This Chinese dressing, ready in 5 minutes, is simple, tangy, and so delicious! Made with sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, and soy sauce, it’s excellent on any kind of salad and will remind you of your favorite Chinese restaurant.
A good dressing is really what brings a salad to life.
Making dressing from scratch may feel like extra work, but it only takes 5 minutes and tastes so much better than the store-bought kind… trust me.
Tangy rice vinegar, sweet honey, savory soy sauce, and a hint of sesame oil come together in this recipe to give your salad that unmistakable Chinese restaurant flavor.
This Chinese sesame dressing is delicious on salads, and it’s also great tossed with soba noodles, which are a perfect match for this dressing.
It’s made with simple pantry staples, comes together in minutes, and keeps well in the fridge for about 2 weeks if you skip fresh add-ins like garlic. If you include fresh garlic, use within 7 days.
Ingredients for the Chinese dressing
Neutral oil: such as sunflower oil
Rice vinegar: an Asian vinegar that’s easy to find these days. I highly recommend keeping it on hand.
Sesame oil: the biggest flavor-driver in this dressing. If you use toasted sesame oil, start with 1 teaspoon, taste, and add more if you like. If it’s regular sesame oil, feel free to be more generous.
Honey: a bit of sweetness to tame the tang of the vinegar. Brown sugar also works in a pinch.
Light soy sauce: adds a savory touch to the dressing.
Garlic (optional): adds another layer of flavor.
Possible variations
- Peanut butter: For a creamier, thicker version, add peanut butter or another nut butter. Start with 1 to 2 tablespoons and add water as needed if it’s too thick.
- A bit of ginger: add fresh or ground ginger for more flavor. Start with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon freshly grated.
- Lime: add a splash of fresh lime juice for a citrusy lift.
- Sriracha sauce: spice up the dressing with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sriracha.
Ingredients
- 32 g neutral cooking oil
- 60 ml rice vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1.5 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together until well combined.
