Sticky Asian Sesame Sauce

This Sticky Asian Sesame Sauce is everything you want in a homemade glaze—sweet, savory, garlicky, and full of bold umami flavor. Made with simple plant-based ingredients like soy sauce, maple syrup, fresh ginger, and toasted sesame oil, this sauce thickens beautifully into a luscious coating that clings perfectly to whatever you toss it with. It’s the ideal finishing touch for my crispy tofu recipe, but it also works wonders drizzled over stir-fried veggies, grain bowls, noodles, or even roasted Brussels sprouts. Keep a jar of this in your fridge and get ready to level up your meals with serious flavor!

Ingredients

1/4 cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari

3 Tablespoons Agave (or Maple Syrup)

2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1/4 cup Water

2 tsp Fresh Grated Ginger

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds

Optional: ½ to 1 teaspoon chili flakes (for a little kick)

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, add soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.

Once it’s simmering, whisk in the slurry and stir continuously until the sauce begins to thicken—about 2–4 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in sesame seeds (and chili flakes if using).

Let it cool for a minute or two. It will thicken more as it sits.

Tips

• Toss your crispy tofu in the sauce while it’s still hot so it soaks in the flavor.

• You can store leftovers in a jar in the fridge for up to a week—just reheat with a splash of water if it thickens too much.