Toasted sesame oil is a limited time special buy at ALDI USA — but, is it worth picking up? Here’s my ALDI toasted sesame oil review, and why it’s almost always in my cupboard.
ALDI toasted sesame oil, like everything else, has gone up in price — it was $5.99 when I originally wrote this review in 2021, but $8.99 on its last appearance in 2023.
Every kitchen should contain a bottle of sesame oil. Just a touch adds so much flavor to so many recipes, and even with the price increase, ALDI isn’t a bad deal for a large container. (The next best price I’ve found on this size bottle is on Amazon, if you run out between ALDI special buys.)
- Sesame oil, by the way, not only tastes good; it’s good for you. Full of antioxidants and healthy fats, it’s one of the better oils to incorporate into your diet.
Sesame oil has gone up everywhere else, too, so ALDI remains a better buy than many other places.
ALDI toasted sesame oil review
Since I of course already have a bottle of ALDI toasted sesame oil hanging out in my kitchen from a previous sale, I thought I’d review it for you here. Sesame oil clocks in at 120 calories per Tbsp (although recipes generally use much less), and you get 34 of these 1 Tbsp servings per bottle. Carlini toasted sesame oil contains only… toasted sesame oil… and my bottle here is a product of Mexico.
Where do you use sesame oil?
You’ll want sesame oil on hand for just about any Asian dish, from stir fries, to fried rice, to egg drop soup, to use in marinades. Here are just a few of my favorite recipes using sesame oil:
- Easy Asian chopped salad kit stir fry
- Rice noodles with tofu & spinach
- Honey lime ginger vegetarian stir fry
- Ahi tuna poke bowls
- Egg roll in a noodle bowl
- Garlic soy pork with edamame rice
- Slow cooker garlic lime chicken thighs
- Korean style ground beef & spinach rice bowls
- Oven roasted everything asparagus
- Chicken thigh stir fry with asparagus
- 20 minute ground beef & broccoli stir fry
I’ve been using this bottle of ALDI toasted sesame oil in these and more recipes for the past couple of months, with delicious results. Also try adding a little to the pan when you cook up frozen potstickers, about halfway through the process. Oh, and let’s not forget about fried rice!
Fried rice always makes for a quick & delicious weeknight meal, and just a touch of sesame oil enhances its flavor beautifully. Try leftover pork fried rice, vegetarian tofu & mushroom fried rice, shrimp fried rice, and more.
How does ALDI sesame oil taste?
A good toasted sesame oil should have a pleasant nuttiness; you don’t want it to taste burnt or rancid. So, I put plain Carlini toasted sesame oil to the test. Success! Its nutty flavor shines through, without any unpleasant bitterness.
Purists won’t use plain and toasted sesame oils interchangeably. Myself, I’m not a purist: I’m a realist. Realistically, am I going to stock and use up two different sesame oils? Unlikely. Realistically, can I tell the difference in any of the meals I make regularly? Not really. The main difference here is in the intensity of flavor; toasting intensifies the nutty flavor of the sesame seeds.
Be aware, however, that toasted sesame oil should often be added later on in a recipe. As a general rule, don’t saute things in sesame oil; add a little to enhance the flavor of your dish after you’ve already used a different neutral oil to fry or saute. When in doubt, just add it a bit later than you otherwise might when following a recipe.
What do you think of Carlini sesame oil?
I highly recommend picking up a bottle of ALDI toasted sesame oil while available. Not only is it a good price, just a little bit goes such a long way in adding flavor — so, this size bottle should last you through months of recipes.
Have you purchased Carlini toasted sesame oil at ALDI? What’s your opinion?