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How to Make Homemade Salad Dressing

There’s something incredibly satisfying about making your own homemade salad dressing. It’s easy, quick and way tastier than anything you can buy at the store.  Using the ingredients below, you can mix and match them into over 1,000 different dressing recipes! Not feeling creative? No worries — I’ll give you plenty of easy recipes, too!

Homemade salad dressing basics

At its most basic, salad dressing comes down to two things: oil and acid. Of course, you can add many other ingredients like herbs and seasonings, but in a pinch, the right combination of oil and vinegar — or another acid — is all that you need.

The most important thing to remember when making homemade salad dressing is not to skimp on the oil. The proper amount of oil is needed for the emulsion to take shape. An emulsified dressing is one in which the oil and vinegar have combined to create a creamy consistency where the vinegar is suspended in the oil. It’s one of the basic food science principles that takes a dressing from good to great.

The proper ratio of oil to acid is 3-to-1. This holds true for any acid, whether it’s a variety of vinegar or citrus juice. However, the beauty of a homemade dressing is being able to adjust the flavors as needed:

“The flavors in homemade salad dressing have a vibrancy and freshness that store-bought just cannot match. Since I prefer a bold, tangy dressing, I don’t follow the standard oil-to-vinegar ratio when making a vinaigrette; I use equal parts.”

— Renee N Gardner, Renee Nicole’s Kitchen

The salad dressing “formula”: 1000+ ways to make homemade salad dressing

Homemade salad dressings typically have three main components: oils/emulsions (like olive oil or mayo), acid (vinegar or juice), herbs/seasonings/other flavorings. Below, I have listed a “menu” of different items you could use in each of these categories.

If you use one item from each component, you are able to make well over 1,000 different homemade salad dressings (thank you, ChatGPT!). So get creative!

If you’re not feeling creative, no worries. I include a few of my tried and true favorites below.

A jar of wingstop ranch.
Wingstop Ranch Dressing

Homemade salad dressing ingredients

Salad dressing can be made at any time if you keep some of these ingredients on hand. Luckily, most of these are pantry staples, so that a healthy, homemade salad dressing is never more than mere minutes away. 

Here are the essentials of a solid salad dressing:

Oils and emulsions

As the base of any dressing, the oil or emulsifier is an important starting point. You can use any of the following to create a great salad dressing, whether you’re shooting for a tangy vinaigrette for this quinoa salad with asparagus, or a creamy concoction to drizzle on top of a shrimp Caesar salad.

  • Olive oil
  • Sesame oil
  • Avocado oil or ripe avocado
  • Other neutral oil
  • Tahini
  • Coconut milk
  • Mayonnaise
  • Peanut butter — or other nut butter

Vinegars and juices

Acid is just as important an ingredient to a homemade salad dressing as oil, even though it’s used in lesser quantities. I love fresh, citrus-based dressings used in this chopped kale salad. Popular choices of acids include the following:

  • Red wine vinegar
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Rice vinegar
  • Lemon juice
  • Lime juice
  • Orange juice

Herbs and seasonings

Once the basics of oil and acid have been decided on, you can add flavor to your dressing by including optional herbs and seasonings. Any of the following can be used in either their dry or fresh form. I love using fresh herbs like in the easy mint vinaigrette!

  • Salt — a coarse, flaky sea salt is preferable for salad dressing
  • Black pepper
  • Garlic
  • Chives
  • Oregano
  • Basil
  • Dill
  • Parsley
  • Ranch seasoning
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Mint

Other flavorings

Beyond herbs and seasonings that you might find in your spice cabinet are other options for customizing a homemade salad dressing. These include ingredients like the following:

Homemade lemon vinaigrette in a bowl with a whisk.
Lemon Vinaigrette

How to make homemade salad dressing

Once you’ve decided on your ingredients and chosen a flavor profile for your dressing, making it is simple. The process involves any method in which you can blend the ingredients together into a smooth and emulsified final product.

There are a few methods to accomplish this:

  1. A bowl and whisk: This option is the simplest but will require the most elbow grease. Make sure you whisk hard and long enough to suspend the acid in the oil.
  2. Handheld frother: My newest favorite tool to whip up my dressings is this mini handheld frother! It works like a dream!
  3. A mason jar with a lid: Small mason jars with lids are perfect for shaking together salad dressings. The shaking motion helps to emulsify the ingredients with less effort than a whisk.
  4. Blender: Small blenders make quick work of the emulsification process but add to the clean-up.

Simple salad dressing recipes

So you never have to write salad dressing on your grocery shopping list again, we’re including three basic recipes to keep in your back pocket, depending on your meal. These offer a great base and starting point to experiment from.

Basic vinaigrette

A basic vinaigrette can go with any meal. It’s great for simple salads where the lettuce is the main feature.

  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Asian inspired dressing

This recipe features Asian-inspired ingredients in a light vinaigrette-type dressing. It would pair well with something like a bok choy salad or this cold ramen noodle salad. For a creamier option, use peanut butter or another nut butter instead of the oil.

  • ⅓ cup of neutral oil
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Classic creamy dressing

If you grew up in the U.S., having a creamy classic dressing you can default to is non-negotiable. This recipe takes an Italian-inspired route, but you can easily adjust to make it ranch, blue cheese, or whatever your favorite flavor is.

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream or yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or a mix of freshly minced herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme and parsley
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Salt to taste
Coleslaw poppyseed dressing being poured over veggies.
Creamy Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing

Never buy store-bought dressing again

As Kristin King from Dizzy Busy and Hungry says, “I love knowing exactly what is in my salad dressing — no artificial flavors, colors or ingredients I can’t pronounce.” When you make your own salad dressing, it not only affords you a chance to get creative in the kitchen but also an opportunity to make one more healthy choice in your day by using real whole food ingredients.”

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