This is probably, bar none, my favorite salad dressing! It goes perfectly over a crisp salad, or even drizzled over grilled chicken or couscous. A combination of mayonnaise, honey, sesame oil, and rice vinegar make for the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and a hint of sour from the vinegar.
The inspiration behind this dressing is Seattle style teriyaki. If you aren’t familiar with Seattle teriyaki, it is what pizza is to Chicago. What Cheesesteak is to Philly. Loco Moco to Hawaii. You get it, it’s their thing! You can read more about Seattle teriyaki here, but what you really need to know in connection with this salad dressing, is that when you order your teriyaki, it comes with a bed of crisp iceberg lettuce, and a side of dressing, reminiscent of this the recipe we’re talking about today. When we first moved to Southern California I realized how bad I missed this dressing one night, and just started mixing up my own. To my surprise…it worked! I had to really fine tune the honey and the vinegar, but
The only difference is alot of times in Seattle you’ll get poppyseeds (or sometimes sesame seeds) in your dressing- I don’t like them in mine, but if you want to add them, try a teaspoon mixed in.
Honey Sesame Dressing Ingredients
- Mayonnaise: Full fat recommended for flavor. If you have access to Kewpie Japanese Mayonnaise, that would be best… but if not- good old Best Foods works just as great.
- Honey: You could use Agave if you prefer.
- Rice Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar will work in a pinch but rice vinegar is preferred.
- Sesame Oil: No substitutions! Sesame Oil is for flavoring.
- Poppyseeds or Sesame Seeds: Optional, chef’s choice.Try a teaspoon at at a time.
Mix up the dressing, I like to use a mini whisk to get it nice and smooth, then transfer it a container with a lid. It will keep for about 7 days in the refrigerator (assuming that all ingredients are fresh and up to date).
This dressing is served best over iceberg lettuce, and even better topped with grilled chicken.
If you’re looking for other delicious dressings we love, here are a few!
What do you think about this recipe? Have questions?Comment below!Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula. We love to see your pics!
Honey Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Mix ingredients together in a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisk well to eliminate lumps.
- Transfer dressing to a lidded glass jar (like a mason jar) and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Serve over salad and enjoy!
William Buchanan says
Thank you for this! I have been wanting to recreate the dressing from our teriyaki places for years. This is it!
Want to say the ingredients are crucial for the flavor. Made it the first time with what I had on hand which was apple cider vinegar and an intensely dark knotweed honey. Close, but not quite right, so ordered the light rice vinegar and a mild wildflower honey.
Perfect! That’s it!
Laney says
Holy cow! I don’t normally rate recipes, but this one is fantastic. I don’t need to order the $15 salad from my local joint anymore! The salad dressing is legit. Thanks, ladies!
Kathi & Rachel says
thats so great to hear! Thank you for the rating and the nice note!