Fresh homemade dressings taste so much better than bottled ones and are fast to make!
This Italian dressing recipe is a simple blend of oil and vinegar with just the right touch of savory seasonings. It’s great for salads or even as a marinade for grilled chicken!
Keep this magical dressing on hand at all times to drizzle on cucumbers or even use as a bread dip!
Delicious Italian Dressing
- A great homemade Italian salad dressing recipe is a must-have for every home cook, especially one that comes together as fast and easy as this one!
- So good on practically everything from salads to pasta, veggies, chicken, and fish, Italian dressing is as easy to make as it is versatile!
- Preservative, sugar-free, and absolutely delicious, this homemade dressing has the perfect blend of oil, vinegar, and savory spices.
Ingredients in Italian Dressing
Oil and vinegar make the base of any vinaigrette and this one is seasoned with a great blend of ingredients. This dressing is perfect over an Italian salad or simple greens.
Oil – When making salad dressing, vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil, or a light-tasting olive oil are great. Extra virgin olive oil can have a strong flavor so we opt for a lighter tasting oil in this recipe.
Vinegar – Red wine vinegar is our preferred vinegar in this recipe. Other options include white balsamic or white wine vinegar.
Other Additions – This recipe adds a dash of Dijon mustard for a zesty flavor while honey (or sugar) balances the vinegar. Both honey and dijon help to emulsify the base which means that the oil and vinegar will not separate.
Seasoning – I use a pinch of Italian seasoning as it has our favorite dried herbs including basil, oregano, parsley, and onion powder.
How to Make Italian Dressing
Homemade salad dressing surpasses any store-bought dressing because it’s made with fresh ingredients that can be adjusted to your preferences.
- Whisk all ingredients (per the recipe below) except the oil.
- Very slowly drizzle the oil while whisking until it is incorporated.
- Season and use as desired.
Storing Leftover Dressing
Keep Italian dressing in the refrigerator and shake it thoroughly before using it (it will separate after sitting in the fridge). The flavor will intensify as it ages, but try to use it within 3 days for best results.
Freeze Italian dressing in ice cube trays and store them in a freezer bag. Pop one or two out to use in place of oil or butter in stir-fries; it’s already seasoned, too!
More Italian Inspired Sides
Did you make this Italian Dressing? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Homemade Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or use half olive oil, half vegetable oil)
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey*
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except oil to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Very slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking. This should take at least 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve over fresh greens. Makes about ⅔ cup.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dressing, Salad, Sauce
Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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I’ve made this salad dressing two times to date, and it’s absolutely delish! No need for me to buy a bottled Italian salad dressing again.
Thank you, Holly, for putting up this recipe, as well as others of yours that I’ve made.
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes Susan!
So easy to make and flavorful too.
Great Flavor.. made this to go on my Italian Pasta Salad..
Thanks Holly..
Absolutely THE BEST Italian salad dressing! The flavors are perfect and I always have it made and ready to use.
Hi Holly! How much salt and pepper do you usually put in this recipe?
I start with ¼ teaspoon salt and taste and add more as needed (up to ½ teaspoon). I love pepper so I add a bit more, around ½ teaspoon.
I just made this dressing but wonder why it only lasts 2 days in the fridge. That doesn’t seem very long being refrigerated.
That’s a great question Shery! Because of the pH of garlic it can cause a risk of botulism in a heavy oil base. The USDA and many university studies reccomend a maximum of 2-3 days in the refrigerator. I’ve read varying articles that contradict if this includes garlic powder so we err on the side of caution and suggest just a couple of days.
Great and easy recipe! No more bottled Italian! Love your website! Good stuff!
Thank you, Maris! We are so happy to be able to share these recipe with you!
Delicious, easy and cheap. This recipe was the best Italian dressing that I have ever had. Good seasons was my favorite until I made this last night. This will be my go to dressing from now on.
I can’t get enough of this dressing, Susan! So happy you are enjoying it too!
I loved the easy recipe. So simple and yet open to try extras like pepper flakes, dash of lemon or even garlic. It a good standard recipe and I will add it to my “go to”. Thanks for sharing!
So happy you enjoyed it, Yoli! And you are so right, it is the perfect base to start experimenting with to create your own perfect dressing!
I think people who gave this a low rating do not know what real Italian salad dressing is. I grew up with Italians and they use a very simple dressing, mostly oil with a little bit of vinegar and some salt – and sometimes they only use oil and salt. This recipe is pretty close to an authentic homemade Italian dressing. It lets the greens shine! Thank you, Holly!
Thanks, Terry! Glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe :)
Hi Kelsey, this is an oil-based recipe so we recommend refrigerating for at least one hour before serving. This helps to allow all the other flavors to shine through!
Delicious and so simple! Used it for a simple pasta salad and it was the perfect match. Thank you for the recipe.
I simply can’t get enough of this salad dressing. I’m having huge salads everyday for lunch. This is so good!! I’ve shared it with at least 30 people.
Best recipe find of the year.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, Jennifer! We love this one too!
Sorry but this is not good. Ratios are way off. Way to much oil and not enough emulsifiers.
I like to make homemade instead of store bought.Thank you
I hope you enjoy the dressing Carol!
Really good! I added a little garlic and onion power, a dash of red pepper flakes and half white and half red wine vinegar, and a little parmesan cheese. Really good. May try a little honey next time I get some. Thanks for the recipe!
Those additions sounds yummy J.W. Glad you enjoyed it!
Hello, Your recipes look so delicious and they appear to be simple to make. I made the Pizza Grilled cheese and it was delish.
I have also printed a few more that I will be trying very soon.
I wanted to make a salad dressing without the Red Wine Vinegar and I wanted to know is there is a substitute for Red Wine Vinegar?
Thank you have a Blessed Day!
You could try another type of vinegar such as cider vinegar. Enjoy Cosandra!