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Balsamic Vinaigrette is a staple in the kitchen that every cook should have the perfect recipe for. THIS is that perfect recipe! It’s tangy and refreshing, and will spruce up your salads and better than every other recipe I’ve ever tried.
I always used to pick up my dressings and sauces from the store. In fact, it never even crossed my mind that I could make them at home! As a young mom, I realized that I wanted to make more things from scratch and got started with a basic fry sauce, and I was hooked! This homemade cheese sauce is a perfect beginner’s recipe, and Alfredo Sauce is another staple that tastes way better homemade.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
There are a few dressings that I think everyone should be able to make at home, and balsamic vinaigrette is at the top of that list! It’s so perfect for salads, and it’s really really easy to make too. Other dressings that I always make at home are ranch dressing, the classic Caesar salad dressing, and Cafe Rio’s Cilantro Ranch. There is nothing better than a fresh dressing to go with your next dish.
Store-bought dressing has added preservatives and sugars. They often use lower-quality oils and additional ingredients that aren’t needed. This balsamic dressing has only the basic high quality ingredients that make this dressing the best one you’ll ever have. Even my kids love this homemade salad dressing. I know how much we all want our kids to be eating more vegetables. This dressing is a great way to get those kids gobbling up whatever you pour it over.
Ingredients
This balsamic vinaigrette dressing recipe is simple and down to the basics. It’s great served over vegetables and especially with pork. I love dipping our pork chops in this dressing, it adds so much flavor. As you can imagine, it’s also amazing on tomatoes. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.
- Balsamic Vinegar: This ingredient tastes amazing on it’s own. Blended with the rest of the ingredients it’s absolutely divine.
- Honey: This is to balance the acid in the vinegar. You could use maple syrup instead if you wanted to.
- Dijon Mustard: This adds a lot of flavor and a little spice.
- Garlic Powder: This is optional, but it adds a lot of savory flavors.
- Onion Powder: I like adding this to deepen the flavors.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: This is the best tasting oil. You could use avocado oil instead.
- Salt and Pepper: This is to bring out all of the amazing flavors. I like using Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
I can’t think of a better way to add flavor to your chicken and spinach salad than this balsamic vinaigrette. I’ve poured it over the top of a tomato and mozzarella salad (caprese salad) and it was seriously life-changing. The best part is, it’s also the easiest salad dressing you’ll ever make. Just pour all your ingredients into a bowl and then whisk together until combined! If you love simple and delicious recipes, then this one is for you.
- Whisk: Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Steam in Oil: Stream in the olive oil and then continuously whisk to emulsify the olive oil into the vinaigrette.
- Season: Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The vinaigrette will keep up to 2 weeks.
Tips for Making Balsamic Vinaigrette
You can get creative when making balsamic vinaigrette! There is a lot of room to play with the ingredients and you can use it as a dressing or a marinade. You can shake it up in a mason jar or mix it together in a small bowl. You can use it on many different proteins and change the flavors until they are perfect for you!
- Blend in Jar: You can actually easily just put all of you ingredients in a jar and shake them up! It’s a simple way to cut down on dishes, and the oil will still be able to blend together.
- Order of Ingredients: The order that you add the ingredients does matter, for the most part. Oil and other ingredients don’t always want to mix. Your dressing will combine better if you add all of the ingredients first, and then slowly whisk in the oil.
- Add Other Ingredients: You can add whatever you want to this vinaigrette! I like to add clove garlic and different kinds of mustard. You can use agave as a sweetener instead of honey. If you wanted to add ingredients like shallots, garlic, or fresh herbs, you can blend it in a blender.
Storing Leftovers
I love having fresh salad dressings in the refrigerator. They are so perfect for so many things and they just taste so much better! Here is how to store your homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
- In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Shake well before using it.
More Dips and Dressings
Homemade dips, dressings, and sauces are a great way to save money on groceries. They are also so much better tasting than what you buy from the store. Here are a few of my favorites that I go back to again and again.
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Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Stream in the olive oil and continuously whisk to emulsify the olive oil into the vinaigrette.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The vinaigrette will keep up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I appreciate the advice to keep the leftover dressing in the refrigerator but I find that the olive oil makes the dressing pretty solid in the refrigerator and prevents it from being pourable. Do you find this as well? If so, what’s the solution? Take out a half-hour or so ahead and put in some warm water?