What Are Sesame seeds and How Can I Use Them?

Wondering what to do with sesame seeds? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 663 recipes to put them to work.

What are sesame seeds?

Sesame seeds are sometimes added to breads, including bagels and the tops of hamburger buns.

Sesame seeds may be baked into crackers, often in the form of sticks. Sesame seeds are also sprinkled onto some sushi style foods.

Whole seeds are found in many salads and baked snacks as well in Japan.

The seeds are exceptionally rich in iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, and calcium (90 mg per tablespoon for un-hulled seeds, 10 mg for hulled), and contain vitamin B (thiamine) and vitamin E.

The nutrients of sesame seeds are better absorbed if they are ground or pulverized before consumption, as in tahini. Sesame seeds contain a high amount of the anti-nutrient phytic acid.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find sesame seeds: Sesame seeds are usually found in the asian section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Sesame seeds are a member of the Nut and Seed Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

芝麻

British (UK) term

Sesame seeds

en français

graines de sésame

en español

semillas de sésamo

How much do sesame seeds weigh?

Related

Nut and Seed Products

Recipes using sesame seeds

There are 663 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Everything Bagel Seasoning

All-dressed bagel seasoning, so expensive in stores, can be easily made in a flash. It can be used on various dishes, such as avocado toast, eggs, roasted vegetables, and even popcorn. It adds a delicious and savory flavor to your favorite foods.

Everything Bagel Seasoning

All-dressed bagel seasoning, so expensive in stores, can be easily made in a flash. It can be used on various dishes, such as avocado toast, eggs, roasted vegetables, and even popcorn. It adds a delicious and savory flavor to your favorite foods.

Whole Wheat Two Seeds Bread

Nutty whole wheat bread machine loaf topped with sesame and poppy seeds. Molasses adds subtle sweetness and soft texture to this high-fiber sandwich bread.

Roasted Korean Sticky Cocktail Sausages

These Korean sticky cocktail sausages are a delicious and easy-to-make appetizer that combines sweet and gently spicy flavors with the salty taste of sausages.

Sour Cabbage Salad

This salad fits to pierogi with the meat filling. You may also try it with fried or grilled fish.

Basic Hamburgers

Classic American hamburger patties seasoned with Worcestershire, onion and pepper, then broiled or grilled to your preferred doneness. Mix-in variations included.

Delicious Baba Ghannouj

Quick baba ghanoush with steamed eggplant, tahini, lemon, garlic, and a hint of cumin. The 13-minute version that skips the smoky char in favor of pure, clean eggplant flavor.

Queen's Biscuits (Biscotti Di Regina) *

Italian Queen's biscuits (biscotti di regina) coated in toasted sesame seeds. Sicilian Christmas and wedding cookies with a tender, crumbly texture under the nutty sesame crust.

Asian Salad Nicoise

This Nicoise Salad is a beautiful play off its French counterpart. It keeps the traditional string beans, potatoes, boiled eggs and tuna, but it adds an Asian inspired dressing that elevates this salad to the next level. By changing the usual white potatoes to sweet potatoes, it becomes a healthier version of the recipe. Sweet potatoes provide more vitamins and minerals than regular potatoes and they have fewer calories. Add in the Omega-3 benefits in the tuna, the protein of the eggs, and fibre-packed beans, and you have got a power packed lunch that tastes like a million dollars. This recipe will certainly be singing to your taste buds tuna.

Asian Salad Nicoise

This Nicoise Salad is a beautiful play off its French counterpart. It keeps the traditional string beans, potatoes, boiled eggs and tuna, but it adds an Asian inspired dressing that elevates this salad to the next level. By changing the usual white potatoes to sweet potatoes, it becomes a healthier version of the recipe. Sweet potatoes provide more vitamins and minerals than regular potatoes and they have fewer calories. Add in the Omega-3 benefits in the tuna, the protein of the eggs, and fibre-packed beans, and you have got a power packed lunch that tastes like a million dollars. This recipe will certainly be singing to your taste buds tuna.

Pear Granola Bars

Pear Granola Bars

Granola Bars Bw

Homemade granola bars sweetened with molasses and orange juice concentrate, packed with oats, raisins, apricots, sunflower seeds, wheat germ and sesame. Dense, cakey, and naturally fruit-sweetened.

Homemade Tomato Buns

Everyone loves tomatoes! These buns are delicious and healthy. Try my recipe.

No-Tahini Herb Hummus with Sautéed Onion & Garlic

Bright, herb-forward hummus with no tahini needed. Sautéed onion and garlic blend with fresh parsley, basil, oregano, and coriander into silky chickpeas for a lighter Middle Eastern dip that skips the paste but keeps all the flavor. Ready in 25 minutes.

Hearty Whole Grain Biscuits

Hearty whole grain biscuits use silken tofu and apple juice instead of butter, blended into whole wheat, rye, and wheat germ for a dairy-free, high-fiber breakfast biscuit. Vegan friendly.

Hummus Marinade

Hummus marinade thins classic chickpea, sesame and lemon hummus with olive oil and dark toasted sesame oil into a coating for chicken, lamb, fish or vegetables. Vegan, gluten-free and Middle Eastern.

Easy Sweet & Sour Veggie Salad

Sweet, sour and slightly spicy. Cucumber, sweet bell pepper, carrots, wood ears and smoked tofu are tossed with rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, soy sauce and Korean chili pepper. A very tasty side dish that goes well with all your favorite Korean dishes or most of the main courses.

Avocado, Radish & Edamame Salad

A simple salad with big health credentials: avocados are an excellent source of good fats, and more recently have been shown to also inhibit inflammation when eaten in combination with foods that typically trigger it. They are also a rich source of potassium (which balances sodium to keep blood pressure levels stable) and vitamin E, an important antioxidant.

Sada Naan

Sada naan is soft, pillowy homemade Indian flatbread leavened with yeast and yogurt, brushed with ghee and scattered with poppy and sesame seeds. Bake it in a home oven, no tandoor required.

Double Peanuts & Honey Christmas Popcorn Balls with Sesame Coating

Peanut butter, peanuts, honey and sesame seeds, hard to be not delicious with these ingredients together. The popcorn balls are nutty, sweet, and crunchy. They are great snacks at any occasion especially at Christmas.

Hummus #2

Herb-loaded hummus made with chickpeas, sauteed onion and garlic, toasted sesame seeds, and a blend of basil, coriander, and oregano. A fresh take on classic hummus.

Edamame, Carrot, & Avocado Salad

Edamame, carrot, and avocado salad tossed in a bright orange-lime and ginger-sesame dressing with black sesame seeds and cilantro. A fresh, protein-rich vegan, gluten-free side.

Pumpkin Soup with Honey & Cloves

Pumpkin soup gently spiced with whole cloves, sweetened with honey, and finished with cream. Smooth, autumn-bright puréed soup that holds up overnight for make-ahead dinner parties.

Sesame Mini-Loaf

Soft sesame-topped mini bread loaves made from scratch with yeast dough. These individual rolls are perfect for breakfast or sandwiches.

Honey Challah

Whether for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, or the dinner before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement when Jews fast, a beautiful honey challah is one of the treats of the holiday season. Pure honey sets this recipe apart, ensuring a moist texture and beautiful golden brown color. It’s simply splendid for French toast or for brunch anytime: If you’re invited as a guest, make everyone happy and bring a loaf or two. This recipe yields two loaves. Find more recipes on TheNibble.com.

Chickpea Burgers

Packed with nutrients and the burger is also delicious. Serve these veggie burgers with whatever toppings you feel like.

Whole Wheat Soft Pretzel Bread

Chewy, golden whole wheat pretzel bread with a hint of molasses sweetness, topped with sesame seeds and coarse salt. Just toss everything in the bread machine and let it work its magic!

Minced Meat Cutlets with White Radish & Sesame

Polish-style fried meatballs or hamburgers literally called ground cutlets (pol. kotlety mielone). My latest rendition contains white radish, sesame seeds, and cilantro leaves. It is far away from home, but I think it's healthy to travel from time to time. My cutlets are served with potatoes, yoghurt, dill, and Bayou Carlin coleslaw. The salad recipe is taken from RecipeLand. Quick and easy dinner to prepare.

Green Beans with Sesame Dressing

Tender crisp green beans tossed in a simple Asian dressing.

Long White Radish & Arugula Salad

Long white radish and arugula salad: crisp, peppery daikon and arugula tossed with scallion in a bright oil-and-citrus dressing, finished with toasted sesame. A sharp, refreshing side.

Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Spicy Pineapple Noodles

This dish was my dinner yesterday, and it was quite tasty. Loved the sweet, sour and salty flavor, and the well balanced texture.

Chilled Cucumber & Woodear Mushroom Salad

Nutritionally boost your day with this chilled cucumber and wood ear mushroom salad, it’s an effective way of getting flavour and nutrients rolled up into one meal. Eating cucumber, a chilled one especially, not only thaw any encumbrances in the digestive tract, but also goes flavourfully on the tongue. Wood ear mushroom, commonly sold in Asian markets, is a dear ingredient-mate of the cucumber in the cooking of this tantalizing salad. If you’re struggling to find wood ear mushrooms then Oyster mushrooms would be an excellent replacement. Furthermore if you don’t have access to Japanese cucumber, then the ordinary type of cucumber would be perfectly fitting too. Also if you’re buying them fresh, then instead of boiling, blanch them by dropping the oyster mushrooms into boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute at the most, then submerge them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. The glossy look of this salad is not only pleasing on the eye, but contributes perfectly to a balanced diet. Wood ear is known for its ability to reduce cholesterol in the body, aid blood circulation, and improve melanin and keratin efficiency too. Cucumber will not be left behind as it can also help in weight loss, hydration, is good for eyesight, among other benefits. And if you take a look at the other ingredients, sesame seed, ginger, lime etc. you should definitely add this to your recipe book! Let us get into its preparation without further ado. Shall we….

Crunchy Granola

Homemade crunchy granola with rolled oats, coconut, almonds, sesame, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ, baked low and slow with honey and vanilla. Raisins stirred in after cooling.

Favorite Curried Beef Stir-Fry

Curried beef stir-fry with soy-marinated sirloin, crisp cucumber, peppers, and celery in a glossy curry-spiked sauce. The unexpected addition of cucumber keeps the dish bright and crunchy. Ready in under 20 minutes.

Aromatic Cabbage

This simple recipe actually turned out very tasty, which definitely amazed me, especially with only these a few ingredients. The cumin, fennel and sesame seeds gave the dish load of yumminess. A great summer side dish.

Granola Mix

Homemade granola mix bakes ten cups of rolled oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame, and nuts in a honey-molasses syrup. Big-batch breakfast that stores six months.

Firecracker Salad

A crisp, crunchy Asian-style salad with julienned radishes, cucumber, toasted sesame seeds, and a tangy soy-ginger dressing. Light, refreshing, and ready in under 30 minutes. A low-calorie side dish that packs serious flavor.

Quick Onion Cheese Bread

No-yeast beer bread with cheddar cheese, scallions, and sesame seeds. A quick bread loaf that needs no kneading or rising, just stir and bake.

Spicy Sesame Beef Stir-Fry

Spicy sesame beef stir-fry with crisp-tender broccoli and sweet peppers in a gingery soy-garlic sauce. The beef is coated in sesame seeds and seared fast for a quick weeknight wok dinner, gluten-free with tamari.

Simit (Turkish Croissant with Sesame Seeds)

Simit (Turkish Croissant with Sesame Seeds) recipe

Korean Spicy Rice Cake, Cabbage & Leek Stew

This is another very normal dish that Korean people eat all the time, here the rice cake is nothing to do with dessert, it's a plain small patty or stick that is made of rice, normally simmered with stock, Korean chili sauce, cabbage and chilies. It soak all the delicious flavor, a classic and tasty Korean dish.

Korean Style Romaine

An easy Romaine lettuce salad with a quick and flavourful Korean style Asian dressing.

Garlicky - Soy Rapini (Broccoli Rabe)

Simply blanched the rapini, then a quick stir-fry with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar. The simply tasty dish can be served as a side dish or toss with cooked pasta to make a meal.

Asian Edamame & Carrot Salad

This quick and easy salad is packed with great flavour, and it's so refreshing.

Homemade Vegetable Buns

Healthy recipe. Nutritious and easy to make. Try it!

Do-Ahead Sesame Chicken Wings

Add a new kick to your chicken wings with this delicious recipe that uses a variety of spices to create a wonderful taste.

Soba Bibimbap

My craving for Korean food has officially come back to life again, and this was the dish I made for dinner yesterday. Instead of using cooked rice that traditional bibimbap does, this time I cooked soba noodles instead. Sauteed a few veggies that I had on hand separately, tossed with the spicy Korean chili sauce and a bit ketchup, and served with homemade kimchi. YUM!

Soba Bibimbap

My craving for Korean food has officially come back to life again, and this was the dish I made for dinner yesterday. Instead of using cooked rice that traditional bibimbap does, this time I cooked soba noodles instead. Sauteed a few veggies that I had on hand separately, tossed with the spicy Korean chili sauce and a bit ketchup, and served with homemade kimchi. YUM!

Soba Bibimbap

My craving for Korean food has officially come back to life again, and this was the dish I made for dinner yesterday. Instead of using cooked rice that traditional bibimbap does, this time I cooked soba noodles instead. Sauteed a few veggies that I had on hand separately, tossed with the spicy Korean chili sauce and a bit ketchup, and served with homemade kimchi. YUM!

Soba Bibimbap

My craving for Korean food has officially come back to life again, and this was the dish I made for dinner yesterday. Instead of using cooked rice that traditional bibimbap does, this time I cooked soba noodles instead. Sauteed a few veggies that I had on hand separately, tossed with the spicy Korean chili sauce and a bit ketchup, and served with homemade kimchi. YUM!

All 663 recipes