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These top homemade salad dressing recipes are easy to make and taste fresh and delicious! Pick from popular creamy dressings and vinaigrettes.

Salad dressing recipes
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The best way to make salad taste fresh and delicious? Homemade salad dressing recipes! Salad dressing made at home has incredible rich flavor, and none of the preservatives or additives of purchased bottles. It’s easy to whip up in a flash: many recipes have just a few ingredients! We’re two cookbook authors and professional recipe developers who promise you: these dressing recipes will transform your greens—forever. Here are the most popular types of salad dressing, from creamy Caesar to zingy vinaigrettes.

Looking for healthy recipes? Try our Top Healthy Salad Dressings.

And now…the top salad dressing recipes to try!

More homemade dressings

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? We’ve got a few more salad dressing ideas that are great for specific seasons and applications. Got pesto on hand, or pomegranate juice? Need a dressing for your taco salad? Here are a few go-to ideas:

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30 Easy Salad Dressing Recipes

Balsamic Vinaigrette
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5 from 2 reviews

These top homemade salad dressing recipes are easy to make and taste fresh and delicious! Pick from favorites like Caesar, Italian, and balsamic: or see the list above for more ideas.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1/2 to 1 cup 1x
  • Category: Dressing
  • Method: Whisked
  • Cuisine: Salad dressing
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

For the balsamic vinaigrette

  • 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil

For the Italian dressing

  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced (about ¼ teaspoonor ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon each dried oregano, dried thyme, and dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil

For the Caesar dressing

  • 1 medium clove garlic
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional but recommended)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon each kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. For the balsamic vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and salt until fully combined. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, adding 1 tablespoon at a time and whisking until it incorporates, until an emulsion forms. Serve immediately. Makes ¾ cup. Store refrigerated and bring to room temperature before serving (keeps at least 2 weeks).
  2. For the Italian dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, garlic, oregano, thyme, basil, and kosher salt. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, adding 1 tablespoon at a time and whisking until it incorporates, until an emulsion forms. Serve immediately. Makes ½ cup. Store refrigerated and bring to room temperature before serving (keeps at least 2 weeks).
  3. For the Caesar dressing: Mince or grate the garlic. Grate the Parmesan cheese as finely as possible (it’s helpful to use a microplane or the fine holes on a grater). Juice the lemon. Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Makes 1 cup. Store refrigerated (keeps at least 1 week).

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More great salads

These salad dressing recipes are fantastic on salads of all kinds! We’ve got lots of salad inspiration for you to choose from. Here are some top salad recipes:

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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7 Comments

  1. Elliot D says:

    I keep coming back to this index of dressings for a new one every time. So far, 100% of these that i’ve tried have been a big hit!






  2. Anne Bradley says:

    Hello Sonja and Alex:

    For the recipes that you bake in the oven, do you have any microwave similarities? I cannot use an oven.

    Thank you.

  3. Teresa says:

    Do you have the recipe for a creamy Hazel salad dressing for shrimp.

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      We don’t, sorry!

    2. lisac says:

      1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
      1 1/2 C. Vegetable oil
      1 C chopped Green onion
      1/2 C Tomato Sauce
      1 T white vinegar
      2 t sugar
      1t white pepper
      1 t minced garlic
      1t Tabasco Sauce
      3/4 t ground red pepper
      1/2 t salt
      Blend in food processor

  4. Sonja Overhiser says:

    Let us know if you have any questions!