This 5 minute Asian salad dressing is simple, tangy and so delicious! Made with sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey and soy sauce, it is great on any type of salad.
A good salad dressing is really what brings 'life' to a salad. Making your own dressing from scratch might sound like extra work, but it really only takes 5 minutes and has so much more flavor than store bought! I have seven basic vinaigrette recipes on the blog, and this Asian sesame dressing is one of our all time faves.
Homemade dressings can easily veer off into the "too sweet" or "too acidic" pretty easily, but I'm happy to say this easy Asian-inspired salad dressing is perfectly balanced! With over 200 5-star reviews, I'm obviously not the only person in love with it. You never have to worry about greasy separation turning your favorite salad into an oily mess because we've got the ratios just right, ensuring proper emulsification and perfect mouthfeel. This balance of salty, sweet, and umami promises complex flavors that bring out the best in any salad!
Why You'll Love This Asian Salad Dressing Recipe
- it's ready in 5 minutes or less using simple pantry ingredients
- you can make it up to 2 weeks ahead
- you can adjust the vinegar to make it more or less tangy
Don't forget to pin this recipe to save it for later!
Sesame Dressing Ingredients
- olive oil- a healthy and neutral oil. I opt for extra-virgin olive oil for all of my vinaigrette recipes.
- rice vinegar- I used seasoned rice vinegar in this recipe, so if you use an unseasoned rice vinegar, make sure to taste the dressing and adjust salt/sweetener to your taste.
- sesame oil- this is what brings the flavah to this dressing. I don't have access to toasted sesame oil, which I hear is more assertive in flavor. If you are using toasted sesame oil, start with 1 teaspoon, taste, and add more if you'd like.
- honey (or maple syrup)- a little sweetness is needed to tame the tanginess. Honey and maple syrup are easily interchangeable in most vinaigrettes at the same ratio. Brown sugar also works in a pinch!
- soy sauce- brings a savory twist to this vinaigrette. I always use reduced sodium soy sauce
- garlic- optional, but also brings another flavor dimension to this dressing.
The ratio
Traditional vinaigrette recipes use a 1:3 ratio of vinegar:oil. It comes down to taste preference, and I welcome you to play around with this ratio to get a tangier vinaigrette.
I prefer a 1:1 ratio for maximum flavor on my salad, and recommend starting with this ratio and adding more oil if you find this too tangy.
How to Make Asian Dressing
- Place all ingredients into a jar and tightly close the lid.
- Vigorously shake the jar for 30 seconds to mix well.
- Serve over a salad immediately or store in the refrigerator up to two weeks. If the jar has been sitting long, you will need to shake it again before pouring for the perfect consistency.
Asian Salad Dressing Recipe Variations
Consider this to be a base recipe with endless possibilities. Here are some ways to level up your dressing:
- peanut butter- make a creamy and thicker version by adding peanut butter or another nut butter. Start with 1-2 tablespoons and add water as needed if it is too thick.
- ginger- add fresh or powdered ginger for added flavor. Start with ½ teaspoon powdered and 1 teaspoon freshly grated.
- lime- add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to give this a citrussy twist
- sriracha- up the spice level with ½ to 1 teaspoon of sriracha
- vegan- use maple syrup in place of honey
- paleo- swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos
Storing Sesame Dressing
Homemade vinaigrettes are easy to prep ahead. You can shake this Asian salad dressing up ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
If you plan to add any fresh garlic or fresh herbs, you will want to use within 7 days.
Vinaigrette should be stored in the fridge, and will separate over time. Give it a quick shake up before serving and you are good to go!
How to Use This Asian Dressing Recipe
You can use Asian salad dressing on any salad. Here are my favorites:
- soba noodle salad- we have a variation of this vinaigrette used for this Asian Chicken Soba Noodle Salad recipe
- pasta salad- this meal prep sesame chicken pasta salad is a great prep ahead option
- slaw- this Asian slaw recipe with sesame vinaigrette is a great side salad option
- kale salad- massage kale for 5 minutes before tossing in this dressing and serving with sesame seeds and spring onions
Asian Slaw Recipe with Sesame Vinaigrette
Looking for more dressing or vinaigrette recipes?
- Check out this Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
- This Easy Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette
- This White Wine Vinaigrette (my FAVORITE all purpose vinaigrette)
- This 4 Ingredient Balsamic Vinaigrette
- This Fresh Rasbperry Basil Vinaigrette
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Asian Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar *see note
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil **see note
- 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
- pinch salt
- 1 -2 cloves garlic minced (optional)
Instructions
- Shake together all ingredients.
- Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Tips:
- 1:2- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar + 6 tablespoons of olive oil (less tangy)
- 1:3- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar + 6 tablespoons olive oil (way less tangy)
- peanut butter- make a creamy and thicker version by adding peanut butter or another nut butter. Start with 1-2 tablespoons and add water as needed if it is too thick.
- ginger- add fresh or powdered ginger for added flavor. Start with ½ teaspoon powdered and 1 teaspoon freshly grated.
- lime- add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to give this a citrussy twist
- sriracha- up the spice level with ½ to 1 teaspoon of sriracha
- vegan- use maple syrup in place of honey
- paleo- swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos
Nutrition Information
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Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
Sandra says
Ratio I used, 1:2 ratio. I also used Kikkoman's Soya (more intense flavor than regular soy sauce), Kikkoman's Rice Vinegar, dark brown sugar, no additional salt, added dried minced ginger and garlic. Perfect!!
Susan Cannon says
I've made this twice now and it's so delicious! I add fresh ginger and it's great! I like it better when I use all sesame oil rather than using the virgin olive oil but love both! Thank you!
Annonomys says
I loved this!! It’s so light and has such good flavor.
TerriLynn says
Adding peanut butter sounds good.
EllenL says
so easy and delicious! I added the peanut butter and use it on everything!
sandra says
great, added ginger, thanks
Rhonda says
Thank you!! I'd give 50 stars if I could! Honestly, this is the best salad dressing that I have ever had! I make it one quart at a time because I love it so much! So fresh, healthy and lively, and so many little ways to vary it! I use Monk Fruit sweetener and it works great! Love it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Kerry says
Awesome never buying from the store again
David R says
This was excellent, went the maple syrup route and added tahini and fresh ginger, squeezed in a garlic press. Served it on a vermicelli and Wakame salad with crab and various shredded veggies. Extremely good!!
Rhonda says
This recipe is fantastic! It is my new favorite! Thank you!!
Patt Rimmer says
Amazing as is!
sharon Leslie says
Delicious and fast! Used grapeseed oil with the olive oil. Will make again.
Andrea says
Delicious and super easy
Jocelyn says
Made it and it was so delicious.
How do you store a double batch? I put it in a jar in the refrigerator. Took it out this morning and can see the oil has thickened. I shook it vigorously but the oil is still thick and clumpy.
Shelley says
Thanks for this recipe! I realized I had shredded chicken, snow peas and a Covid era can water chestnuts that needed to be used up. But no suitable dressing. This recipe came to the rescue. I had everything except the garlic, so I substituted 1/8 teaspoon of Chinese garlic chili paste. I also added a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter as suggested. Easy, quick, delicious and versatile. Will absolutely make again.
Catherine says
I made this last night at the last minute, and it was delicious on our salad will definitely make again. I will try some of your other salad dressings as well.
Susan says
So simple-SO delicious-fresh ginger makes it so fresh and bright! Thank you!
Kelli says
This is so amazing and delicious, thank you!!! I made it the original way but will be making it with ginger and garlic to marinate some chicken.
Regina says
So easy. I had everything already. Very tasty. Always better homemade.
Lori Middleton says
Whipped this up to mix with salad greens as a side to serve with my Shrimp stir fry ~ delicious!! I was running low on Sesame Oil so only had 1/2 of the amount the recipe called for but could still taste it. Also added the ginger recommended as an add-in.