Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

This Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette is the perfect blend of clean ingredients, tastier than the store-bought stuff, and healthier! It comes together in less than 5 minutes, and you can make it ahead of time to use in salads, as a marinade, or add extra flavor to any recipe!

This is the best balsamic vinaigrette recipe! Its tangy-sweet flavor can elevate any salad! But, don’t think this homemade dressing is only for salads. Nope, we use it as a marinade and drizzle over various chicken and beef recipes for extra flavor. 

We even mix it with roasted veggies. Honestly, it goes with everything!

Along with my lemon vinaigrette with honey and homemade Italian dressing, it’s a kitchen staple that I make every week. We also love this Thai Peanut Salad dressing.

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil is the beginning to this masterpiece. Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best-tasting vinaigrette, preferably organic and sold in a glass bottle. 
• Balsamic vinegar. The same goes with balsamic vinegar; you want to choose one that’s good quality. An excellent balsamic vinegar will be sweet and tart, not acidic. Look for an aged organic balsamic vinegar. Read the label to ensure the ingredient list doesn’t include additives, preservatives, or colorings.
• Dijon mustard adds another level of tang but also works to keep the oil and vinegar from separating.
• Dried basil and dried oregano seasons the balsamic vinegar salad dressing. You can also use equal parts Italian seasoning or chopped fresh herbs.
• Garlic powder adds a subtle garlic flavor. I have also used a grated or finely minced raw garlic clove in this homemade balsamic vinaigrette, giving it a more robust garlic flavor. If you like garlic, I recommend giving it a try with raw garlic. Minced shallot is also good in this dressing.
• Pure honey to balance the tart and tangy flavors. Another sweetener that’s delicious is pure maple syrup.

Supplies

• 16-ounce mason jars with lids
• Small mixing bowls and whisk

How to Make Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Pour all of the ingredients into a mason jar.
• Tightly place the lid on and shake vigorously for a few seconds. You can also whisk the ingredients into a small bowl and store them in an airtight container or mix using a blender. Give the recipe a taste for salt and sweetness.
• Enjoy or refrigerate for 1 week.

Storage tips

Store the Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing in an airtight container for one week in the fridge. The dressing will separate and solidify, give it a few shakes and then continue using. You might need to let the dressing sit on the counter for a few minutes to liquefy before using. Or I’ll run the jar under warm water and then shake the dressing.

Serving Suggestions

This healthy balsamic vinaigrette recipe is delicious on everything! 

Here are some tasty recipes I like to use with this balsamic vinaigrette.

• Steak salad in a jar
• Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Salad in a Jar
• California Salad in a Jar
• Caprese Chicken
• Bruschetta Chicken
• Healthy Pasta Salad
• We also love to drizzle it over roasted asparagus or roasted broccoli.
• Of course, we all also love this balsamic dressing with tomatoes or in a spinach or arugula salad with walnuts or pecans, cranberries, and crumbled blue cheese.
• It’s even delicious with fruit! Try it with apples, pear, berries, and peaches.

Cooking Tips

Traditional balsamic vinaigrette dressings use a 3:1 olive oil to balsamic vinegar ratio, but it depends on the amount of tartness and tang you want. I prefer a tangier balsamic vinegar dressing, so the ratio I use is 3:2, which equals ½ cup oil and ¼ cup vinegar. This ratio also reduces the amount of calories and fat in the balsamic salad dressing.

If you want a balsamic dressing with less tart and tangy flavor, start with two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and add more until you get the desired taste.

This homemade vinaigrette is best using extra virgin olive oil, but you can use avocado oil or any of your favorite healthy oils.

Do not be alarmed when vinaigrette solidifies in the refrigerator. That’s a good thing and means you are using high-quality olive oil. Give it a few shakes to combine the ingredients again. You can also let it sit out on the counter for a few minutes or run warm water over the jar to liquefy the olive oil. Either way, don’t worry; it’s still delicious. 

To make this balsamic vinaigrette dressing Whole30 compliant or Paleo and Keto-friendly, leave out the honey.

Make it zesty by adding a small amount of black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.

One of the great things about making homemade salad dressing is tweaking it to fit your taste. So use this balsamic salad dressing recipe as a base and then experiment with different variations to make it your own. 

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