Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe (2024)

Ditch the store-bought bottled dressing and make a batch of this homemade balsamic vinaigrette instead the next time you need a salad dressing. It’s bright, tangy, and zingy and not just for salads! Drizzle this balsamic dressing over grilled meats, grilled vegetables, pasta salads, and more.

You can easily scale this recipe up or down to fit your needs, and you’ll never have a collection of half-used, almost expired bottles of dressing taking up room in your fridge again!

Key Ingredients You Need

• Olive oil — Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil as this is the base of the balsamic vinegar dressing. Extra virgin olive oil that is first cold-pressed has flavor and texture differences with more nutrition than low-quality olive oil pressed multiple times.
• Balsamic vinegar — Again, I suggest using high-quality balsamic vinegar. A little goes a long way, so you want to avoid the cheaper giant bottles. Those large bottles tend to be more bitter or acidic.
• Dijon mustard — Not only does Dijon mustard add to the tangy flavor of the dressing, it also helps with the emulsion process of the dressing.

How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette

Step 1: To a bowl, add the olive oil.

Step 2: To the same bowl, add freshly minced garlic.

Step 3: Add balsamic vinegar to the bowl.

Step 4: Add Dijon mustard to the bowl.

Step 5: Finish off with honey, salt, and pepper.

Step 6: Whisk the ingredients together until well combined.

Tips For This Recipe

• If you do not have olive oil, I recommend using another light-tasting oil such as avocado oil or grapeseed oil in its place.
• Use a larger bowl than you feel is necessary. You want to be able to whisk everything together quickly and vigorously, so the olive oil and balsamic vinegar will emulsify together. You’ll end up with some spillage if you use a small bowl.
• If you want extra added flavor to this, you can add some dried or fresh herbs.
• For a smoother consistency, you can add the ingredients to a blender to blitz the garlic up.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!