What Is a Substitute for Sesame Oil?

What's the best toasted sesame oil substitute?

For replicating toasted sesame oil's flavor: blend 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds with 1/4 cup of neutral oil (canola, sunflower, or grapeseed) in a small blender or by grinding the seeds in a mortar and pestle. Use this DIY oil as a 1-to-1 substitute for toasted sesame oil.

The result isn't quite as intense as commercial toasted sesame oil but provides similar sesame depth. For a quicker alternative, add 1 teaspoon of tahini and 1 tablespoon of neutral oil per tablespoon of toasted sesame oil needed. The tahini provides the sesame flavor; the oil provides the texture.

What works for light (non-toasted) sesame oil?

Light sesame oil is used as a cooking oil with mild sesame flavor. Substitutes work easily: peanut oil (1-to-1) is the closest match because both come from the same general Asian cooking tradition and have similar smoke points.

For other 1-to-1 swaps, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, and avocado oil all work because they're neutral, high-smoke-point oils that mimic light sesame oil's cooking function. The mild sesame flavor is lost with these substitutions, but if you're using light sesame oil mainly for cooking rather than flavor, the swap doesn't change the recipe much.

Can you use olive oil instead of sesame oil?

For light sesame oil, yes. Olive oil is a 1-to-1 substitute for sauteing and stir-frying, though the flavor shifts to olive notes. This works fine for non-Asian recipes that call for sesame oil; for traditional Asian dishes, the olive flavor can clash with other ingredients.

For toasted sesame oil, olive oil isn't a good substitute because olive's flavor is completely different from toasted sesame. Save olive oil for Mediterranean and Italian-style recipes; use the DIY toasted sesame substitute (sesame seeds plus neutral oil) for Asian recipes that specifically call for toasted sesame oil.

When does the sesame oil substitute fail?

For finishing oils in Asian dishes (stir-fries, sesame noodles, dipping sauces), toasted sesame oil is the defining flavor. Without it, the dish loses its characteristic Asian flavor profile. The DIY substitute (sesame seeds plus oil) is the best workaround but doesn't fully match commercial toasted sesame oil.

For sushi rice and other recipes where rice vinegar combines with sesame oil for seasoning, the sesame oil contributes to the rice's signature flavor. Substituting changes the rice's taste noticeably. For these recipes, even a small amount of toasted sesame oil makes a meaningful difference; reduce the amount used rather than substituting entirely.