These easy homemade Salad Dressing Recipes taste better than store-bought! From classic vinaigrette to creamy ranch, these fresh salad dressings use simple ingredients and take just minutes to make!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Total Time10 minutesmins
Course: Condiment, Salad
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 8(Eight 2-tablespoon servings per 1 cup dressing)
1tablespooneach rice or white vinegar, chopped peeled ginger, soy sauce, and honey
Creamy Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
1/4cupeach buttermilk and sour cream
1/2cupcrumbled blue cheese
1/2a lemon
and salt and hot sauce to taste
Instructions
Classic Ranch Salad Dressing
Whisk 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons each chopped parsley and chives, 1 teaspoon dried dill weed, 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. (You can sub 1 tablespoon each of dried parsley and chives for the fresh.) This is perfect for cobb salads, to dip fries in, over chicken salads, and most any other salads with romaine and other leaf lettuces as the base.
1/3 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons each chopped parsley and chives, 1 teaspoon dried dill weed, 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder
Homemade Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
Blend 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoon each sour cream and olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 clove garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a blender. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoon each sour cream and olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Classic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Whisk 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil.
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste, 1/3 cup olive oil
Roasted Garlic Dressing
Slice the top off 1 head garlic; drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and roast at 400° until tender, about 35 minutes. Cool and then squeeze out the cloves. Blend the roasted garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste in a blender. Make a double batch and use part of it for a marinade for chicken breast. It’s also amazing on roasted vegetables.
1 head garlic, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste
Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
Whisk 2 tablespoons each of honey, Dijon mustard, and white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil.
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons each of honey, Dijon mustard, white vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil
Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
Whisk 2 teaspoon black poppy seeds, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil. This is great on salads with berries and other sweet fruits in them; it compliments them nicely.
2 teaspoon black poppy seeds, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/3 cup olive oil
Asian Sesame Dressing
Whisk 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or other neutral oil), 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper to taste, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. This dressing is also excellent on Asian-inspired noodle recipes and chicken salads.
2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or other neutral oil), 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Peanut-Lime Dressing
Blend 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons water, the juice of one lime, 1 tablespoon each rice or white vinegar, chopped peeled ginger, soy sauce, and honey in a blender. This dressing is awesome on “quinoa” bowls (roasted veggies/protein/quinoa), and it’s also excellent on fish.
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons water, juice of one lime, 1 tablespoon each rice or white vinegar, chopped peeled ginger, soy sauce, and honey, 1 tablespoon honey
Creamy Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
Whisk 1/4 cup each buttermilk and sour cream, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and salt and hot sauce to taste. Here’s a little secret: If blue cheese is too strong for you, you can make this with crumbled feta for a more mild dressing that is still wonderfully creamy and cheesy. Dip everything in this including hot wings.
1/4 cup each buttermilk and sour cream, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, 1/2 a lemon, and salt and hot sauce to taste
Video
Notes
Recipe Yield & Serving Size: Each recipe makes 1 cup of dressing. The nutrition numbers are calculated for the Basic Ranch Dressing, based on a serving size of 2 tablespoons, and there are 16 tablespoons in a cup. (You can use an app like MyFitnessPal to calculate for individual dressings as needed!)Recipe Variations:
As you get comfortable with making basic salad dressings, you can start being creative with different types of vinegar or dairy products and new herbs for bold flavors. Try anything that sounds good to your taste buds!
Have a bit left in a jam jar that you don't want to waste? Mix your DIY dressing in the jar for a new flavor!
Make Ahead: All of these dressings are great to make ahead of time and will keep for at least a couple of weeks in the fridge.Quick Prep: Using a food processor will make quick work of mixing up a homemade dressing. Pulse just a few times for a thicker consistency or more times for thinner.
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