If you have a bottle of sesame oil sitting in your pantry and you're wondering what exactly you're supposed to do with it, I have good news: this is one of those ingredients that can make a ridiculously simple dinner taste like you knew what you were doing all along. And in our house, that is especially useful.

My kids have always loved Asian-inspired food. Stir-fry? Absolutely. Thai food? Always. Gourmet ramen? They would probably happily eat it several nights a week. And one of the flavors they all recognize immediately is sesame - that rich, nutty, deeply savory flavor that somehow makes noodles, rice, vegetables and sauces taste so much better.

These days our dinner table keeps changing. Kolton is back at Colorado Mesa for college, Keagan is a senior in high school, and Teal is officially a middle schooler in sixth grade, which I still haven't quite wrapped my head around. The 4 of us still in the house have wildly busy schedules between school, work, sports, animals, social life...the list goes on. But when everybody is home, bowls of noodles, homemade ramen, stir-fries and Thai-inspired dinners are still some of the easiest ways to make everyone happy. In fact, Thai curry is on the menu tonight. And a bottle of Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Toasted Sesame Oil goes a very long way toward making these dinners taste fantastic. The trick is knowing how to use it.

What Is Toasted Sesame Oil?

Sesame oil is made from sesame seeds, but not all sesame oils taste, or cook, the same. Regular sesame oil is generally made from untoasted sesame seeds and has a relatively mild flavor. Toasted sesame oil is made from sesame seeds that have been roasted before pressing, producing a darker oil with a much deeper, nuttier aroma and flavor. Our Toasted Sesame Oil is crafted in Japan using a traditional slow-roasting method and pressed in small batches. It has a full-bodied toasted sesame flavor, silky texture and that unmistakable savory, nutty aroma that makes you immediately think of a really good bowl of noodles. That concentrated flavor is exactly why you usually don't need very much of it. It's very potent. 

What Is the Best Way to Cook With Toasted Sesame Oil?

The best way to cook with toasted sesame oil is to treat it as both a seasoning and an oil.
You can use it in marinades, sauces and moderate-heat cooking, but toasted sesame oil really shines when some or all of it is added toward the end of cooking. That preserves more of its aromatic toasted flavor. Try toasted sesame oil in:

• Stir-fries
• Ramen and noodle bowls
• Fried rice
• Rice and grain bowls
• Dumpling dipping sauces
• Marinades
• Salad dressings
• Asian-inspired slaws
• Roasted or sautéed vegetables
• Salmon, shrimp, chicken, pork and tofu
• Soups and broths
• Cold noodle salads
• Sauces and glazes

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is thinking more sesame oil automatically means more deliciousness. Toasted sesame oil is assertive. Start small, taste, and add more if you need it. A teaspoon can completely change a sauce.

Can You Stir-Fry With Toasted Sesame Oil?

Yes, but there's a little nuance here. When people search for "sesame oil for stir-fry," they often treat regular sesame oil and toasted sesame oil as if they're interchangeable. They aren't.

Untoasted sesame oil is better suited to high-heat cooking. Toasted sesame oil has a more delicate aromatic character and is generally better used at moderate temperatures or added during the later stages of cooking. For a really hot stir-fry, I like the idea of using another cooking oil for the high-heat portion and bringing Toasted Sesame Oil in toward the end. You get the gorgeous sesame flavor without sacrificing the aroma that made you buy toasted sesame oil in the first place.

Toss it through the finished vegetables, noodles, chicken or tofu just before serving.
That little finishing step makes a huge difference.

How Much Sesame Oil Should You Use?

If you've never cooked with toasted sesame oil before, start with about 1 teaspoon and work your way up. For many recipes serving four people, 1 to 2 teaspoons may be enough to give you noticeable sesame flavor. Dressings, marinades and larger batches of noodles may use a tablespoon or more, but there isn't one magic measurement.

Taste as you go. Toasted sesame oil isn't usually an oil I indiscriminately pour into a pan. I think of it more like garlic, chile or a really good vinegar: it's there because I specifically want the flavor.

1. Use Toasted Sesame Oil in Stir-Fry

This is probably the first place most people think of using sesame oil, and for good reason. Chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, snap peas, cabbage, carrots and onions all love toasted sesame.

Cook your proteins and vegetables as you normally would, then add a small drizzle of Toasted Sesame Oil as the stir-fry comes together with your sauce. For an easy sweet-and-savory stir-fry sauce, try combining Toasted Sesame Oil with Honey Ginger White Balsamic Vinegar. Our Honey Ginger White Balsamic brings honey sweetness, ginger warmth and bright acidity, so you already have several layers of a stir-fry sauce working for you before you've added anything else. Add soy sauce or tamari, fresh garlic and a little chile if you want heat. 

Dinner. Done! This is exactly my kind of weeknight cooking.

Easy Sesame Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce

Whisk together:

• 1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
  
• 2 tablespoons Honey Ginger White Balsamic Vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• Chile flakes or hot sauce to taste
  Use it with chicken, shrimp, tofu, vegetables or noodles.

2. Add Toasted Sesame Oil to Ramen

This may be the fastest way to understand what a good toasted sesame oil can do.
Make your ramen. Then drizzle a little Toasted Sesame Oil into the finished broth or over the noodles before serving. That's it.

Of course, at our house "ramen" has a tendency to become an entire production. Soft-boiled eggs, mushrooms, green onions, greens, shredded chicken, chile sauce, sesame seeds—apparently we are incapable of leaving a bowl of noodles alone.
I'm okay with that. Toasted sesame oil works especially well with miso-based ramen because sesame and miso reinforce each other's savory, umami flavors.

For an even deeper bowl, add a few drops of Seed Ranch Umami Reserve Hot Sauce. Its porcini mushroom, miso, garlic and chocolate habanero flavors build on that same savory foundation.

3. Make Sesame Noodles

If your family likes noodles, learn this one.

Toss warm noodles with Toasted Sesame Oil, soy sauce or tamari, a splash of vinegar, garlic and ginger. Add vegetables and whatever protein you have. That's dinner. You can also serve sesame noodles cold, which makes them great for lunches, picnics and make-ahead meals.

For a brighter version, pair the sesame oil with our Thai Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic Vinegar. The lemongrass and mint bring a fresh, citrusy herbal quality that cuts through the richness of sesame beautifully. Add cucumber, carrots, cabbage, cilantro and green onions and you've got an excellent cold noodle salad.

4. Make a Sesame Salad Dressing

Sesame oil makes an incredible homemade salad dressing because its flavor is strong enough to turn fairly basic vegetables into something you actually want to eat. A simple formula is: 1 part Toasted Sesame Oil + 2 parts bright vinegar + salty seasoning + optional sweetness.

Try Toasted Sesame Oil with Honey Ginger White Balsamic for a classic sweet-ginger direction, or use Thai Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic for something brighter and more herbaceous. Add tamari or soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, sesame seeds or scallions depending on what you're serving. This dressing is fantastic on:

• Cabbage slaw
• Cucumber salad
• Shredded carrot salad
• Chicken salad
• Grain bowls
• Asian-inspired chopped salads
• Cold noodles
• Broccoli slaw

5. Drizzle Sesame Oil Over Rice Bowls

Rice bowls are basically an answer to the question, "What can I feed everyone with the random assortment of things currently in my refrigerator?" Start with rice. Add vegetables. Add chicken, shrimp, tofu, steak, salmon or an egg. Add something crunchy. Add sauce. Then finish the whole thing with a little Toasted Sesame Oil.

The oil ties everything together and gives a plain bowl of rice an immediate savory boost.
If you like heat, add Seed Ranch Thai Green Hot Sauce. Its lemongrass, lime, cilantro and Thai ginger flavors are particularly good with sesame, rice, chicken, shrimp and vegetables.

6. Use Toasted Sesame Oil With Thai-Inspired Food

Thai cooking has an incredible balance of salty, sweet, sour, spicy and aromatic flavors, which is probably one reason my kids love it so much. While toasted sesame oil isn't a universal ingredient in traditional Thai cooking, its nutty flavor can be delicious in Thai-inspired dishes, particularly noodle bowls, rice bowls, marinades, slaws and dipping sauces.

This is where our Thai Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic and Thai Green Hot Sauce become especially fun. Try: Toasted Sesame Oil + Thai Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic + Thai Green Hot Sauce + tamari. Use it as a dressing for noodles, cabbage, cucumbers or rice bowls, or as a finishing sauce for chicken or shrimp. It is bright, nutty, citrusy, herbaceous and just spicy enough to keep you going back for another bite.

7. Make a Sesame Marinade for Chicken, Salmon, Shrimp or Tofu

Toasted sesame oil makes an excellent component of marinades, especially when paired with something acidic, something salty and something sweet. My basic formula:
Toasted sesame oil + balsamic vinegar + tamari or soy sauce + aromatics + optional sweetness. For chicken or salmon, combine Toasted Sesame Oil with Honey Ginger White Balsamic. For shrimp or tofu, try Toasted Sesame Oil with Thai Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic. For something darker and richer, our Blackberry Ginger Dark Balsamic Vinegar brings blackberry sweetness, ginger warmth and the depth of aged dark balsamic. That combination is especially good when you're going toward a sticky glaze for chicken or pork.

8. Make Fried Rice Taste Better

Leftover rice is a gift. Eggs, frozen peas, carrots, green onions, whatever protein is hanging around - and suddenly you've cleaned out half the refrigerator.

For fried rice, use your preferred cooking oil for the hottest part of cooking. Once everything is nearly finished, season with tamari or soy sauce and a drizzle of Toasted Sesame Oil. Adding the toasted sesame oil later lets its aroma stay noticeable rather than disappearing into the cooking process. Top with green onions and sesame seeds and nobody needs to know dinner began as refrigerator triage.

9. Use Sesame Oil on Vegetables

Broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, green beans, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, carrots and eggplant are all fantastic with sesame oil. Roast, grill or sauté the vegetables first, then toss them with a small amount of Toasted Sesame Oil afterward.

For a sweet-savory glaze, whisk Toasted Sesame Oil with our Garlic Infused Honey, tamari and a splash of vinegar. The Garlic Infused Honey gives you sweetness plus mellow savory garlic in one ingredient, making it particularly useful for roasted broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts or green beans.

10. Turn Toasted Sesame Oil Into a Sweet-and-Spicy Glaze

This is where things get really fun. Combine Toasted Sesame Oil with Habanero Hot Honey from Grind Spice Co. and a splash of balsamic vinegar for a sweet, spicy, nutty glaze. Brush it onto cooked chicken, salmon or roasted vegetables, or toss it with crispy tofu. Because Habanero Hot Honey has legitimate heat, start small. You can always add more. A simple version:

• 1 tablespoon Habanero Hot Honey
• 2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 tablespoon Honey Ginger White Balsamic
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• Fresh ginger or garlic to taste
  That's the kind of sauce that makes a bowl of rice suddenly disappear.

11. Make a Peach Sesame Glaze

Stay with me here. Peach and sesame are really, really good together. Our Peach Haus Original Palisade Peach Jam is made with Colorado Palisade peaches, and its fruit sweetness can become the base of a fantastic savory glaze. Whisk a spoonful of peach jam with Toasted Sesame Oil, tamari, fresh ginger and a little vinegar. Use it on grilled chicken, pork, salmon or tofu. You get sweet Colorado peach first, followed by salty-savory flavor and that deep toasted sesame finish. Colorado meets sesame oil. I'm not mad about it.

12. Make Better Dumpling Dipping Sauce

Please do not serve me a dumpling without something delicious to dip it in. A good dumpling sauce can be incredibly simple:

• Tamari or soy sauce
• Vinegar
• Toasted Sesame Oil
• Fresh ginger
• Green onions
• Chile sauce

For a slightly sweeter version, use Honey Ginger White Balsamic as the acidic component. For a fruitier, darker dipping sauce, try a small amount of Blackberry Ginger Dark Balsamic. And if you like serious savory depth, add a few drops of Umami Reserve Hot Sauce.

13. Finish Soups With Toasted Sesame Oil

Toasted sesame oil is wonderful as a finishing oil for soup. Ramen is the obvious example, but don't stop there. Try a small drizzle over:

• Miso soup
• Mushroom soup
• Chicken and vegetable soup
• Wonton soup
• Egg drop soup
• Spicy noodle soup
• Vegetable broth
  Add it after the soup is cooked rather than boiling it away for 30 minutes. You want to smell the sesame when that bowl reaches the table.

14. Use Toasted Sesame Oil in Slaws and Cold Salads

Some of the best sesame oil recipes require no cooking at all. Shredded cabbage + carrots + cucumber + green onion + Toasted Sesame Oil + Thai Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic is an excellent place to start. Add cilantro, sesame seeds, peanuts or cashews if you have them.

It's crunchy, bright and incredibly easy, and it works alongside grilled chicken, shrimp, burgers, rice bowls or noodles.

What Flavors Pair Well With Toasted Sesame Oil?

Once you understand what pairs with sesame oil, it's incredibly easy to improvise.
Toasted sesame oil pairs especially well with:

• Soy sauce and tamari
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Miso
• Mushrooms
• Green onions
• Chile peppers
• Lemongrass
• Lime and citrus
• Honey
• Peaches
• Blackberry
• Cucumber
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Bok choy
• Rice
• Noodles
• Chicken
• Pork
• Salmon
• Shrimp
• Tofu
• Eggs

That's why sesame oil works across so many different types of meals. It can provide the nutty foundation while acidic, sweet, spicy and savory ingredients build around it.

Our Favorite Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Pairings With Toasted Sesame Oil

If you want to experiment without starting completely from scratch, these are some of the combinations I'd try first:

Toasted Sesame Oil + Honey Ginger White Balsamic

Best for stir-fries, salmon, chicken, noodle bowls, marinades and salad dressing.

Toasted Sesame Oil + Thai Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic

Best for Thai-inspired noodles, shrimp, slaws, cucumber salads, rice bowls and cold noodle salads.

Toasted Sesame Oil + Blackberry Ginger Dark Balsamic

Best for chicken, pork, richer marinades, glazes and roasted vegetables.

Toasted Sesame Oil + Garlic Infused Honey

Best for vegetable glazes, chicken, salmon, shrimp and sweet-savory sauces.

Toasted Sesame Oil + Habanero Hot Honey

Best for spicy noodles, chicken, salmon, crispy tofu and rice bowls.

Toasted Sesame Oil + Palisade Peach Jam

Best for sweet-savory glazes for chicken, pork, salmon and tofu.

Toasted Sesame Oil + Umami Reserve Hot Sauce

Best for ramen, mushrooms, rice bowls, noodles, steak and anything where you want serious savory depth.

Toasted Sesame Oil + Thai Green Hot Sauce

Best for Thai-inspired noodles, shrimp, chicken, rice bowls, slaws and vegetables.

Toasted Sesame Oil vs. Regular Sesame Oil: What's the Difference?

This distinction matters when you're cooking. Regular sesame oil is made from untoasted sesame seeds and typically has a lighter color and milder flavor. It can be used more like a conventional cooking oil. Toasted sesame oil is made from roasted sesame seeds. It is darker, much more aromatic and significantly more flavorful.

Because of that, toasted sesame oil is generally best used in smaller quantities and at moderate heat or as a finishing ingredient, dressing, marinade or sauce. If a recipe simply says "sesame oil," check what the recipe is asking you to do. If you're deep-frying or cooking at very high temperatures, it may mean untoasted sesame oil. If you're seasoning noodles, making dipping sauce or finishing a stir-fry, toasted sesame oil is very likely what you want.

Do You Add Sesame Oil Before or After Cooking?

For toasted sesame oil, adding at least some of it near the end of cooking is usually the best way to preserve its rich aroma and flavor. You can absolutely incorporate it earlier into marinades and sauces, and it can handle moderate cooking. But if toasted sesame flavor is what you're after, save a little for the finish. Think of it as seasoning the finished dish.

Does Toasted Sesame Oil Need to Be Refrigerated?

Store toasted sesame oil tightly closed in a cool, dark place away from heat and direct sunlight. Because oils gradually oxidize once opened, don't keep the bottle sitting beside a hot stove or in a sunny window. And use it. This isn't one of those specialty ingredients that needs to sit in the back of the pantry waiting for the one recipe you bought it for.

What Can I Make With Sesame Oil for Dinner Tonight?

If you're standing in the kitchen right now holding a bottle and wondering what to make, here are five easy answers:

1. Stir-fry chicken and vegetables and finish with Toasted Sesame Oil and Honey Ginger White Balsamic.
2. Make ramen and add Toasted Sesame Oil, mushrooms, green onions, a soft-boiled egg and Umami Reserve Hot Sauce.
3. Toss noodles with Toasted Sesame Oil, tamari, ginger, garlic and Thai Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic.
4. Build rice bowls with leftover vegetables and protein, then finish with Toasted Sesame Oil and Thai Green Hot Sauce.
5. Roast broccoli or Brussels sprouts and glaze them with Toasted Sesame Oil, Garlic Infused Honey and tamari.

None of those require an elaborate recipe. And that's really the point.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cooking With Sesame Oil

What is sesame oil best used for?

Toasted sesame oil is best used for adding rich, nutty sesame flavor to stir-fries, noodles, ramen, fried rice, rice bowls, marinades, salad dressings, dipping sauces, vegetables, soups and Asian-inspired dishes.

Can you cook directly with toasted sesame oil?

Yes, toasted sesame oil can be incorporated into moderate-heat cooking, sauces and marinades, but it is especially valuable as a flavoring or finishing oil. For very high-heat cooking, use a suitable high-heat oil first and add toasted sesame oil later for flavor.

Is toasted sesame oil good for stir-fry?

Yes. Toasted sesame oil adds excellent nutty flavor to stir-fry, but rather than relying on it as the primary oil for very high-heat wok cooking, add it with your sauce or toward the end of cooking.

Can you put sesame oil on noodles?

Absolutely. Noodles are one of the easiest and best uses for toasted sesame oil. Toss a small amount with warm or cold noodles along with tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, chile or green onions.

Is sesame oil good in ramen?

Yes. Toasted sesame oil adds rich, nutty flavor and aroma to ramen broth and noodles. Add a small drizzle to the finished bowl or incorporate it into a miso or sesame-based broth.

What vinegar goes well with sesame oil?

Ginger, citrus and herb-forward vinegars work particularly well with toasted sesame oil. At Rocky Mountain Olive Oil, we especially like Honey Ginger White Balsamic and Thai Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic for noodles, stir-fries, salads and marinades. Blackberry Ginger Dark Balsamic works well when you want a richer, fruitier glaze.

What can I mix with sesame oil for a sauce?

Try toasted sesame oil with tamari or soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic, honey, chile sauce, miso, green onions or citrus. Balancing sesame's richness with acidity, salt, sweetness and heat is an easy way to build a flavorful sauce.

How much toasted sesame oil should I use?

Start small. For many dishes, 1 to 2 teaspoons is enough to provide noticeable sesame flavor. Larger batches of dressing, noodles or marinade may need more. Taste before adding additional oil because toasted sesame flavor can quickly become dominant.

Can you use sesame oil on vegetables?

Yes. Toasted sesame oil is excellent with broccoli, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, green beans and eggplant. Cook the vegetables first and toss them with a little toasted sesame oil before serving, or incorporate the oil into a glaze or dressing.

What is the difference between sesame oil and toasted sesame oil?

Regular sesame oil is generally made from untoasted sesame seeds and has a lighter color and milder flavor. Toasted sesame oil is made from roasted sesame seeds and has a darker color with a much stronger nutty, roasted flavor. Toasted sesame oil is therefore particularly useful as a seasoning, finishing oil and sauce ingredient.

One Bottle, A Lot of Dinners

I love ingredients that don't require you to cook a specific recipe in order to justify having them in your kitchen. That's our Toasted Sesame Oil. It can turn leftover rice into fried rice, vegetables into stir-fry, broth and noodles into ramen, cabbage into sesame slaw and whatever protein you happen to have into a really good rice bowl. And when you start mixing it with ginger, garlic, balsamic, honey, chile and all those other flavors that already make their way through our kitchen, the possibilities get considerably bigger.

If your family loves Asian-inspired food, noodles, ramen, stir-fries or Thai flavors like mine does, Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Toasted Sesame Oil is one of those bottles that earns its pantry space pretty quickly. Just remember the most important thing: don't drown dinner in it. A little toasted sesame oil can do a whole lot. Which, frankly, is my favorite kind of ingredient.

xoxo,
Andi