Our lemon balsamic vinaigrette recipe is perfect for drizzling on top of all of your favorite salads! A rich and complex salad dressing with zesty citrus, sweet honey, tangy balsamic and a touch of garlic for balance.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Create a balsamic vinaigrette that dances on your taste buds, elevating your everyday salads to something extraordinary! Here’s why you are going to love this tangy, sweet, and oh-so-easy salad dressing:
- Quick and Easy: With just a few simple ingredients, this vinaigrette comes together in a snap. No fuss, no hassle — just shake and drizzle!
- Burst of Citrus: The zesty combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest adds a delightful brightness.
- Balanced Sweetness: A touch of honey balances the tangy vinegar, creating a harmonious sweet and savory vinaigrette.
- Versatile Dressing: Toss it with mixed greens, pasta salad, tomato salad or drizzle it over roasted vegetables… This vinaigrette complements it all!
Love flavorful and easy homemade salad dressings? You’ll also love our citrusy orange salad dressing, flavorful Greek salad dressing and this amazing hot bacon dressing!
What You’ll Need
Making your own homemade salad dressing is both quick and easy… AND it tastes soooo much better than anything you’ll find at the store! Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Any light, mild oil will work!
- Balsamic Vinegar: Use an aged balsamic for a more intense flavor.
- Lemon: You will need a whole lemon for juice and zest.
- Honey: You can also use agave, brown sugar or even maple syrup like in our maple balsamic salad dressing.
- Dijon Mustard: Ground dijon mustard will give you the best flavor with added texture.
- Garlic: A little fresh garlic will add the perfect savory balance. Use jarred garlic as a last resort.
- Salt & Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper will add the most flavor.
How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
Recipes for balsamic vinaigrette range from the simple to the complex. Ours is simple to make, but has a complex and amazing flavor that will have you making it over and over again. Scroll to the recipe card at bottom of the post for full detailed instructions.
- Add & Shake: Combine the ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake until well blended.
- Serve: Serve over your favorite salad!
Cook’s Tips and Tricks
A few tips and tricks to make sure your homemade salad dressing tastes perfect!
- Lemon Zest: Do not skip the lemon zest! It adds an incredibly fresh citrus flavor and brings a lot of brightness to the dressing. With a microplane grater, zest just the yellow from the lemon, not the bitter white pith underneath.
- Sweeten Things Up: Do you like a sweeter vinaigrette? Add a little bit more honey, to taste!
- Add Some Heat: Add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes. It’s a subtle, but delicious addition!
What to Serve With Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
This homemade salad dressing goes with just about any salad you can think of. We developed this dressing to perfectly compliment our roasted beet salad with goat cheese. However, it’s great drizzled over any salad for a zesty twist.
If you’re looking for more salad ideas, we have a few to suggest! Try it with our strawberry and spinach salad, peppery arugula salad or our shaved brussels sprouts salad.
How to Store
This homemade balsamic vinaigrette recipe is perfect to make for easy lunches or dinners later in the week.
- Store: We like to store our vinaigrette in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid. It’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give it a hard shake before using.
- Freeze: We do not recommend freezing homemade salad dressings.
More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a jar cover with the lid and shake until well blended.
- Serve over your favorite salad, or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
