Japanese sesame sauce is so versatile! It's a delicious salad dressing, the perfect dipping sauce for dumplings, an amazing sauce for meats, fish, or vegetables, and great on chilled summer noodles too! It has a very addictive slightly sweet, nutty flavour. You can buy it at the store, but it's so easy to make - why expose yourself to all of those preservatives?
How to make Japanese sesame sauce
This sauce could not be much easier to make. Simply grind up the sesame seeds using a mortar and pestle or a food processor (see note below if you have neither), then whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl. It's that easy! Don't buy the pre-ground sesame seeds from the store - you won't get the same fresh flavour.
Use either of these:
Buy Now →
Buy Now →
The flavour of this salad dressing is so nice that it can make even the most simple salad super tasty. Pictured below, I just have it with butter lettuce, thinly sliced cucumbers and radishes (I used a Japanese mandolin to do the thin slices), and a few pinches of white sesame seeds sprinkled on top. It was delicious!
Check out this sauce featured in my tasty sesame cucumber hand rolls. Such a scrumptious snack! I was inspired by having the same dish at a local hand roll restaurant before it shut down. It's such a delicious combination.
Japanese Sesame Sauce (Goma Dare)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: ½ cup 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
A delicious and versatile Japanese sauce that has a slightly sweet, nutty flavour that you will love. Perfect as a salad dressing, a dipping sauce for dumplings, a sauce on meats, fish, or vegetables, and tossed into chilled summer noodles. And so easy to make!
Ingredients
4 tbsp white sesame seeds (not roasted)
2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white miso paste
1 ½ teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sake (see note for substitutions)
Instructions
Grind the sesame seeds using a food processor or mortar and pestle. If you have neither, see note below.
Add all ingredients to one bowl and whisk together.
It's that easy!
Notes
You could alternatively grind the sesame seeds by putting them into a zip bag on a cutting board, and smash them with a blunt object until the hulls are broken apart. A great way to vent some frustration 😉
Sake can be substituted with an equal amount of dry sherry. If you prefer to exclude alcohol, you can use a mixture of one part rice wine vinegar to three parts water.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tbsp
- Calories: 103
- Sugar: 5.1 g
- Sodium: 334.4 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.6 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0.6 mg
Keywords: #japanesesesamesauce #sesamesauce #japanesefood
Sam says
I had sesame dressing at a Japanese restaurant and had to try making it at home. This recipe was so good! Will make it again.
Asha says
Yay! I'm happy you loved it. I do too.
Kate says
This is great
Asha says
Thanks!
Melissa says
Best.Dressing.Ever
Asha says
Thanks!
Lorraine says
Thanks for this. It's really good.
Asha says
Thank you! 🙂
Joy says
Sooo good on dumplings.
Asha says
Thank you. Now I'm craving dumplings with sesame sauce!
Iva says
So, so, so love the flavour of this sesame sauce on salad.
Asha says
Thank you, I love it too!
Meg says
This has got to be my favourite dressing yet.
Asha says
Thank you!
Emie says
Definitely keeping this gem in my recipe file. Thank you!
Asha says
Thanks for the review!
Seung Ah says
Best homemade sesame sause I ever had. Made to go with dumplings. Saving this recipe.
Asha says
Thanks, glad you liked it!
Bernice says
So easy to make. I love it.
Asha says
Thank you!
Faye says
Awesome. Love this sauce.
Asha says
Thank you!
Grace says
This sauce is amazingly good on chicken stir fry. Excited to try it in other dishes also.
Asha says
Thanks Grace, yes it's so multipurpose that it's amazing!
Evie says
I made this sauce for a chicken and pasta dish. Totally delicious.
Asha says
Sounds great. Glad you liked it!
Gaven says
Yes, oh yes, I love this sauce.
Asha says
Thanks!
Tina says
Love this recipe for sesame sauce. Put it on chicken with pasta. Tastes amazing.
Asha says
Thank you! That sounds like a delicious combo