Italian Dressing
This post may contain affiliate links.
It’s so easy to mix up this homemade Italian Dressing recipe in just 5 minutes! Toss it with your favorite green salad, use it to marinate chicken, or make a delicious Italian pasta salad. This zesty, flavorful salad dressing is gluten free, vegan, with no added preservatives or artificial ingredients!
Table of contents
I love making seasoning mixes, sauces and homemade salad dressings. Swapping out store-bought versions of these ingredients eliminates so much added sugar, salt and preservatives from your diet.
They also taste better! And the great thing about making them yourself is that you can customize them to your taste preferences. If you prefer a sweeter salad dressing, you can always add extra honey. Want more herbs in your dressing? Feel free to add extra Italian seasoning!
But I do have to say, this Italian dressing is really delicious, just the way the recipe is written! It’s my favorite salad dressing to toss with this simple Italian Salad, and it’s a great easy way to marinate chicken before grilling it.
Once you try just one taste of this homemade Italian dressing, you’ll never go back to the store-bought dressings again! This salad dressing is so easy to make, and you probably already have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now!
Ingredients
- Red wine vinegar – oil and vinegar are the base of all good Italian dressing recipes. This one uses red wine vinegar for it’s robust, vibrant flavor. If you need to replace it, you can use champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Lemon juice – I recommend fresh-squeezed juice for the best flavor. The lemon juice adds just the right amount of acidity to balance out the dressing.
- Dijon mustard – this sharp, tangy mustard is a delicious addition to the dressing and helps emulsify the dressing.
- Honey – you can also use maple syrup or agave nectar to add sweetness to the salad dressing, while making it vegan-friendly.
- Italian seasoning – click the link to the left for my homemade seasoning recipe. It only takes 5 minutes to mix up and it’s so delicious! It combines a blend of dried herbs, like basil, oregano and thyme, that add wonderful flavor to this recipe. You can also use a store-bought Italian seasoning mix, found on the spice aisle at major grocery stores.
- Salt + black pepper – to season the salad dressing.
- Extra virgin olive oil – as the base of the dressing, you want a mild, yet flavorful olive oil. You can also use canola oil, vegetable oil or avocado oil as the base of the dressing. You want an oil with a mild, neutral flavor profile so that it doesn’t overpower the flavors of the other ingredients.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, or mason jar, combine red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Slowly pour in the olive oil, while whisking the oil in with the other ingredients until combined.
Easy as that, you have a homemade Italian dressing, made in just 5 minutes!
Use it immediately or store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. Separation is natural with this dressing. Simply shake it up, or stir the dressing before using it in a recipe.
How to make it zesty
To make zesty Italian dressing, add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and increase the red wine vinegar by 2 tablespoons, for a total of 5 tablespoons vinegar.
Ways to use it
Mix up this Italian dressing and use it in different dishes throughout the week!
- Salad – this dressing is delicious on the Italian Salad pictured above, or on any of your favorite salads.
- Pasta salad – you can also use the dressing to make a simple Italian pasta salad. Cook 1 pound of pasta, like fusili, small shells, macaroni noodles or penne. Drain the pasta, let it cool then toss it with 8 ounces of dressing, which just so happens to be exactly how much this recipe makes! Add in your favorite ingredients like diced bell peppers, quartered cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, diced salami or pepperoni, diced onions, sliced black olives or parmesan cheese. Toss everything together, chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, then serve.
- Chicken marinade – marinate 2 pounds of chicken breasts or thighs in 8 ounces of the Italian dressing for 1-3 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill it for 5-6 minutes on each side over medium-high heat.
- Pork marinade – you can also use 8 ounces of the dressing to marinate 2 pounds of pork chops. After marinating for 1-3 hours, the pork chops can be grilled, baked or pan fried.
- On pizza – this Italian Sub Pizza recipe is just crazy enough that it works! Toss the Italian dressing with shredded lettuce to top the pizza after it’s cooked. You can also dip pizza crusts or garlic knots in the dressing.
- With veggies – drizzle the dressing over cooked vegetables, like steamed broccoli or roasted carrots.
More salad dressings and sauces
Make more delicious homemade dressings and sauces using these easy recipes!
Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, click link for homemade recipe
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper together in a small mixing bowl.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking the oil in with the other ingredients until combined.
- Use immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- To make zesty Italian dressing, add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and increase the red wine vinegar by 2 tablespoons, for a total of 5 tablespoons vinegar.
- Replace the honey with maple syrup to make this recipe vegan. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
Nutrition Facts
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
