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
Reliablebest available
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Toasted sesame oil at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
Can I use neutral oil steeped with toasted sesame seeds instead of toasted sesame oil?
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. Weaker than the bottled oil, which is pressed from a far larger quantity of seed. Use a slightly heavier hand and taste as you go.
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 tahini thinned with neutral oil instead of toasted sesame oil?
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. Clouds 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.
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.
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.