This flavorful, yet simple recipe for Ginger Sesame Dressing features basic ingredients that are easily found at the grocery store, and is ready to use in less than 10 minutes!
Perfect for salads, grain bowls, and noodles - it can even be used as a marinade!
If you love the flavors of sesame, ginger, and garlic, you're going to be obsessed with this easy recipe for sesame ginger dressing. It comes together super quickly, and works with so many different dishes.
It has a depth of flavor that you just don't get from ranch dressing - and we know you'll love it!
Why You'll Love It:
- Simple ingredients. With just 7 ingredients, this homemade sesame ginger dressing recipe comes together quickly and easily.
- So versatile! We love this as a salad dressing, but it makes an amazing marinade, and is absolutely delicious in slaw recipes, noodle dishes, and grain bowls.
- Inexpensive. Compared to bottled dressings from the grocery store, making your own dressings is a great way to save money!
Ingredients
- Olive oil: This provides the base for this vinaigrette-style dressing. Avocado oil can be used if you prefer.
- Rice wine vinegar: We recommend using "seasoned" rice vinegar, which is a bit sweeter than "unseasoned." If you can find it, mirin is a great option.
- Sesame oil: This adds a delicious nutty flavor (and a sesame flavor). We prefer toasted sesame oil, but regular sesame oil will do just fine. Tahini works well as a substitute!
You'll also need:
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Honey (or pure maple syrup)
- Soy sauce (or tahini)
How to Make Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Add 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar to a small glass jar or mini blender. Grate 2 cloves of fresh garlic into the jar, then stir and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes.
Soaking raw garlic in acid helps to mellow the sharp flavor commonly experienced with raw garlic.
- After the garlic has mellowed, add the other ingredients.
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4-6 teaspoons honey
- 5 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 inches of fresh ginger, grated
- 2 pinches black pepper
- Mix the dressing. We like to use a mini blender or milk frother to mix the dressing, but a vigorous whisking works just as well!
- Your dressing is ready to use! For the best results, cover with a lid and chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Try different flavors!
- With lime: Try swapping the rice vinegar out for lime juice. It's delicious, especially served with crisp red bell peppers and red onion.
- With peanut butter: Add 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter to the dressing before blending. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Ways to Use It:
- Salad dressing
- Marinade (chicken, salmon, shrimp, etc.)
- Drizzled over a grain bowl
- Noodle salad
- Kale salad
- Cucumber and bell pepper salad
- Asian slaw
- For dipping with a combination of raw vegetables
- Crunchy cabbage salads
- Drizzled on roasted vegetables (Brussels sprouts, anyone?)
Substitutions
- Rice vinegar: Mirin, fresh lime juice, or mild vinegars like white wine vinegar.
- Toasted sesame oil: If you can't find this, tahini (ground sesame seed paste) can be used instead.
- Olive oil: Swap this out for avocado oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, or the neutral oil of your choice.
Vegan Sesame Ginger Dressing
This recipe is easy to make vegan by swapping the honey for maple syrup!
Expert Tips
- Mellow the garlic. Allowing the raw garlic to steep in the rice vinegar helps tame the strong flavor that's common with raw garlic. It takes just 5 minutes but makes a big difference!
- Freeze your ginger root. Fresh ginger is SO GOOD, but it can go bad quickly if you don't use it up. We wrap our leftover roots and place them in the freezer door. Ginger root can be grated from frozen and tastes just as good as fresh!
- Grating is great. I recommend using a fine grater for both the garlic and ginger. This prevents large chunks from floating in the dressing, and it ensures the flavor is evenly distributed.
More Salad Dressing Recipes
If you loved this recipe for Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Ginger Sesame Dressing
This ginger sesame dressing is made with simple ingredients and is perfect for salads, grain bowls, or even as a flavorful marinade!
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Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 74kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar seasoned (or mirin)
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- ¼ cup olive oil extra-virgin
- 4-6 teaspoons honey (or maple syrup)
- 5 teaspoons soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (or tahini)
- 2 inches of fresh ginger finely grated
- 2 pinches ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mellow the garlic. First, add the rice vinegar to a small blender, bowl, or glass jar. Then, grate the garlic into the container, swishing it around so the garlic is submerged under the rice vinegar. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes; it will tame the sharpness that is common with raw garlic.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Pour in the olive oil, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh grated ginger, and black pepper.
- Blend or mix well. Pulse the dressing in a mini blender, mix with a handheld frother, or whisk vigorously by hand. Once the dressing comes together, it's ready to serve.
- Shake before serving. If you're preparing your dressing in advance, I recommend transferring it to a small glass jar with a lid. Store in the refrigerator until you're ready. The dressing will separate with time, so give it a good shake before serving.
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Notes
Storage: Keep dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Shake well before serving.
With lime: Substitute the rice wine vinegar for fresh lime juice.
With peanut butter: Mix in 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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Dorothy Bigelow says
Homemade dressings can have a long list of ingredients, but we like this one because it's so simple. It's easy enough to pull together on a busy weeknight, yet it packs A LOT of flavor. We also love it as a marinade for stir-frys, seafood, and more.