Japanese Salad Dressing

February 25, 2018 by Stephanie Manley, Last Updated March 19, 2024 35 Comments

Elevate your salads to the next level with this delicious homemade dressing recipe inspired by the flavors served in Japanese restaurants. With a few simple ingredients, you can whip up a creamy dressing bursting with savory umami notes and treat yourself to a restaurant-quality salad at home.

Homemade creamy Japanese miso salad dressing in a small bowl.

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Table of Contents

Japanese Miso Salad Dressing

I love the creamy Asian salad dressing served at places like Shogun, or perhaps you have a local Japanese Teppanyaki place where they serve a fresh green salad before every meal. For a long time, I pondered over what made those salads so amazing. I believe the ingredient you really need is fresh miso paste.

I won’t lie, miso paste is unlikely to be found in an average or small grocery store. The ingredient is likely to be found at a larger grocery store, often in the produce section, or an Asian market.

Miso adds a salty rich flavor that you don’t want to miss. Don’t fret, you can enjoy the miso you use in many other recipes. If you can’t find the paste near you, you can order some online.

What makes this Japanese Miso salad dressing so good?

Have you ever visited your favorite Japanese restaurant and wondered what makes their dressing taste so delicious? You may have thought you could never recreate that fresh flavor at home. But with this recipe, you can!

This salad dressing isn’t an intentional copycat recipe from a specific restaurant. Some Japanese salad dressings have elements of garlic, and a few have touches of toasted sesame seed oil.

I love the creamy salad dressing served at places like Shogun, so I tried to make a salad dressing in this style. The result was my very own Japanese dressing that blends these different elements together.

So, it tastes like the dressing from most Japanese restaurants and will surely satisfy that craving when it comes up. This dressing is incredibly special and far superior to any bottled dressing you can buy. You definitely need to give it a try and taste it for yourself!

Why you’ll love this recipe

This recipe is easy to make as you don’t need a blender. You can mix all the ingredients together by hand. The most challenging part is finding fresh miso paste. Once you have it, everything else is a straightforward process.

It’s also a relief that you can enjoy the taste of classic Japanese miso dressing without having to go out. You can make a large batch of it and enjoy it throughout the week since it will keep for about seven days. Meal prep your own Bento boxes with salad or drizzle it over your favorite Japanese-style meat and seafood. There are plenty of ways to enjoy it!

Dressing Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

Mayonnaise
White miso
Garlic
Seasoned rice vinegar
Rice cooking wine or mirin
Sugar
Soy sauce
Peanut or vegetable oil
Toasted sesame oil

If you do a lot of Asian-style cooking, some of these you may already have in your pantry. If you need it, here’s another online source for a wide variety of ingredients used in Japanese cuisine. You will enjoy this dressing on your own iceberg lettuce salad.

Try using a Japanese mayonnaise such as Kewpie mayo.

For gluten-free dressing use tamari instead of soy sauce.

How to Make Japanese Salad Dressing

You can make my creamy Japanese salad dressing in no time at all. This salad dressing is not only delicious on a salad, it can also be used to drizzle over fish and chicken. You can even turn it into a dipping sauce for grilled chicken.

Place all the ingredients in a bowl.
Stir or whisk to combine them until smooth.

I know if you try this salad dressing it will soon become a favorite! If you have leftover miso paste, you can enjoy it in many other recipes like the two in the list below.

Homemade Japanese salad dressing in a small bowl and a salad next to it.

What you can serve this dressing with

Enjoy this dressing on an appetizer or side salad with cucumbers and tomatoes and pair it with other foods you’d enjoy at your favorite Japanese restaurant such as noodles. Make an entire meal with the salad, Teppanyaki vegetables and meat, and steamed rice.

Other delicious pairings are chicken katsu, vegetable or shrimp tempura, or sushi.

How to store Japanese salad dressing

Transfer any leftover dressing into an airtight container. You can use a mason jar or even a squeeze bottle with a tight-fitting cap. Keep it in the refrigerator.

How long does it last?

This salad dressing lasts approximately seven days, give or take. At the seven day mark, make sure to check for signs of spoilage before using.

Homemade creamy Japanese salad dressing in a bowl and a salad.

More Teppanyaki Copycat Recipes

Recipes with Miso

Easy Homemade Salad Dressings

Be sure to check out more of the best salad dressing recipes and Japanese food recipes.