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It’s hard to find a good store-bought Balsamic Vinaigrette. They can be too watery, too sweet, or too salty. Of course, none of this will do. That’s why I make my own vinaigrette now. It takes pretty much no time and, best of all, tastes amazing. My go-to recipe is bright and nicely sweet from balsamic vinegar, punchy from mustard, and just a little garlicky.
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Honestly, a really good salad dressing makes it easier for me to eat greens. If I have this balsamic vinaigrette in the fridge, I can basically make a side salad with my eyes closed. It’s the move on busy weeknights after errands and soccer practice and helping with homework.
And, again, this balsamic vinaigrette really takes no time at all to make. You basically add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk in the oil until the dressing’s creamy. While I love this vinaigrette with simple greens, it’d also be delicious as a dressing for green bean or pasta salad.
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: Italian
Primary Cooking Method: No-cook
Dietary Info: Vegetarian and gluten-free
Key Flavor: Balsamic vinegar
Skill Level: Easy
Summary
- Make-ahead: This dressing will last for up to a week in the fridge.
- Cheaper: Is anyone else shocked by how expensive bottled salad dressing is? Making your own balsamic vinaigrette costs way less.
- Make as much as you want: If I’m meal planning, I’ll make a double, triple, or even quadruple batch of this dressing. It makes throwing together a simple side salad for dinner easier.
- Fast: It takes 10 minutes or less to make this dressing.
Ingredients to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Balsamic vinegar: This is more syrupy and sweet than other vinegar.
- Honey: Just a little honey balances the rest of the acidic balsamic vinaigrette ingredients.
- Dijon mustard: Punchy and with a horseradish kick, I love Dijon mustard in salad dressing.
- Garlic powder: This easily adds a garlicky taste without you having to mince anything.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I like using extra virgin olive oil because it has more flavor than the regular stuff.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Swap out the sweetener. Instead of honey, you could use maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Add in herbs. Chopped basil, parsley, dill, or thyme would all taste great in this dressing.
- Use fresh garlic. I like using garlic powder in this honey balsamic vinaigrette because it’s easy and mixes well with the rest of the ingredients. However, you could absolutely use a clove of minced, fresh garlic.
- Add in other spices. While this balsamic vinaigrette doesn’t need anything else, you could add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes or even a little lemon pepper seasoning.
How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
Once you start making your own vinaigrette, you won’t go back. (I know I haven’t.) It requires just two steps…really!
Tips for Making the Best Homemade Balsamic Dressing
- Use really good olive oil. Because you won’t be cooking with it and are using a lot, you will really taste the olive oil in this dressing! Extra virgin olive oil has more flavor.
- Slowly whisk in the oil. You have to drizzle the oil in while whisking constantly! This will help the dressing emulsify, which is basically a fancy word for blend. If you don’t do this, the dressing could split and taste greasy.
- Adjust the garlic amount. If you don’t love garlic, you can totally leave it out. Garlic powder lends a subtle garlicky taste, while a minced, raw clove is more pungent. If you’re a big garlic fan, you could even use two cloves of minced garlic!
- Use room temperature ingredients. Most of the ingredients (except the Dijon) wouldn’t be kept in the fridge anyway, but just a note: Room-temperature ingredients are much easier to whisk together!
What to Serve With Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Mixed Green Salad
- Fresh Garden Salad
- Steak Salad
- Peach Avocado Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
The dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. I will often stash it in the jar I made it in!
You absolutely can, but fresh garlic will taste stronger and have more of a bite than garlic powder. If you’re a garlic fan, though, I say go for it!
While it won’t taste the same, you could use red wine or apple cider vinegar and a pinch of sugar in place of the balsamic.
Yes! But you’ll still want to add the olive oil slowly to make sure it gets well incorporated in the dressing.
This Balsamic Vinaigrette is proof that sometimes the best-tasting things are the fastest. It’s so easy, that I really can’t justify buying store-bought dressing ever again. I know—that’s a big claim! But it’s true: This vinaigrette is creamy and tangy and makes even simple greens taste amazing.
More Dressing Recipes:
- Homemade Vinaigrette
- Tahini Dressing
- Caesar Salad Dressing – 2 Ways
- Homemade Ranch Dip
- Balsamic Glaze
- Easy Chimichurri
- How to Make Salad Dressing at Home
- Blue Cheese Dressing
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Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously to emulsify the dressing.
- Continue whisking until the vinaigrette is well combined and slightly thickened.
- Store any leftover vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Make sure to shake it before using it again.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
