Can I use perilla oil instead of toasted sesame oil?

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil = 1 tbsp toasted perilla oil. Another roasted seed oil used the same way across Korean cooking, with comparable viscosity and a similar finishing role. Grassier and more herbal than sesame, with a mint-family edge. It suits vegetable banchan well and reads as wrong in a Chinese dressing.

Can I use roasted peanut oil instead of toasted sesame oil?

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil = 1 tbsp roasted peanut oil. An unrefined, roasted-seed-style oil with enough nutty aroma to sit in the same finishing role, though from a different source. Sweeter and rounder than sesame, and considerably less intense, so the dish loses the sharp aromatic top note that sesame oil provides.

Ingredients · Fats & oils

Substitutions

What can I use instead of toasted sesame oil?

Oil pressed from roasted sesame seeds, deep amber and intensely aromatic. It is used by the teaspoon as a seasoning, not by the cup as a cooking fat.

What it does in a recipe: Concentrated nutty aroma added at the end of cooking — its flavour compounds are volatile and burn off under sustained heat. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.

Also called: Dark sesame oil, Roasted sesame oil

4substitutes

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Fats & oilscategory

Quick answer

Neutral oil steeped with toasted sesame seeds

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil = 1 tbsp neutral oil warmed with 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

All substitutes, best first

4 ways to replace toasted sesame oil

Neutral oil steeped with toasted sesame seeds

Reliable

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil = 1 tbsp neutral oil warmed with 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

The aromatic compounds are oil-soluble, so gently heating toasted seeds in oil transfers a good share of them into the fat.

MethodToast the seeds dry until they smell nutty, crush them lightly, warm them in the oil over low heat for 5 minutes, then take it off and let it stand 20 minutes before straining.

Trade-offWeaker than the bottled oil, which is pressed from a far larger quantity of seed. Use a slightly heavier hand and taste as you go.

CookingSaucesRaw / no-cookVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-freeAlcohol-free

Allergen checkSesame is a top allergen in the US, UK and EU and this swap keeps it in the dish. If sesame is the reason you are substituting, this is not the answer — read every label on a seed packet for shared-line warnings, and treat a diagnosed sesame allergy as a medical matter.

Perilla oil

Reliable

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil = 1 tbsp toasted perilla oil

Another roasted seed oil used the same way across Korean cooking, with comparable viscosity and a similar finishing role.

Trade-offGrassier and more herbal than sesame, with a mint-family edge. It suits vegetable banchan well and reads as wrong in a Chinese dressing.

CookingSaucesRaw / no-cookVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-freeAlcohol-free

Tahini thinned with neutral oil

In a pinch

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil = 2 tsp tahini whisked with 1 tsp neutral oil

Tahini is ground sesame seed, so it carries the same flavour compounds along with the solids, and thinning brings it to a pourable consistency.

MethodWhisk it into a small amount of the dressing first to loosen it, then combine. Added straight to a large volume of liquid it seizes into lumps.

Trade-offClouds and thickens whatever it goes into, so a clear dipping sauce turns opaque. Most tahini is made from raw rather than dark-roasted seed, so the aroma is milder.

SaucesRaw / no-cookVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-freeAlcohol-free

Allergen checkTahini is pure sesame and one of the most concentrated forms of that allergen. Never use it where sesame is being avoided, check jars for cross-contact statements, and leave decisions about a severe allergy to a clinician.

Roasted peanut oil

In a pinch

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil = 1 tbsp roasted peanut oil

An unrefined, roasted-seed-style oil with enough nutty aroma to sit in the same finishing role, though from a different source.

Trade-offSweeter and rounder than sesame, and considerably less intense, so the dish loses the sharp aromatic top note that sesame oil provides.

CookingSaucesRaw / no-cookVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeSoy-freeAlcohol-free

Allergen checkUnrefined roasted peanut oil retains peanut protein and is not safe for anyone with a peanut allergy. If you are substituting because of a sesame allergy, be aware you are trading one top allergen for another — check the label and take a severe allergy to a clinician.

Worth knowing

Toasted sesame oil is not a frying medium. Heat it hard and the aroma disappears while a bitter note develops — add it off the heat or in the last few seconds. Light, untoasted sesame oil is a different product with a high smoke point and almost no flavour.

At a glance

Toasted sesame oil in summary

Category	Fats & oils
Job in a recipe	Concentrated nutty aroma added at the end of cooking — its flavour compounds are volatile and burn off under sustained heat
Suits	Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Alcohol-free
Swaps available for	Alcohol-free Dairy-free Egg-free Gluten-free Nut-free Soy-free Vegan Vegetarian
Number of substitutes	4

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Avocado oil4 substitutes Clarified butter4 substitutes Coconut oil4 substitutes Cooking spray4 substitutes Duck fat4 substitutes Extra-virgin olive oil4 substitutes

Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.