These homemade Japanese Salad Dressings taste a million times better than store-bought dressings! They are DELICIOUS, easy, and quick to make. Here are 4 of our favorites to dress our salads. I know you’ll love them too!
If you haven’t made your own salad dressings before, today’s recipes will change your life! No, I’m really serious. Homemade salad dressings are not hard to make, and on Just One Cookbook, you will learn Japanese Salad Dressings. What are they, you may ask? Let’s say these dressings are about to be your instant everyday favorites!
Basic Dressing Ratio & Ingredients
My basic dressing formula is 1 part vinegar for every 2 part oil. Some recipes do a 1:3 ratio (more oil), but I prefer less oil more vinegar formula, but it’s always up to you.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the dressings:
- Olive oil or vegetable oil for your base
- White wine vinegar or rice vinegar
- Sugar (read below) for a little sweetness that balances the vinegar
- Salt and pepper
And some dressings will include:
- Garlic for oomph
- Herbs for fragrance
- Sesame seeds for crunch
- Plus, additional add-ons for variations
You can whisk all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, but I highly recommend getting 8-oz mason jars or 16-oz mason jars. You can put all your ingredients in a jar and shake it vigorously everything has emulsified. If you have some leftover dressing, you can store it directly in the refrigerator! (Picture below: 8-oz jars in front; 16-oz in the back)
4 Easy Homemade Japanese Salad Dressings & How to Make Salad with Them
When you’re in Japan, you will encounter these 4 salad dressings. Sometimes you may get to choose the dressings at the ‘salad bar’ at a family restaurant, and sometimes the dressing is already poured on the salad at a restaurant. Either way, you will see these salad dressings everywhere, so let’s first identify them.
1. Italian Dressing イタリアンドレッシング
Don’t panic, if you’re an Italian or westerner. This is how the Japanese make ‘Italian Dressing’ in Japan. If you’re familiar with yoshoku (Japanese-Western cuisine), Japanese has adapted and redefined western dishes that have become uniquely Japanese. This classic recipe is a great example of how an Italian dressing becomes our daily staple.
The quality of your extra virgin olive oil can make a difference, so always invest in a good bottle for superior flavor in your food. The dressing gets its tang from the white wine vinegar and extra punches from garlic and herbs. With a subtle luxurious taste, it goes well on simple salads that highlight a single vegetable.
Ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- White wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar
- Garlic
- Herbs of your choice (I use dried parsley and basil)
Salad Idea:
Tomato Salad with Italian Dressing: Chop fresh tomatoes and toss with the Italian Dressing. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Serve the simple tomato salad in nice glassware for an elegant touch.
2. French Dressing フレンチドレッシング
This French Dressing is another classic western-influence dressing you can find everywhere in Japan. The French excel in simplicity in almost every way of their life, so does this salad dressing! The flavor is mild yet zippy enough to brighten up every salad out there. It’s hard not to adore the effortlessness of the recipe.
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil
- White wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar
Salad Idea:
Simple Red Leaf Salad with French Dressing: Hand tear red leaf lettuce and top with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and avocado slices. Drizzle French dressing for a quick easy salad for the night!
3. Shoyu Dressing (Soy Sauce Dressing) 醤油ドレッシング
Featuring the most basic pantry items from a Japanese kitchen, this Shoyu Dressing is as simple as one can get to dress your Japanese or Asian-inspired salad. The use of soy sauce delivers a blast of umami that is unmistakably Japanese.
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil
- Rice vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar
- Soy sauce
Salad Idea:
Iceberg Lettuce with Shoyu Dressing: Hand tear iceberg lettuce and top with shredded carrot, hydrated wakame seaweed, cherry tomatoes, and boiled egg. Drizzle Shoyu Dressing to enjoy!
4. Chuka Dressing (Chinese-style Dressing) 中華ドレッシング
The influence of Chinese cuisine, also known as Chuka, is ubiquitous in Japanese cooking. For this Chuka Dressing, you’ll find the ingredients very similar to the Shoyu Dressing above, but it is distinctly Chinese with the addition of sesame oil and sesame seeds. The flavor is a lot more pronounced with the nutty fragrance from sesame oil and crunch from sesame seeds.
Ingredients:
- Vegetable oil
- Sesame oil
- Rice vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar
- Soy sauce
- Toasted sesame seeds
Salad Idea:
Cucumber Salad with Chuka Dressing: Peel the cucumber skin to create a stripe pattern and cut it half in lengthwise. Slice the cucumber into ¼ inch pieces. Toss the cucumber with Chuka Dressing and additional sesame seeds. Chill at least 1 hour before serving and enjoy!
Storage
All the homemade dressings will keep well in the refrigerator. Cover and refrigerate for 7 to 10 days. When your dressing solidifies in the refrigerator, don’t worry! Simply let it rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes or microwave very briefly (about 15-20 seconds) to liquefy the oil again. Whisk or shake to blend and serve!
You really can’t go wrong with these 4 easy Japanese salad dressings. As they pair well with different salads that you throw together even at the last minute, you want to have them in your back pocket. They are my weeknight meal workhorse and I believe they will be yours too!
More Delicious Japanese Salad Dressing
If you’re looking for more salad dressings that keep well, don’t miss my Sesame Dressing, Miso Dressing, Wafu Dressing, and Carrot Ginger Dressing.
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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4 Easy Japanese Salad Dressings
Ingredients
Italian Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic (crushed/minced)
- ¼ tsp dried basil (If you use fresh, triple the amount.)
- ¼ tsp dried parsley (If you use fresh, triple the amount.)
French Dressing
- ½ cup neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.)
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
Shoyu Dressing (Soy Sauce Dressing)
- ½ cup neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.)
- ¼ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
Chuka Dressing (Chinese-style Dressing)
- 6 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.)
- 2 Tbsp roasted sesame oil
- 4 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
Instructions
To Make All Kinds of Dressing
- You can whisk all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, but I highly recommend getting 8-oz mason jars or 16-oz mason jars. You can put all your ingredients in a jar and shake it vigorously everything has emulsified. If you have some leftover dressing, you can store it directly in the refrigerator!
Italian Dressing
- Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar and shake really well until everything has emulsified.
French Dressing
- Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar and shake really well until everything has emulsified.
Shoyu Dressing
- Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar and shake really well until everything has emulsified.
Chuka Dessing
- Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar and shake really well until everything has emulsified.
To Serve and Store
- Serve on your favorite salad and enjoy! Cover the leftovers and refrigerate for 7 to 10 days. When your dressing solidifies in the refrigerator, simply let it rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes or microwave very briefly (about 15-20 seconds) to liquefy the oil again. Whisk or shake well and serve!
Notes
- Shoyu Dressing: grated ginger, grated daikon, yuzu kosho, and umeboshi plum.
- Chuka Dressing: grated ginger, minced garlic, Tobanjiang, red chili.
