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Home / Recipes / Homemade Pantry / Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

5 mins
| 9 Comments |
4.88 from 16 votes
Jump to Recipe 04/05/21 | Updated: 04/05/21 | by Nora
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Image Pin

This Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing is what you’ll want to add to all your salads! It’s easy to whip up, tastes way better than any of the bottled stuff and you can even make it ahead to always have some on hand!

overhead view of balsamic vinaigrette dressing in glass measuring jug

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

We always have a jar of homemade salad dressing in the fridge, and this here is a classic I make again and again, just like my Honey Mustard Dressing! Balsamic vinaigrette goes with so many different salads – cherry tomato salad, spinach salad, a tossed salad, tomato salad… So versatile, it never has to get boring.

  • It’s so easy to make at home! There really is no need to buy bottled salad dressing once you know how easy it is to make your own! A matter of 5 minutes, tops.
  • It’s meal prep friendly. I usually make a batch and store it in the fridge. This recipe makes 1 cup and that amount easily lasts us for a week. I’ll often make half batches of two different dressings to switch it up a bit – my Lemon Poppy Seed Salad Dressing would be a good candidate!
  • It‘s sooo tasty! I may even have eaten it with a spoon before. That’s how delicious it is!
close up photo of balsamic vinaigrette in glass measuring jug

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for balsamic vinaigrette dressing with text labels
Ingredients for Balsamic Vinaigrette: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Ingredient notes

  • Olive oil and balsamic vinegar: These are the two main ingredients of the vinaigrette, so I recommend to buy the best quality you can afford. For the balsamic vinegar, there are many, many different qualities and varieties out there to buy. This recipe uses regular balsamic vinegar, not the thicker balsamic cream – so be mindful of that. The acidity of your specific balsamic will also greatly affect the outcome of this recipe. I use a sweeter balsamic for dressings, if yours is very acidic you may need to add more honey to balance it out.
  • Honey: A runny, mild-tasting honey is best in this recipe. You need it to thicken the dressing and to sweeten it. But you don’t want a strong honey that overpowers the vinaigrette.
  • Mustard: I used Dijon mustard, but yellow mustard works really well, too.
  • Garlic powder: I much prefer using garlic powder over freshly minced garlic in a salad dressing. The reason being that fresh garlic can be really hard to gauge, and if you make the dressing ahead, it will get stronger over time. Garlic powder is much more mild and will not develop the same sharp flavors as fresh garlic tends to.

How to make a Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

This is a walk-through of the recipe with step photos. Skip to the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact times and temperatures.

1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.

  • ingredients for balsamic vinaigrette dressing in glass measuring jug
  • balsamic vinaigrette in glass measuring jug with whisk

Either store in the fridge or use immediately on a salad.

pouring balsamic vinaigrette dressing over cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls

Can you believe it’s THAT easy to make your own homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing? Ridiculous.

Recipe tips

  • If I’m only making one batch to use immediately, I’ll whisk it up straight in the salad bowl (no need to dirty another dish!).
  • If I want a large batch for storage I just add all ingredients to a lidded jar, close the lid, shake and place in the fridge labelled with the date for up to 5 days.

By the way, I love using small Weck jars to store my salad dressings. Their lids are not THE most convenient ones, but I far prefer them over the metal lids Ball jars come with, because those lids get rusty very quickly when in touch with the acid from the vinegar. The Weck jars have glass lids (I don’t put a rubber seal when I just keep salad dressing in the fridge!) that can be washed indefinitely.

You can find the small Weck jars from the photo above (affiliate link; I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through) here on Amazon, but there’s also large ones available if you want to store a larger amount of dressing.

measuring jug with balsamic vinaigrette sitting on plate with basil and cherry tomatoes

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable Recipe Card
overhead view of balsamic vinaigrette dressing in glass measuring jug
Save Recipe Saved!

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

This Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing is what you’ll want to add to all your salads! It’s easy to whip up, tastes way better than any of the bottled stuff and you can even make it ahead to always have some on hand!
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
4.88 from 16 votes
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 5 mins
Total 5 mins
Servings 16 tablespoons
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
 

  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons runny honey
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Store in the fridge in a clean, tightly sealed jar for up to 5 days.
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Notes

Ingredient notes

  • Olive oil and balsamic vinegar: These are the two main ingredients of the vinaigrette, so I recommend to buy the best quality you can afford. For the balsamic vinegar, there are many, many different qualities and varieties out there to buy. This recipe uses regular balsamic vinegar, not the thicker balsamic cream – so be mindful of that. The acidity of your specific balsamic will also greatly affect the outcome of this recipe. I use a sweeter balsamic for dressings, if yours is very acidic you may need to add more honey to balance it out.
  • Honey: A runny, mild-tasting honey is best in this recipe. You need it to thicken the dressing and to sweeten it. But you don’t want a strong honey that overpowers the vinaigrette.
  • Mustard: I used Dijon mustard, but yellow mustard works really well, too.
  • Garlic powder: I much prefer using garlic powder over freshly minced garlic in a salad dressing. The reason being that fresh garlic can be really hard to gauge, and if you make the dressing ahead, it will get stronger over time. Garlic powder is much more mild and will not develop the same sharp flavors as fresh garlic tends to.

Recipe tips

  • If I’m only making one batch to use immediately, I’ll whisk it up straight in the salad bowl (no need to dirty another dish!).
  • If I want a large batch for storage I just add all ingredients to a lidded jar, close the lid, shake and place in the fridge labelled with the date for up to 5 days.

Storage tips

I love using small Weck jars to store my salad dressings. Their lids are not THE most convenient ones, but I far prefer them over the metal lids Ball jars come with, because those lids get rusty very quickly when in touch with the acid from the vinegar. The Weck jars have glass lids (I don’t put a rubber seal when I just keep salad dressing in the fridge!) that can be washed indefinitely.
You can find the small Weck jars from the photo above (affiliate link; I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through) here on Amazon, but there’s also large ones available if you want to store a larger amount of dressing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 72kcalCarbohydrates: 3gFat: 6gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 5mgSugar: 2gCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.1mg
Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Dressing
Cuisine: American, Italian

Recipe first published on 03/28/2018. Updated with new photos and text on 04/05/2021.

More homemade salad dressings

  • White Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing
  • Lemon Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
  • Greek Salad Dressing

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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Comments

  1. Keely says

    May 22, 2021 at 2:27 am

    4 stars
    I love this recipe. I always double it because this is our “house” dressing that I am proud to serve to family & guests. Everyone who comes to my house loves it too & it is easy & fast to make.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 24, 2021 at 3:47 pm

      I’m so glad, Keely!

      Reply
  2. Amy says

    February 08, 2021 at 2:13 am

    5 stars
    This is THE BEST RECIPE! ❤️❤️

    Reply
  3. Lisa says

    December 27, 2020 at 3:38 pm

    5 stars
    Turned out perfect. I ran out of Dijon just before this recipe so I used some honey mustard. I was also out of honey so the mustard helped and I used a touch of sugar.

    Reply
  4. Teena Welch says

    October 18, 2020 at 9:27 pm

    5 stars
    A friend gave me a bunch of late-season peppers from her garden, and I didn’t know what to do with them. I cut up some tomatoes, the peppers, and half a small red onion. I poured this balsamic vinaigrette on top of it and everyone raved about it! It was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for posting this!

    Reply
  5. Sara says

    August 03, 2020 at 6:04 pm

    5 stars
    I love the addition of Dijon, it always makes things extra delicious! Really liked this simple, yet yummy, dressing! thanks

    Reply
  6. Amy says

    July 08, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    4 stars
    Made this last night and it was good but I felt like it was missing something. I can’t put my finger on it but I was thinking that maybe I didn’t put enough salt and pepper. I put what I thought was enough as I didn’t want to add to much and ruin it. I followed the recipe exactly and it was good. I’m thinking that I might just need to adjust the Seasonings. I just love homemade Salad dressing! I’m going to put this in my Recipe Keeper section and try it again. Thanks for sharing! 😊

    Reply
  7. Kelli Mallinger says

    March 17, 2019 at 4:53 pm

    5 stars
    Tried this pin, super easy and delicious. Turned out great.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      March 23, 2019 at 12:58 pm

      Glad to hear it, Kelli!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

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