What is Ponzu Dressing?
Ponzu sauce (ポン酢 or ポン酢醤油) is a beautiful blend of citrus juices such as yuzu, lemon, or lime that is harmoniously combined with soy sauce. This mixture is then delicately seasoned with dashi stock, sugar, or mirin to create a unique balance of flavors.
With that in mind, ponzu dressing is an exceptional salad dressing that embodies a perfect fusion of acidity and sweetness. The distinct characteristics of ponzu sauce make it an ideal dressing component.
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Ponzu Sauce: A staple for this dressing. You can pick up a bottle at the store or try making it yourself. Either way, it’s a game-changer in the kitchen. Note: Many ponzu sauces contain dashi elements that are not suitable for vegetarians, you can make your own plant-based ponzu using my recipe here.
- Olive Oil: Your regular olive oil works great here. I always keep a bottle handy for my general cooking needs.
- Sesame Oil: This is my secret to adding a subtle yet distinct flavor.
- Ground Sesame: If your sesame seeds aren’t already ground, give them a quick grind yourself. You can use a pestle and mortar, or for an extra fine result a pepper grinder or mini food processor works great.
- Mirin: For an authentic taste, I suggest looking for “hon mirin” (本みりん).
- Wasabi Paste: Essential for that unique zing in this dressing. I personally used store-bought wasabi paste for this recipe/
I have listed my recommended Japanese condiments, tools, and ingredients on the Sudachi Amazon Storefront. If you want to keep making various Japanese foods at home, please check it out!
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Ponzu Dressing at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
Even though the quantity of mirin in this recipe is small, I like to heat and remove the alcohol to ensure it doesn’t alter the taste of my dressing.
Here’s how I do it: I pour the mirin into a microwave-safe cup and heat it for 50 seconds at 500W. Make sure not to cover it since we want the alcohol to evaporate.
If you don’t have a microwave, boiling it in a saucepan for a short while does the trick too. This step helps eliminate the alcohol smell, making the seasoning just right.
Once the mirin cools down slightly, it’s time to mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
Whisking thoroughly is crucial to avoid lumpy wasabi in this dressing. But a dressing shaker is a great alternative if you’re looking for a fun twist.
Both methods will give you a smooth and well-blended mixture, perfect for your dish.
How to Store
The estimated shelf life of this homemade Ponzu Dressing will last up to two weeks in refrigerator storage.
Be sure to store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is not suitable for storing at room temperature or freezing.
Storage summary
Room temperature – Not recommended.
Refrigerated – 2 weeks.
Frozen – Not recommended.
I hope you enjoy this Ponzu Dressing recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Dressing Recipes
Ponzu Salad Dressing (with Sesame and Wasabi)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 4 tbsp ponzu sauce store-bought ponzu often contains ingredients not suitable for vegetarians. Check out my homemade ponzu recipe for more info.
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp ground sesame seeds
- 1 tsp wasabi paste
Instructions
- Measure out 1 tbsp mirin in a heatproof bowl and microwave uncovered for 50 seconds at 500W. (If you increase the recipe, the time will need to be increased.)
- Transfer the mirin to a larger container along with 4 tbsp ponzu sauce, ½ tbsp olive oil, ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp ground sesame seeds and 1 tsp wasabi paste. Whisk until combined, or alternatively shake it in a sealed jar.
- The oil and liquid will separate after a short while, so whisk or shake right before pouring. Enjoy!
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