This Sesame Ginger Dressing is tangy, savory, and nutty with fresh ginger, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and a touch of Sriracha. It takes just minutes to shake together and instantly makes simple salads restaurant-worthy.
This flavorful dressing is great on an Asian noodle salad, a crisp arugula salad, or a fresh leafy greens salad.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Flavor: Savory, tangy, and nutty with a bright hint of lime and a subtle kick of heat from Sriracha.
- Skill Level: No cooking required! This beginner-friendly recipe is mixed and chilled.
- Prep Note: This recipe uses fresh garlic, so be sure to store it in the refrigerator right after making and use it within 3 days.
- Serving Suggestions: Great on your favorite salads, drizzled over a salmon bowl, or as a dipping sauce with chicken lettuce wraps.
Total Time: 10 minutes Servings: 21 Tablespoons Cooking Method: Chilled
Ingredient Notes
- The Base: Vegetable oil acts as the perfect base for this dressing, as it doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Swap it for canola, avocado oil, or another neutral-flavored oil.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Perfect to add a mild tang to this recipe. Use unseasoned rice wine vinegar so the sweetness can be controlled for the best flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Opt for low-sodium soy sauce to control the sodium. Tamari works well for this recipe, too!
- Honey: Sweetens and balances the rice wine vinegar. Can be replaced with maple syrup.
- Aromatics: Fresh minced garlic adds a savory bite while fresh ginger gives this dressing a fresh, gentle heat. Swap the fresh aromatics with ¼ teaspoon each of powdered garlic and ground ginger to extend the shelf life.
- Flavor Boosters: Toasted sesame oil delivers that signature nutty flavor (don’t skip it)! A splash of fresh lime juice (bottled in a pinch) adds a punch of citrus, and a teaspoon of Sriracha provides a subtle warmth.
Favorite Variations
- Add Texture: Stir in a teaspoon of sesame seeds for texture and a pretty finish.
- Make it Creamy: Stir in a spoonful of tahini or peanut butter to make this a creamy dressing perfect for sesame ginger noodle salad or Asian slaw.
- Swap the Citrus: Replace the lime juice with fresh-squeezed lemon juice or orange juice for a twist.
How to Make Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Squeeze a lime, mince a clove of garlic, and grate some ginger.
- Measure and add each ingredient (per recipe below) into a jar or cruet and shake to blend.
Storing the Dressing
Store sesame ginger dressing in a glass jar or salad dressing cruet in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Shake well before using, as it will separate as it sits.
Freezing is not recommended.
More Easy Salad Dressings
Did you enjoy this Sesame Ginger Dressing? Leave a comment and rating below!
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha or to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine.
- Enjoy over salads, as a marinade, in stir fries or as a dip.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dressing
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Why would this last only 2-3 days? I’ve had all the ingredients I used to make it much longer than that. So many homemade dressing recipes say that and we haven’t gotten sick yet . A genuine question. Thanks.
This recipe has raw garlic in it which can cause botulism if left for longer than 2-3 days, so we don’t recommend storing it longer to avoid any risk.
i’m with you I eat homemade dressing and chicken stock past the expiration date. I will follow the date on store bought dressing
tasty. is there a way to make it a little thicker?
Vicky, there are a couple options to make the dressing a little thicker. You could leave out the water. Another reader suggested adding 1-2 tsps of chia seeds. I have not tried this, but it might help.
I halved the recipe & the only change I made was decrease the vegetable oil to 1/8 Cup instead of 1/4 Cup.
I also used Penzey’s dehydrated minced garlic & frozen minced ginger. The ginger came from Dorot Gardens.
With this dressing I used it to drizzle over grilled scallops tonight. Delicious!
This is really good and fresh. I used a little less honey because I prefer a more savory dressing.
This recipe was delicious! Will use it again
Absolutely Delicious!
This is one of the best I have found. Really tasty and gives a bit of a zing.
Excellent!
To the person who asked about the short “life” of this dressing, I would substitute garlic powder and ginger powder instead of using fresh for both. Although I have not made this dressing (although I definitely plan on trying it), I have a similar recipe that I use and it keeps a long time in the fridge.
Thank you, Holly, for not only being a patient person with some of the other mean commenters, and also for your great, easy recipes. Much appreciated!
Those are great substitutions. Thank you Melanie, so glad you are enjoying our recipes!
I have been using this dressing recipe A LOT since i found it earlier this year. It has officially been added to a recipe card with “spend with pennies” in the corner so i remember where i found it. =)
When I make my asian salad, I have so much salad I’ll eat it with this dressing all week long. I mix two bags of Walmart’s super blend, a chopped up napa cabbage and chopped cilantro and thinly sliced scallions – easy peasy.
I leave out the water, use more sesame oil than veggie oil (and do not use the full amount of oil listed here), leave out the sesame seeds, and use less honey (especially when i double the recipe). The flavors of this dressing are amazing even with those changes, it would make a great marinade as well. I cannot say enough good things about it and because I just made it again earlier this week I decided to finally come say something about it!
Being a diabetic and not wanting the addition of honey, do you think that fine crystal monkfruit would work?
Sorry, Dawn. I have never used fine crystal monkfruit. But maybe another reader can offer some guidance.
Thanks for answering. I actually found a pretty natural sugar free substitute for honey so I am making this today!
So happy to hear that, Dawn!