Sesame Seed Recipes

By
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
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Updated on 04/26/20

Sesame seeds make a frequent appearance in Chinese cooking, particularly in sweets and pastries. Toasted sesame seeds are a popular garnish in Chinese dishes, and also lend the final touch in Chinese-American recipes such as sweet and sour chicken. Toasted black sesame seeds are the key ingredient in Black Sesame Soup and Tang Yuan, the glutinous rice dumplings that are a popular New Year’s treat. Here are several recipes featuring the distinctive nutty flavor of sesame seeds.

  • 01 of 09

    Bang Bang Chicken

    Sesame plays a predominant role in this popular Szechuan dish, made with both sesame paste and sesame oil. A sprinkling of sesame seeds over the chicken makes the perfect final touch.

  • 02 of 09

    Beef With Sesame Seeds

    In this flavorful stir-fry, thin strips of beef are marinated with honey and soy sauce, then paired with bean sprouts, celery, and red and green bell peppers. This recipe has been reader-rated at 5 out of 5 stars.

  • 03 of 09

    Black Sesame Soup (Sesame Tong Shui)

    The key ingredient in this sweet Cantonese soup is ground black sesame seeds. You’ll sometimes find it called “gray hair soup,” as black sesame seeds are rumored to be a grey hair cure.

  • 04 of 09

    Candied Banana Fritters (Toffee Bananas)

    Chinese Toffee Bananas
    Rhonda Parkinson

    You’ve probably seen this dish (or a similar version made with apples) at Chinese restaurants. It’s not one of the easier fried banana recipes to make, but it is well worth the trouble. Thin slices of banana are coated with batter before deep-frying and caramelized. This recipe has been reader-rated at 5 out of 5 stars.

    Continue to 5 of 9 below.
  • 05 of 09

    How to Toast Sesame Seeds

    Toasting white sesame seeds gives them a lovely golden color and brings out their nutty flavor. Black sesame seeds can also be toasted. You can buy toasted sesame seeds, but it’s easy to make your own.

  • 06 of 09

    Sesame Cookies

    Chinese Sesame Cookie Recipe

     The Spruce

    Cookie dough is rolled in sesame seeds before baking in this tasty cookie recipe, which includes a nutritional breakdown.

  • 07 of 09

    Sesame Seed Balls

    Sesame Seed Dessert Balls Recipe

     The Spruce

    Filled with sweet red bean paste, these delicious balls of deep-fried dough are a popular treat at Chinese bakeries. The filled balls are rolled in sesame seeds just before deep-frying.

  • 08 of 09

    Tang Yuan

    This basic recipe for these dumplings that are served in a sweet broth comes from Qiu Gui Su, ThoughtCo's Expert on Mandarin. In addition to sesame seeds, the dumplings can also be filled with peanut butter or red beans before cooking.

    Continue to 9 of 9 below.
  • 09 of 09

    Yuanxiao Dumplings

    Yuanxiao Chinese dumplings recipe

    The Spruce / Nita West

    Black sesame seeds are ground into a powder before being added to the filling in these dumplings made with sticky rice flour (glutinous rice flour).