Homemade Italian Dressing
Homemade Italian Dressing will put store-bought bottles to shame! Flavorful ingredients make this dressing the perfect match for any salad!
Why We Love This Easy Italian Dressing
- It’s so easy to make! Chop up a shallot and some garlic, pop everything in a jar, and shake. That’s it!
- I love using this dressing for more than just salads! It’s great on chicken, pasta salads, and as a vegetable marinade.
- Skip all the preservatives and keep all the flavor! Sure Kraft Zesty Italian Salad Dressing has half the calories and fat, but I can pronounce everything in this dressing.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Homemade Italian Dressing
OLIVE OIL: I used regular olive oil since that’s what I have on hand for cooking, but extra virgin olive oil would work just fine too. If you want some extra flavor, use garlic-infused olive oil. It’s amazing!
VINEGAR: You have a couple of vinegar options for this dressing recipe. I prefer white wine vinegar, so that’s what I used, but red wine vinegar can be used if you prefer.
SEASONINGS: This dressing has shallots, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and a little sugar to balance everything out.
How to Make Italian Dressing
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 Add all of the dressing ingredients to a pint-sized mason jar.
STEP 2 Seal the lid and give everything a good shake until the dressing has emulsified.
STEP 3 Pour over your favorite salad or store in the fridge until ready to use.
Tips & Tricks
- If you don’t want your dressing to be as red you can reduce the amount of paprika to 1/2 teaspoon or even 1/4 teaspoon instead. Once mixed together, you can always add more paprika to the dressing if you want to.
- This dressing thickened up in the fridge to a sludgy consistency while I was storing it. Don’t worry if that happens! Just set the dressing out on the counter until it thins out again.
- Be sure to shake your dressing each time before using it. The oil and vinegar will separate and the solid ingredients will settle to the bottom of the jar.
- This dressing makes a great chicken marinade! Just add the Italian dressing & chicken to a gallon-sized food storage bag and let everything hang out for at least 4 hours before cooking.
Italian Dressing Recipe FAQ
Is Italian dressing vegan?
This recipe is, yes. Not all Italian dressings are as recipes use honey or include parmesan cheese in the ingredients.
Is balsamic vinaigrette the same as Italian dressing?
These two dressings are not the same. While both are a type of vinaigrette dressing, balsamic vinaigrette specifically uses balsamic vinegar. Italian dressing recipes usually use white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.
Other Recipes You May Like
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
- Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix
- Garlic Parmesan Croutons
- Chicken Cobb Salad
- Chicken Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
Homemade Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups olive oil
- 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ½ large shallot peeled and minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard powder
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a 16-ounce mason jar or air-tight food container.
- Cover the jar with its lid and shake for 30 seconds until everything is well combined and the oil and vinegar have emulsified.
- Store in the closed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake well before using.
Notes
- This dressing thickened up in the fridge to a sludgy consistency while I was storing it. Don’t worry if that happens! Just set the dressing out on the counter until it thins out again.
- Be sure to shake the jar of dressing each time before using.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.