This Japanese sweet onion dressing turns a simple bowl of greens into something worth getting excited about. Grated onion blends into the sweet and tangy dressing, while finely chopped onion adds a little crunch. Made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a few everyday ingredients, it’s ready in just five minutes.
Why this Recipe Works
- Ready in 5 minutes: Simply do a little chopping and grating, then shake everything together in a jar.
- Vegan and dairy-free: Made without mayo or cream, so it works for a wide range of diets.
- Incredibly versatile: Use it as a salad dressing, dipping sauce, marinade, or as a flavor booster for your favorite protein.
- Better than store-bought: A fresh onion makes all the difference.
Table of contents
What is Japanese Onion Dressing?
Japanese sweet onion dressing is a light, vinegar-based dressing that showcases the natural sweetness of onions. Similar to wafu dressing, it’s often served over simple green salads. It’s also delicious with tofu, grilled vegetables, or cold noodles. In my version, finely grated sweet onion blends into the dressing, while finely chopped onion adds a little crunch. Soy sauce brings savory depth, balanced by gentle sweetness and tangy rice vinegar.
For more varieties and ways to these types of dressings, check out my guide to Japanese Dressings.
Best Onion to Use
The type of onion you use matters more than you might think. For the best sweet onion dressing, reach for one of these varieties:
- Vidalia onions: Grown in Georgia, these onions have a mild, almost fruity flavor.
- Maui onions: Another excellent choice with a delicate sweetness and low sulfur content, making them ideal for raw preparations.
- Walla Walla onions: A Pacific Northwest variety that’s similarly mild and sweet.
- Yellow onions: A decent substitute if sweet onions aren’t available, though the flavor will be slightly more pungent.
Avoid red onions or white onions for this recipe, as their sharper flavor can overpower the dressing’s gentle sweetness.
Sweet Onion Dressing Ingredients
- Sweet onion: Vidalia or Walla Walla work beautifully here. Their natural sweetness and low sulfur content make them ideal for a raw dressing.
- Plain rice vinegar: Mild and slightly sweet, rice vinegar is the backbone of this dressing. It’s gentler than white wine vinegar and pairs perfectly with soy sauce.
- Neutral oil: Grapeseed or avocado oil works well here because its mild flavor lets the sweet onion shine. Olive oil can add fruity or spicy notes that compete with the dressing’s delicate flavor.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce adds a savory, umami depth and balances the acidity from the vinegar.
- Sugar: Balances the acidity and saltiness.
- Salt: Optional but salt helps balance the overall flavor of the dressing.
How to Make Japanese Sweet Onion Dressing
Making this dressing couldn’t be easier. All you need is a grater or vegetable chopper (that can also grate) and about five minutes of your time.
- Prep the onion: Peel the onion and slice into quarters.
- Finely chop one quarter: Finely chop one of the quarters.
- Grate the remaining three quarters: Using a box grater or a vegetable chopper, grate or pulse the remaining onion until it’s close to fully grated.
- Combine in a jar: Add all the ingredients to a jar, close it with a lid, and shake to combine. Serve with your favorite salad.
Cooking Tips for the Best Onion Dressing
- Let it rest: The flavors deepen after sitting in the fridge for a few hours.
- Shake before serving: Natural separation is normal. Just give the jar a good shake before pouring.
- Adjust sweetness to taste: Depending on how sweet your onion is, you may need more or less sugar. Start with less and add more as needed.
Ways to Use this Dressing
One of the best things about this sweet onion dressing is how many ways you can use it. Here are a few suggestions:
- Marinade: Use it to marinate chicken, pork, beef, or fish to infuse umami and depth of flavor.
- Dipping sauce: Serve it alongside raw veggies, spring rolls, or dumplings as a dipping sauce.
- Grain bowl topping: Drizzle it over rice bowls, farro salads, or Buddha bowls for a burst of flavor.
- Coleslaw dressing: Toss it with shredded cabbage and carrots for a lighter, vinegar-based coleslaw.
- Protein flavor booster: It can also be used as a topping sauce to add flavor to your favorite protein.
How to Store Sweet Onion Dressing
Store your sweet onion dressing in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. Because this dressing contains fresh onion and no preservatives, it’s best consumed within that window for optimal flavor and freshness.
The oil may turn cloudy or thicken – this is completely normal. Simply let the jar sit at room temperature for a few minutes and give it a good shake before using. Do not freeze this dressing, as the emulsion will break and the texture will become watery.
More Japanese Dressings to Try: Japanese carrot ginger dressing, sesame dressing, miso dressing, shiso dressing.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
PrintJapanese Sweet Onion Dressing
A delicious sweet, tangy, and nutty Japanese onion dressing that comes together in just five minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 1 1/2 cup 1x
- Category: Dressing
- Method: Shaking
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (about 4–5 ounces) such a vidallia or walla walla
- 60ml rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup neutral oil such as grapeseed oil or avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar – use 2 teaspoons for less sweet
- Salt, for seasoning
Instructions
- Prep the onion. Peel and slice the onion into quarters.
- Chop it. Finely chop 1 quarter of the onion and set it aside in a bowl.
- Grate it. Using a grater, grate the remaining 3 quarters, keeping the juice (don’t throw it out as it’s full of flavor!). You can also use a vegetable chopper if it comes with a grater attachment. Pulse until the onion is close to fully grated.
- Make the dressing. In a jar, add the chopped onion, grated onion – including the juice – and the remaining ingredients for the dressing.
- Shake and serve. Close the jar with a lid and shake well to combine. Serve.
Notes
Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. The dressing will separate naturally — shake well before each use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. Subway’s sweet onion sauce is a Western-style condiment that’s thicker and sweeter. Japanese sweet onion dressing is thinner, oil-and-vinegar based, and relies on soy sauce for its savory depth. Both are sweet and tangy, but the Japanese version is lighter and more nuanced in flavor.
Yes, you can blend the onion in a blender or use an immersion blender if you don’t have a grater or the grater attachment for a vegetable chopper. Reserve one quarter for chopping if you want the same texture as this recipe.
Not by default, since it contains soy sauce. However, it’s very easy to make it gluten-free: simply swap the soy sauce for gluten-free soy sauce or gluten-free tamari.
You can reduce the amount of oil but I wouldn’t recommend omitting it entirely. The oil helps emulsify the dressing and carries the flavors. If you’d like to lower the amount of oil, start by using 1/4 cup and do a taste test. You might need to add a little more to achieve the perfect balance of flavor.
This dressing shines on simple green salads, cucumber salads, tofu salads, and soba noodle salads.
