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Japanese Deep Roasted Sesame Salad Dressing

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The Dressing That Made Me Eat Salad

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I am not a green salad person. I do not like green salad. But put this dressing on it and I’ll eat an entire bowl anytime.

This recipe is a classic salad dressing that’s super popular in Japan, and for good reason. You can put it on a piece of cardboard and it’ll be delicious. In Japan, often times it’s served simply on shredded cabbage. A pile of cabbage. Yep, that’s how good it is.

A Kewpie Copycat Recipe

This is my attempt to recreate the popular Kewpie brand “Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing.” My Japanese friend recommended it, and we got hooked after the first try, and I wanted to recreate it as it’s not easy to find here in Vancouver.

My version is very close to the real thing taste-wise, the only noticeable difference is mine is a bit less viscous since I don’t add the xanthan gum that’s in the original. I also add black pepper which I prefer.

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1. The original Kewpie dressing we are trying to recreate. 2. Kewpie mayonnaise – essential in getting the right flavour. 3. My preferred mirin in that it doesn’t contain added sugar or syrup as many others do.

More Than a Salad Dressing

In Japan this dressing is also used as a dipping sauce for their hot pot (shabu shabu). As I said, it’s good on anything! If you want to try making a hot pot, check out my classic hot pot recipe and simply use this dressing instead of (or in addition to) the Thai style dipping sauce.

Important Notes for Success

  • Actually DEEP toast your sesame seeds. Get them darker than you think you should to get that roasted smoky flavour. Get them even darker than what I showed in the video. Admittedly I was nervous to push them further because I didn’t want to burn them on camera!
  • Use Kewpie mayo. You might be tempted to use regular Western style mayo, but trust me, they do not taste the same. If you want the awesome flavours I’m raving about, you need the Kewpie mayo. Also be aware that there are “knock-off” brands of Japanese mayo that comes in VERY similar containers, but they are NOT the Kewpie brand and they don’t taste the same. Look for the kewpie doll on the bottle!
  • Use neutral oil. For salads you may think you want to use healthy oils like olive oil or coconut oil. Don’t! Those have flavours that will mess with the awesomeness of this dressing. If health is a concern avocado oil is what you want to go with – healthy and neutral and it’s what I use. Otherwise canola or another vegetable oil works too.
  • If using mirin, look for one with no sugar or syrup. Even though it is optional, if you’re going to buy mirin, know that most brands out there are loaded with sugar or corn syrup, but traditionally made mirin should be made by fermenting rice. I like Eden Brandwhich is the only one I’ve seen at a “normal” grocery store that doesn’t contain added sweeteners.

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success – and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!


A spoonful of roasted sesame dressing being held over a bowl of dressing. With a green salad on the side. spA spoonful of roasted sesame dressing being held over a bowl of dressing. With a green salad on the side. sp

Japanese Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing

A delicious copycat recipe of the Kewpie Brand salad dressing.