: White vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and red wine vinegar all make good substitutions.
Ways to Play with the Recipe
Fresh ginger is optional, but it adds a really nice zing. You can also add thinly sliced scallions or a grated garlic clove for even more flavor. A tablespoon or two of fresh orange juice adds a citrusy, fruity element.
A Million-ish Ways to Use Sesame Dressing
Sesame dressing is delightful simply tossed with mixed greens. Try this sesame dressing in these recipes:
Sesame Noodle Salad Chinese Chicken Salad Sesame Cucumber Salad Asian Coleslaw
Or use it to dress these bowls and veggies:
Steak Noodle Bowls Baby Bok Choy with Yellow Bell Peppers Salmon Avocado Poke Bowl Steamed Broccoli
Try it as a marinade or sauce for meats:
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Grilled Ginger Sesame Pork Loin Juicy Grilled Chicken Breasts
Screw on the lid and shake until the sugar has dissolved and the dressing is combined well, about 30 seconds. The dressing should be a little creamy, especially if you ground the seeds. Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. Did you love the recipe? Leave us some stars below!
