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What is Japanese Sesame Dressing?
Japanese sesame dressing, known as “goma dressing (ごまドレッシング)” in Japanese, is a thick and creamy dressing made with ground sesame seeds, mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
These 6 simple and accessible ingredients come together to make a rich, tangy, and decadent salad dressing like no other!
Even though the bottles of dressing are cheap and easy to find in Japan, I noticed that they’re not so easy to find abroad and can sometimes be expensive. Fortunately, it’s cheap to make at home and super easy too!
How I Developed This Recipe
Sesame dressing has been a personal favorite of mine since childhood. Its rich and creamy texture transformed every salad into a moment I look forward to. Nowadays, you’ll find an array of variations on store shelves across Japan, each with its own twist. But in this recipe, I’ve set my sights on crafting the quintessential standard sesame dressing.
My goal was to create something simple yet delicious, a dressing that could be whipped up quickly but would bring that classic, beloved flavor to your table.
It’s incredibly easy and fast to make, capturing the essence of what made me fall in love with sesame dressing in the first place!
Ingredients You Will Need
- Sesame seeds – known as “iri goma” in Japanese, white toasted sesame seeds are a must-have for this recipe! We will toast them again, but for the best flavor, buy them already toasted.
- Japanese mayonnaise – I recommend using Kewpie’s mayonnaise (affiliate) for the perfect creamy, umami-rich taste. You can also make it with your usual mayonnaise, but the taste will be slightly different.
- Rice vinegar – for added tanginess. Apple cider vinegar is a great substitute.
- Sugar – caster or granulated sugar works best since it dissolves easily even in cold liquid.
- Soy sauce – helps add balance to the sweetness and tanginess of the sauce.
- Sesame oil – not only adds a deeper sesame flavor but also helps thin out the dressing so that it becomes easier to pour.
The great thing about making your own salad dressing is that you can adjust it to suit your taste! If it’s too sweet, reduce the sugar. Needs more tang? Add a little extra vinegar. It’s totally up to you!
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Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Japanese-style Sesame Dressing at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
STEP
Add the sesame seeds to a pan
Pour the sesame seeds into a dry, cold pan. I recommend not using a non-stick pan, as the seeds might scratch and damage it. Place on the stove over a medium-high heat.
Toast the seeds until golden and fragrant. I recommend swirling the pan around occasionally to prevent burning, and removing the pan from the heat as soon as they’re done.
STEP
Grind
If you’re making a small batch, grind the toasted sesame seeds into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. (If you’re making a large batch, you can use a food processor to speed things up.)
STEP
Add the other condiments
Transfer the ground sesame seeds to a bowl and add the mayo, rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil.
STEP
Mix thoroughly
Mix everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Enjoy!
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How to Store
Once the sesame dressing ingredients are mixed together, they should be stored in a clean airtight container in the refrigerator and used within 1 week.
If you love this dressing, I recommend blitzing a large batch of sesame seeds to a powder and storing them in a cool dry place for up to 3 months, or in the fridge for up to 6 months. With ground sesame seeds in your pantry, this recipe goes from 10 minutes to 1!
If you make sesame dressing without mayonnaise, it can be kept for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
FAQ
Here are answers to frequently asked questions I have received across all platforms, including here, YouTube, and Pinterest. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to me anytime! It will be a big help for everyone in this community!
What is the Origin of Sesame Dressing?
Sesame dressing has a pretty short history. It was first created by Kewpie Corp, the company behind the best-selling “Kewpie mayonnaise,” and was distributed for business use in 1999.By 2000, Kewpie had released their bottled “Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing” in supermarkets, and its popularity soared. In fact, to this day it is the number one selling salad dressing in Japan and sold approximately 76 million bottles in 2022! (Kewpie, 2022)When it comes to salad dressings in Japan, sesame dressing is the most popular by far, and this comes down to a number of factors. Not only does it tick every box in terms of flavor, but it’s versatile and can be used on many different kinds of salads. It can also be used on noodles, as a dipping sauce, or even as a marinade!
Can I make this sesame dressing without a mortar/pestle or food processor?
If you don’t have the equipment to grind the sesame seeds, you can buy already ground sesame seeds called “surigoma” (すりごま). They should be available in well-stocked Japanese food stores.
Alternatively, you could use a coffee grinder, pepper mill, blender, or place them in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them (although it will take a long time to make them a fine powder).
What if I don’t have Japanese mayo? Can I use regular mayo?
Of course! The flavor will be a little different, but it will still be delicious!
Can I use apple vinegar?
The taste will be a little different but you can use apple vinegar.
I hope you enjoy this Japanese Sesame Dressing recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers.Thank you!
More Japanese Dressing Recipes
- Wafu Dressing (Soy Based Salad Dressing)
- Shiso Dressing (Perilla Leaves Salad Dressing)
Japanese Sesame Dressing (Goma Salad Dressing)
5 from 3 votes
By Yuto Omura
Give your salads a Japanese twist with this popular Japanese "goma" sesame dressing. Delicious, creamy, and nutty, this dressing is perfect for drizzling over salad or using as a dipping sauce. You only need a few simple ingredients and it's ready in minutes!
Prep Time7 minutes mins
Cook Time3 minutes mins
Total Time10 minutes mins
Course Sauces
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2 portion
Prep Time: 7 minutes mins
Cook Time: 3 minutes mins
Total Time: 10 minutes mins
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 2 portion
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Equipment
Ingredients
Small batch (serves 2)
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Large batch (serves 16)
- 115 g white sesame seeds
- 190 g Japanese mayonnaise
- 40 ml rice vinegar
- 35 g sugar
- 40 ml soy sauce
- 40 ml sesame oil
Instructions
Small batch (2 portions)
Add 2 tbsp white sesame seeds to a large dry pan.
Toast the sesame seeds over a medium-high heat until fragrant and slightly golden. Shake the pan regularly and remove from the heat as soon as they're done to prevent burning.
Grind the sesame seeds using a mortar and pestle until you have a fine powder.
Pour the ground sesame into a container and add 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 1 ½ tsp sugar, 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil.
Mix until well combined and enjoy!
Large batch (16 portions)
Toast 115 g white sesame seeds in a large dry pan until golden and fragrant.
Pour into a food processor and blitz until they become a powder.
Add 190 g Japanese mayonnaise, 40 ml rice vinegar, 35 g sugar, 40 ml soy sauce and 40 ml sesame oil. Blitz again until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Enjoy!
Video
Keyword asian sesame dressing, asian sesame salad dressing, creamy sesame dressing, goma dressing, how to make sesame dressing, Japanese salad dressing, Japanese sesame dressing, kewpie sesame dressing, sesame dressing, sesame dressing recipe, toasted sesame dressing
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.
The 2 servings batch doesn’t work in a food processor since the amount is too small. I recommend a food processor for large batches.
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