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This Roasted Sesame Dressing is creamy, flavourful and so easy to make! With only a few simple ingredients, it’s Keto friendly, Low Carb and incredibly delicious. It’ll seriously take any salad or bowl to a whole other level.

If you love salads and you’re ready to elevate just about any one of them, then say helllllo to this Roasted Sesame Dressing. It may sound a little fancy at first with the word ‘roasted’ thrown in there and all but this dressing could not be any simpler to make. It’s made in the food processor with a few simple pantry staples I know I always have lying around the kitchen. And the best part? It’s ready in about 5 minutes. What could be better?!

bowl of creamy/yellow sauce with a spoon in it, hand on the spoon, salads in the background

I used to work at a pretty cool bar in Downtown, Toronto that served up some pretty delicious dishes. One of said dishes was a Quinoa Burrito Bowl of sorts – a Vegetarian dish filled with ingredients you might find in a typical Burrito such as corn, black beans, tomatoes… you get the idea. But the secret to this Quinoa Burrito Bowl and the component that every customer, without fail, always raved about was the dressing. The Creamy Roasted Sesame Dressing, that is.

You see, this dressing is just full of flavour and is sure to take your palette by surprise! It has a deep nutty, toasted taste to it that is hard to compare to anything else! Therefore, you really have to try this Roasted Sesame Dressing for yourself. Of course, it’s great on salads with a wide variety of ingredients (take this Butternut Squash Salad, for example). But, that’s definitely not all it’s good for! Use it as a dipping sauce for things like french fries, potato wedges or chicken drumsticks. Or toss it up with some Air Fryer Chicken Wings. Either way, this dressing is one you’re going to love having on hand! Dare I say you might wanna double the batch?! 😉

INGREDIENTS FOR ROASTED SESAME DRESSING

Only 8 simple ingredients is all it takes to make this Creamy and super flavourful Roasted Sesame Dressing. Let’s get into ’em in a little more detail down below:

Sesame Seeds: I’d like to call these guys the star of the show but the next two ingredients are just as important in this Roasted Sesame Dressing. Roasting the sesame seeds is where that deep, nutty, irresistible flavour comes from. But be careful, they burn very easily and you’ll have to watch them very closely as they’re toasting. White sesame seeds is what we’re using in this recipe, not the black ones.
Sesame Oil: Such a good ingredient all on it’s own and one I use very often in my kitchen. It adds a nutty, deep toasted flavour to the dressing. However, make sure you’re grabbing toasted sesame oil and not untoasted.
Tahini: A sesame seed paste that contributes to the overall nuttiness and roasted flavour the dressing has. Also makes the dressing extra creamy and delicious.
Mayonnaise: Thickens the dressing giving it a nice consistency. Also helps in making it creamy. Try using Homemade Mayonnaise instead of store bought.
Rice Vinegar: Adds acidity to the dressing and balances out some of the strong sesame flavours.
Coconut Aminos: The soy sauce substitute for low carb or keto dieters. With that being said though, if you’re not worried about those things, feel free to use regular soy sauce instead. It adds a salty flavour to the dressing.
Sriracha: Adds a little bit of heat to this Roasted Sesame Dressing and gives it a nice kick. Add more or less depending on your spice preference. Or omit it entirely, if preferred.
Water: Thins out the dressing. If you find it too thick, add more water. However, if you like it on the thicker side, use less water or don’t add any at all. RECIPE NOTE: The Roasted Sesame Dressing will thicken up as it sits in the fridge. Thin it out by adding 1/2 a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

hand with a spoon in a bowl of creamy white/yellow sauce

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED SESAME DRESSING (KEY TIPS)

bowl of creamy sauce with a spoon drizzling some down

Keep a close eye on the sesame seeds as you’re toasting them on the stove. They can and WILL burn easily and therefore, this is not just something you can walk away from. They require constant stirring. However, they only take a of couple minutes. You have it in you to stay focused…. I believe in you!
Use a food processor to grind the roasted sesame seeds up into a fine powder. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle. You basically just want to make sure you can break the sesame seeds down in some way so you’re not left with whole ones in the dressing. Grinding the seeds up also releases their inside oils giving the dressing that deep, rich and extra nutty flavour.
Use water to thin out the dressing as needed. If you find it too thick, water will do the trick in getting it to your desired consistency. Add it in 1/2 a tablespoon at a time for best results. RECIPE NOTE: The dressing will thicken in the fridge as it sits. But again, a little bit of water should bring it right back to your desired consistency.

bowl of creamy/yellow sauce with a spoon in it, bowl of green in the background

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW SHOULD I STORE THIS ROASTED SESAME DRESSING?

This Roasted Sesame Dressing is best stored in a jar with a tight fitting lid and kept in the fridge. Alternatively, you can keep it in an airtight container. It’ll be good for up to a week.

IS ROASTED SESAME DRESSING HEALTHY?

If you’re referring to the Kewpie Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing and Marinade you can find on Amazon or at Costco, then unfortunately, no, I wouldn’t necessarily consider that a healthy option. But, that’s what I’m here for! One of my all time favourite things to do is take deliciously unhealthy foods and see how I can turn them into much healthier but still delicious options.

This Roasted Sesame Dressing recipe is made with only a few simple ingredients. It’s keto friendly, low carb and doesn’t have any soybean oil or words you can’t pronounce. It’s fresh, made with real and whole ingredients and certainly does not compromise on flavour. You’ll never want to buy it from Amazon or Costco again!

WHAT CAN I USE THIS ROASTED SESAME DRESSING FOR?

Since the obvious answer is salads, here are some goods ones: Try replacing the dressings in this Kale Caesar Salad or this Broccoli Salad with Bacon with the Roasted Sesame Dressing. Or use it on these Grilled Chicken Salads or this Steak Niçoise Salad. Although, heck, I’ll be the first to say that you don’t need a fancy salad to enjoy this dressing! Toss it over some simple greens or a pile of cabbage like they do in Japan. Yeah. It’s THAT good.

Besides salads, this Roasted Sesame Dressing is great as a dipping sauce for so many things. Fresh vegetable spring rolls, asian style gyoza or dumplings, roasted veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, french fries, potato wedges and chicken wings, just to name a few!

bowl of creamy white/yellow sauce with a spoon in it, sesame seeds around it in the background

ROASTED SESAME DRESSING

Yield: ~1 Cup

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This Roasted Sesame Dressing is creamy, flavourful and so easy to make! With only a few simple ingredients, it's Keto friendly, Low Carb and incredibly delicious.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Mayonnaise, homemade or store bought*
1/3 cup Coconut Aminos
3 tbsp Rice Vinegar
2 tbsp White Sesame Seeds
2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1.5 tbsp Tahini
1 tsp Sriracha, optional
1/2 tsp Water, optional, see notes*

Instructions

In a small skillet, over medium heat, add the sesame seeds. Toast them for 2-3 minutes, until they start to brown, stirring constantly to ensure they don't burn.
Add the roasted sesame seeds to the base of a food processor and pulse a few times until they turn into a fine powder. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle.
Add the mayo, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sesame oil, tahini and sriracha and water, if using. Process until smooth and all the ingredients are well combined. Store in an airtight container or mason jar and keep it in the fridge for up to a week!

Notes

Water is used for thinning out the dressing. Add more, as needed or omit entirely if you prefer a thicker consistency.

Click HERE for my Easy 1 Minute Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1287Total Fat: 129gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 106gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 2263mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 3gSugar: 17gProtein: 8g

Nutrition is only an estimate and calculated using Nutritionix.