It’s super, duper easy to make your own homemade Vinaigrette Dressing. This vinaigrette is way less expensive than store-bought, and you know exactly what goes into it.
I’ve always loved a good green salad. The thing is, I’ve never been able to find a premade salad dressing that I like. Most of them – especially store-bought oil and vinegar dressing – taste weird to me.
That’s why I started making my own homemade vinaigrette, and once I learned how easy this simple salad dressing was, there was no going back.

In this Article
What is Vinaigrette?
Vinaigrette is a simple salad dressing made with oil and vinegar. From there, you can add many different ingredients to add flavor and make it your own.
Vinaigrette Ratio
The ratio is very straightforward!
It’s:
1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil
+ salt and pepper to taste
Simple, right?! But that’s not all you need to know! Read on for even more about making the perfect homemade vinaigrette for you.
Vinaigrette Ingredients

What are the ingredients in vinaigrette? Oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and anything else you want to add for flavor and texture.
Oil
You can’t go wrong with extra virgin olive oil, which I use 95% of the time.
Or choose a light, flavorless oil like grapeseed oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil. Avocado oil can be delicious, too. For some extra flavor, you can even swap in a touch of nut oil like walnut oil or hazelnut oil; or a bit of sesame oil adds a nutty vibe that complements Asian foods nicely. Just use a light touch with the more potent oils.
It goes without saying that higher quality oil is going to taste the best. But personally, as you can see by the photo, I’m not opposed to a little Costco generic brand love. Tastes pretty great to me!
Vinegar
Ahhh, so many lovely varieties of vinegar. Most wine vinegars will yield a lighter vinaigrette. Rice vinegar is also a nice, light choice. Apple cider vinegar lends a nice little bite (I like using it in salads with apple). Balsamic vinegar is a bolder choice, but lends a wonderful sweet/tart flavor to the mix. Sherry vinegar is also nice, but can be bold, so tread lightly.
Lemon juice is often substituted for vinegar, but I prefer to supplement the vinegar with acidy citrus juices (orange and lime juices also fall into this category) rather than replace the vinegar entirely. Generally I’ll swap out half the vinegar for citrus juice if I’m going that route.
Other ingredients
As I referenced in the formula above, aside from oil and vinegar, the only other thing you really need for a superb and super-simple vinaigrette is a bit of salt (I like kosher salt or sea salt) and pepper (I prefer freshly ground black pepper).
Sugar or honey helps mellow the vinegar’s acidity. Bonus if you use honey, which works as a salad dressing emulsifier, too (more about emulsifiers in a bit).
Vinaigrette Variations
Balsamic vinaigrette
Use balsamic vinegar. A touch of sweetener – granulated sugar, honey, pure maple syrup, or even brown sugar – helps mellow out the acidity, while a bit of Dijon mustard helps round it out. I like to use white balsamic vinegar for a lighter balsamic dressing in both flavor and looks.
Herb vinaigrette
Add fresh chopped herbs like dill, basil, parsley, cilantro, mint, or thyme (dried herbs work, too, but can be more potent – you’ll want to start with about 1/3 of dried vs. fresh.)
Ginger vinaigrette
Add finely minced ginger.
Garlic vinaigrette
Add finely minced fresh garlic or even some garlic powder in a pinch.
Raspberry vinaigrette
Add fresh or frozen raspberries along with the other salad dressing ingredients to a blender and puree. Also works with strawberries or blueberries! Go with about 1/2 cup berries per 1 cup of dressing. A bit of shallot and a drizzle of honey go nicely too.
Champagne vinaigrette
Use champagne vinegar for a light, elegant touch.
Citrus vinaigrette (lime, orange, or lemon vinaigrette)
Swap out half of the vinegar for lemon, lime, or orange juice. Blood orange is especially pretty! Throw in a little zest for an extra punch.
Spicy vinaigrette
Crushed red pepper flakes, a dab of horseradish, or even a bit of Sriracha add a touch of heat.
Shallot vinaigrette
Add a bit of finely minced shallots to the equation. Shallots add so much flavor! You can also add onion or scallions.
Dijon vinaigrette
Dijon mustard adds flavor and acts as an emulsifier – it’s kind of vinaigrette’s best pal. More about emulsifying in a minute. I like to add about a half teaspoon to a teaspoon of Dijon mustard per 1 cup of dressing.
How to Mix Vinaigrette: My Two Favorite Methods

Yes, oil and vinegar likes to stay separated. But for vinaigrette, we want it together – at least long enough to get it onto our salad.
One effective way of mixing it together (also known as “emulsifying”) is to use a blender. But I feel like that over-complicates the process and, let’s be honest, I don’t like the extra clean-up. And this is all about simple!
So I almost always mix my vinaigrette one of two ways:
Whisk it in a bowl
Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and briskly whisk until all of the ingredients come together. That’s it! You can also add all of the ingredients except the oil, then whisk while adding the oil in a stream, which can help with the emulsification.
A tip Brandy shared has been a bit life-changing, too: just whisk the vinaigrette right in the salad bowl, add the greens, and toss. It only works if you’ve got just the right quantity for your salad, but it’s still an incredibly convenient option when the stars align.
Shake it in a mason jar
This is my favorite method because it’s easier (read: lazier). Just add all of the ingredients to a mason jar, screw on the lid, shake for a few seconds, and: voila, vinaigrette!

Bonus: you’ve now got a ready-made container for storing leftover dressing in the fridge for later on!
Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve
Once it’s mixed, just taste and adjust the seasonings if you like, and you’re good to go. Tasting tip: For the most accurate idea of what the dressing will taste like on your salad, dip a leaf into the dressing, shake off the excess, and try.
If you’re not serving your vinaigrette right away, you may have to shake it again right before serving. But here’s where the bonus of a couple of the add-ins come into play: both Dijon mustard and honey help emulsify the dressing, which keeps it together longer. So consider adding one or both of these if you’re entertaining and don’t want the embarrassment of a broken-down dressing (the horror!) or if you are just plain tired of shaking.

Here’s the full, printable recipe!

How to Make Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil* (or a more neutral-flavored oil like grapeseed, canola, or vegetable)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar** (or balsamic, apple cider vinegar, rice, sherry, or other wine vinegar)
- Pinch kosher salt
- A turn of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a small mason jar, screw on the lid, and shake until blended. You can also whisk the ingredients together in a bowl or whirr them together in a blender.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Add to salad, toss, and serve.
- Keep leftover dressing in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.
Excellent! I made these as a quick last minute decision. My family raved about them, and I could not be more pleased with the ease of preparation.
Your post helped me a lot of when I do it, thanks you very much
Just came across your Recipe and made it today. LOVED it! Thank you so much for sharing.
Do you know if this dressing can be frozen?
I add in some anchovy paste for extra flavor and everyone who has eaten it loves my dressing!
Thank you Kare. At last I have found you. Your information on how to make a good home made dressing with so much ease. The store bought dressings do not taste good anymore. The processing has changed with almost everything made in America for us to eat. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
I agree – I can’t find a store-bought dressing I like at all! Luckily it’s super simple to make at home. Thanks so much Mary!
Can peanut oil be used?
How can i make vegetable Salad
Love this simple vinegrete! Wow just made it, added the garlic, mustard and cheese. I’m amazed of how taste this is. This will be my go to recipe for a quick simple vinegrete. Yummm!
Thanks so much!
I have a homemade vinaigrette which is too vinegary! What can I do to neutralize the nite?
Thank you so much.
What would iI use for a apple or a strawberry Flavored Vinegarette dressing?
Hmm I’m not sure about apple, maybe apple cider? And pureed strawberry! Yum!
This dressing is awful. I used balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and it tastes… Pungent? Uh, too tart? I honestly have no idea how to describe it. The saving grace of this salad is the cheese I grated onto it.
Thanks for the simplicity, my options have shrunk drastically for food options and most of the commercial salad dressings have what I can’t eat. I kept thinking I had to make a jar of salad dressing and boom you don’t, tablespoon instead of cup. Thank you.
It’s quite easy to prepare ingredients to follow your recipe. Quick and effective
Thank you so much for printing this recipe! I’ve been looking for a recipe for a substitute for a wonderful Blue Cheese Vinaigrette from a restaurant that used to be in San Francisco, Ca, called Salmagundi’s. They had a very limited menu of soups, salads, various baked goods. They made this beautiful dressing that I found addictive!
I LOE YOUR RECIPE. AND WILL BE USING IT OFTEN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT.
Thanks so much, Carmeta!
I like to have salad for most of my meals, so I’m glad to learn more recipes about salad, this dressing sounds great, I will give it a try, thanks so much.
Not as “simple” as other dressing recipes, but the melding of flavors was awesome! I discovered upon rereading that I actually forgot the vinegar, and we still loved it! (I will make it correctly the next time.) Will just mention that it is extremely thick and requires a bit of extra oil to get to a vinaigrette consistency, but this will become a staple for sure.
Oh my goodness. Mouthwatering photos. Love me some homemade vinaigrette, and this is one of the best recipes so far. Can’t wait to make your version. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Great recipe to know, from now I can have more salad with this interesting dressing. Will make this for weekend meal. Many thanks.
Easy to make and absolutely magnifies the taste of the salad, I tried it and it was wonderful.
I’m glad this was a winner for you! Thanks so much for your review.
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I am a first timer, a husband who is out to impress his wonderful homely wife
Olive oil will make your recipes sing- can’t wait to try some.
Canola and Vegetable oil are no longer considered healthy according to several studies/Physicians who have researched nutrition for decades.
Thanks
I stopped using vegetable/canola oil for a few years but recently my dietician told me that canola oil is actually a desirable choice because it’s very low in saturated fats when compared to other oils. I do prefer olive oil in my vinaigrettes though! 🙂
I am a Nigerian and live in Nigeria.Thanks for the recipe. So simple & healthy. I made it using olive oil, rice vinegar, sea salt, red pepper and black peeper. It tasted so good! I enjoyed my salad of carrots, cucumber and sweet corn with the dressing.Now I have the confidence to experiment with other add-ins. Thanks so much for this simple recipe. And by the way, I got a lot of tips from your write up which I would not have gotten if you had just provided a recipe. Please keep up the good work.
Thank you so much, Soma! The salad you made sounds sooooo good.
In the summer, I enjoyed eating salads with chicken.
I will make it at the end of year party for my family.
Great simple recipe. Have been looking for one this simple for a while.
Thanks!
I had it at lunch today . It was grrrrrreat . Now that I have the base I am thinking of adding a bit of mayo as well. Will let you know how it turns out.
Creamy vinaigrettes are delicious! Definitely take this base recipe and go wild. 🙂
So I experimented, added the mayo and for color a bit of mustard . What can I say, ……yes ! yes ! yes ! Yessssssss! everyone should have the vinaigrette that I am having.
would have been more easy if you took the time to measure the amount of sugar and salt , as it would have been more easy for me to adjust it later
Look yummy! One of my favorite Salad Dressing, nice to see your recipe, easy to follow, will cook this for family this weekend. Thanks you!
Thanks for the great look at making an oil and vinegar dressing. Loved all the extra ideas and the easy style of writing.
One other thing I tried when making burgers was to steal a little well crumbled meat from the frying pan and just sprinkle it on top of the salad. It mixed in very nicely.
Starting to cook vegetarian and reduce blood pressure. This is a very helpfull website, thank you.
Thanks so much, Tim!
So interesting and simple
Forgot to rate this recipe,sorry I wish there was more stars to give you. It’s awesome. Thanks.
Excellent! I made these as a quick last minute decision.
Thank you very much for your delightful explanation of vinaigrette ! We carry olive oil shop handling olive oil, vinegar and seasonings for presenting Home made dressing to customers and today, I got so much confidence of how to make home made dressing rather than store bought dressing.
It is actually, more easy, more healthy and quite reasonable to understand how to dress up your salad!
This seems to me watching AGT on youtube, American Got Talent, to find talented people and you are the one, I recognized. Thank you again and I would try out Japnanese flavored vinaigrette.
Such a great jumping off point! We’ll be using this base recipe to create several variations. Thank you!
Such a great jumping off point! We’ll be using this base recipe to create several variations. Thank you!
Thanks for your very informative article! I will try it for my family.
Looks yummy and healthy. I will try to make this for my family. Thank you so much. i love it.
By far the most amazing guideline for making different vinaigrettes! Thank you for posting!
Easy to make and delicious!
Such a fabulous recipe. I really love to mĩx it ưith vegetable. Thank you!
This is the first time I have made it. Wow! it’s beyond my expectation!
Thank you for sharing. It looks so yummy.
Make it creamy! Add a bit of mayo or grated parmesan or bleu cheese.
Use as the binder for your tuna salad or tuna sandwich (made with chopped lettuce, cabbage, onions, carrots, etc.)
Great flexible recipe!
The recapie tastes like butter and its just horabe
Thank you!!!
Thank you for the recipe, it was great!