If your frame of reference for cooking oil is the workhorse canola or peppery extra virgin olive oil, your world is about to be turned upside-down. Most people know of toasted sesame oil as an ingredient in dishes like stir-fry and meat marinades but this nutty, roasty condiment is so much more.
What Is Toasted Sesame Oil?
Toasted sesame oil is made from toasted or roasted sesame seeds. It’s darker in color than regular sesame oil (typically labeled just “sesame oil”), so don’t make the mistake of swapping them. The toasted variety can be a bit pricier, but it’s potent and each drop goes a long way.
You won’t want to cook with toasted sesame oil. It has a low smoke point, which means that it burns and turns rancid-tasting at a low temperature. But here are a handful of ideas to make you fall in love with this superhero condiment. Ready, set, open sesame!
How to Use Toasted Sesame Oil
1. Drizzle it on soups
Instead of topping a soup with heavy cream or yogurt, add a swirl or toasted sesame oil to the bowl after serving. It will add a depth of flavor and creamy texture when stirred in. For crunch, add a sprinkle of sesame seeds, too. Double the sesame, double the fun, right?
2. Whisk it into a vinaigrette
If you’re already in the habit of making your own salad dressings, you know how easy it is to customize a basic template. When I’m bored by balsamic, I add a little toasted sesame oil to my vinaigrettes to boost the flavor. To keep from walloping everyone over the head with flavor, use a third of the suggested amount . For example, if your dressing calls for 3 tablespoons of neutral oil, use 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil.
This goes amazingly well with rice vinegar. For extra umami, add a few drops of umeboshi (plum) vinegar or tamari.
3. Finish off a stir-fry
Get the recipe: Easy Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry
Although you won’t want to use toasted sesame oil to cook your tofu, meat, or veggies (remember that smoke point), it is genius when added at the very end of the recipe. As soon as you take the pan off the heat, drizzle in a little sesame oil and toss to coat. The heat will make the oil even more fragrant, signaling to everyone that dinner is ready to be devoured.
4. Use it to coat noodles
Need a break from marinara? Whisk a little peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, ginger, and tamari together, then add it to cooked, strained rice noodles. (Buckwheat or udon noodles would also work). Add a bright, fresh note with a shower of freshly chopped chives, mint, or cilantro.
5. Dress up popcorn
Better than butter? You bet. Hit those popped kernels with some toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, a little salt, and nutritional yeast. You’ll want to make a double batch of this one.
View Recipe: Curried Coconut Popcorn
6. Drizzle it over ice cream
Sounds crazy? Trust us on this one. A little toasted sesame, some crushed peanuts, and green tea ice cream. It’s an unexpected flavor roller coaster that’ll make you forget all about hot fudge.
More Inspiration
- When to Cook with Avocado Oil
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