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If there’s one product I will NEVER buy from the store, it’s salad dressing. I insist on homemade every time, and this Asian Salad Dressing is no exception. No amount of fancy food processing will ever come close to what you can whip up in 5 minutes in your kitchen.
As a classically-trained chef, I’ve perfected the exact ratio of ingredients for every salad dressing, and vinaigrettes are my favorite. This Asian-flavored vinaigrette has perfectly balanced flavors that you know and love, and it’s delicious on salads, with appetizers, or even as a marinade.
Commenters call it “spectacular,” “light and refreshing,” and their “go-to salad dressing.” I completely agree and I know you will too!
Table of Contents
Asian Salad Dressing Recipe Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Rice vinegar: It might also be labeled as “rice wine vinegar” (they are the same thing).
- Hoisin sauce: Also known as Chinese barbecue sauce, this popular sweet and salty ingredient is sold by the bottle in the Asian section of your grocery store.
- Canola oil: Or any neutral oil, like grapeseed oil or light olive oil.
- Fresh ginger: Do not substitute ground (powdered) ginger because it doesn’t have the same flavor.
How to make Asian Salad Dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, hoisin sauce, canola oil, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil until combined.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes just over ¾ cup dressing; it makes 14 tablespoons (7 ounces) or 7 servings, 2 tablespoons each.
- Storage: Store leftover dressing covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Honey: For a sweeter dressing, add honey to taste.
- Peanut butter: For a creamier dressing, add a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter.
- More mix-ins: Stir in minced fresh garlic, sesame seeds, or sliced scallions.
How to use Asian Dressing
This Asian salad dressing is my condiment of choice for all Asian appetizers. Pot stickers, dumplings, lettuce wraps, homemade sushi, even crab rangoon: It’s absolutely delicious.
It’s also the star of my favorite Chinese Chicken Salad. Or, use it as a marinade for chicken, shrimp, or beef. The Hoisin sauce adds a lot of flavor here and can stand up to grilling or pan-frying. 6 ingredients, 2 minutes, tons of flavor.
Recipe FAQs
You can make your own Hoisin sauce with common pantry ingredients.
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
To use this dressing as a marinade, in a glass baking dish or plastic zip-top bag, add the dressing to the raw protein of your choice. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. Cook protein as desired, discarding any extra marinade.
Great recipes for Asian dressing
Salad Recipes
Chinese Chicken Salad
Appetizer Recipes
Potstickers
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Ahi Tuna with Ponzu Sauce
Appetizer Recipes
Crab Rangoons Recipe
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Chinese Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar (see note 1)
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce (see note 2)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil (see note 3)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated (see note 4)
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, hoisin sauce, canola oil, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil until combined.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Rice vinegar: It might also be labeled as “rice wine vinegar” (they are the same thing).
- Hoisin sauce: Also known as Chinese barbecue sauce, this popular sweet and salty ingredient is sold by the bottle in the Asian section of your grocery store.
- Canola oil: Or any neutral oil, like grapeseed oil or light olive oil.
- Fresh ginger: Do not substitute ground (powdered) ginger because it doesn’t have the same flavor.
- Yield: This recipe makes just over ¾ c. dressing; it makes 14 Tbsp. (7 oz.) or 7 servings, 2 Tbsp. each.
- Storage: Store leftover dressing covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Why do you even need any oil????
Hi Raj, you can leave the oil out. You don’t “need” it. But, oil gives the dressing a nicer texture, helps the dressing cling to the vegetables, and keeps it from tasting too acidic or astringent. In the case of sesame oil, it provides a lot of flavor too. Some oils help with emulsification. But you can leave the oil out, that’s your choice! Thanks – Meggan
Thanks for the great recipe, I love it!
I made this for a salad that I bought and really liked the salad dressing that came with the salad. But later I felt that I could find a better salad dressing and I came across this dressing. I had all the ingredients, whipped this up and loved it. I took it to work and everyone loved it and wanted the recipe. I haven’t used this for a marinade yet, but I will. Really love this salad dressing!!!
I’m glad you liked it Kathy! Thank you! 😀
This is a delicious and crunchy salad. I personally love crunchy toppings,
but most importantly I enjoy a good salad dressing on any and every salad I eat.
A delish salad dressing is like a bright shiny bow on a present, yeah I wrote that. But what made this
Salad so good is the Asian salad dressing it’s so freaking good.!!
It’s now my fave dressing!
Thank you for this recipe.
Why does this last only 4 days in the refrigerator when all the ingredients last much longer than that?
Hey there, I follow the CDC guidelines for refrigeration when I say how long something will last. It’s true, the dressing could quite feasibly last a week or more in the refrigerator, but the CDC says 4 days so that’s what I say. The other thing is, even if you have a bunch of shelf-stable ingredients like oil and vinegar and soy sauce, once you combine them, things change. There is no chemical preservative or stabilizer to keep mixed Asian dressing ingredients safe, and I just don’t know enough about chemistry to know what would happen. So that’s why I say 4 days. It’s probably longer, but I don’t know how much longer, and I just say what I learned in my food safety program in culinary school (which is what the CDC says). Sorry for the confusion that, I hope this is helpful. Thanks! -Meggan
I made it tonight and it was delicious! I didn’t have any fresh ginger so I omitted it. I can’t wait to make it again with all the ingredients. It was quick and easy to make and had a great flavor.
This is perfect timing. I’m on a chicken kick. FYI la Choy brand has always been gluten free and you can also find Kikkoman gluten free here and there. The coconut aminos is also a great alternative.
Omg i just used the recipe amd im eating salad right now! This dressing up is amazing!
I love the tangy taste of rice vinegar and hoisin. Makes a salad oh so yummy and memorable. Thanks for sharing.
I’m excited to try these recipies. They look delicious!