Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Briana · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Looking for a delicious Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe? This homemade dressing is perfect for all of your favorite salad recipes. It's simple to make, with so much flavor, and a great way to dress up a simple green salad. Made with staple ingredients, and ready in no time!

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (1)

Please note: This recipe was originally published in April of 2018, but it has been re-photographed and updated in May 2022. We hope you enjoy it!

Does it get better than homemade salad dressings? In our opinion, making your own salad dressing is one of the simple ways of taking your salad to the next level.

Green salads are no longer boring with delicious homemade vinaigrette dressing! You only need a few minutes and ingredients to make this simple recipe.

Try this easy lemon vinaigrette on this simple arugula spinach salad, strawberry goat cheese salad, this steak salad, or even on this keto shrimp salad. The options are endless!

Jump to:
  • ❤️Why we love this recipe
  • 🍯Ingredients
  • ✏️Ingredient notes
  • 📖Instructions ​
  • 🍋Other uses for this dressing
  • 💭Frequently asked questions
  • 🛒Shop this recipe
  • 🥗More salad dressings to try
  • 🥣Storage
  • 🌟Leave a review!
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Community

❤️Why we love this recipe

  • Made with simple ingredients - You most likely have everything you need for this lemon vinaigrette dressing at home already. Anything you don't already have can be picked up at any grocery store!
  • Quick and easy - This dressing is ready in under 15 minutes, and that's including the prep time!
  • Super-versatile - The options are endless with this recipe. Use it on nearly any salad you can think of for a great pop of flavor. Make perfect spring and summer salads, or everyday salads any time of the year.
  • No special equipment needed - While our preferred method for making this dressing quick and easy is in a food processor or high powered blender, it can also be made by hand with a whisk, or shaken up in mason jars!
  • Healthier option - This recipe is refined sugar free, since it's sweetened with just a little bit of honey. It's naturally gluten free, low carb, and dairy free. To make it vegan, you could swap the honey for your favorite substitute.

🍯Ingredients

Below are the ingredients used in this recipe. We will provide ideas for substitutions further on in the post. You can find nutritional information and full quantities in the recipe card.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (2)

✏️Ingredient notes

  • Fresh garlic - Mince up some garlic to bring the flavor of this dressing to the next level. You could substitute for garlic powder if you prefer.
  • Apple cider vinegar - You could also substitute for some red wine vinegar.
  • Dijon mustard - Adds a nice zing flavor to the dressing.
  • Honey or honey substitute - Honey is what we use to make this dressing, and it adds such a lovely flavor and natural sweetness.
  • Kosher salt & black pepper- Pretty standard seasoning wise, add to taste.
  • Dried oregano - You could also add in some other herbs like dried thyme, basil, rosemary, or really whatever you like. Oregano is perfect and versatile for us, so it suits a lot of different salads.
  • Extra virgin olive oil - Use something high quality here. Again, this is the base of your dressing and will add a lot of flavor.
  • Fresh lemons - Fresh lemon juice is obviously the base flavor of this dressing. Feel free to add in lemon zest, too!

📖Instructions ​

Add olive oil and apple cider vinegar to a food processor.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (3)
Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (4)

Now add the oregano, black pepper, salt, dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and lemon juice.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (5)
Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (6)
Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (7)

Food process until smooth, and chill in the fridge before time to use to allow the flavors to combine.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (8)

Serve and enjoy! Try it with this , a simple spinach arugula salad, this blackberry salad, or this grilled peach salad, and more!

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (9)

🍋Other uses for this dressing

  • To dress a pasta salad.
  • As a quick marinade for fish or chicken.
  • Use it on proteins in the slow cooker to season it.
  • Cook it with proteins on the stovetop for extra flavor!

💭Frequently asked questions

Can I make this dressing with a whisk or mason jar?

Yes, you can definitely make this dressing with a whisk or in a mason jar, but you will just need a bit more elbow grease. A dressing made with this method will probably separate in the fridge, and you will likely need to re-shake or whisk it each time before using.

Here are a few tips:
- Mince the garlic up really fine before adding it to the dressing.
- You could potentially heat the honey for a few seconds to help the dressing emulsify easier.
- Whisk or shake vigorously until emulsified.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (10)

🛒Shop this recipe

Need supplies for this recipe? We've linked our favorites above andright here in our Amazon Store! You don't pay anything extra if you shop using our link, but we get a small percentage of the sale.

A Full Living is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate program, an affiliate advertising program designed to promote a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking products to amazon.com. We only share products we use and love. It doesn't cost you anything extra to shop using our links, but we earn a small commission that helps us keep this site going!

🥗More salad dressings to try

  • Wingstop ranch dressing
  • Creamy balsamic dressing
Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (11)

🥣Storage

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Do not freeze.

🌟Leave a review!

Make sure to leave a 5-star review below! This helps other readers find our recipes via Google, and encourages them to try them. Also be sure to leave a comment with your experience!

Take a photo and share with us by tagging us onInstagramor follow along onPinterestfor more ideas!

📖 Recipe

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (12)

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Briana

Looking for a delicious salad dressing? This homemade dressing is perfect for all of your favorite salads. It's simple to make, with so much flavor, and a great way to dress up a simple green salad. Made with staple ingredients, and ready in no time!

5 from 29 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 ounces olive oil
  • 1 whole lemon (juiced)

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a food processor.

  • Food process, whisk or shake in a mason jar until everything is emulsified.

  • Now, simply taste, adjust seasonings if need be, then serve with whatever salad you want. You can store this dressing in the fridge for about 7 days in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Feel free to swap honey with your favorite substitute to suit your preference.
  • Use as a marinade, in the slow cooker or on the stovetop with proteins, or on pasta salad!
  • Use a food processor, whisk, or a mason jar to make this dressing.
  • Champagne or red wine vinegar can be used in place of apple cider vinegar.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 125mgPotassium: 12mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @AFullLiving on social!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary Ellen says

    What type of greens and toppings are suggested with this dressing?

    Reply

  2. Jennifer says

    Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (13)
    This is amazing!! I will be making this again and again. Yum!

    Reply

    • Briana says

      Thanks so much for your review, Jennifer! We're so glad you enjoy it so much! 🙂

      Reply

  3. April says

    Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (14)
    A flavorful dressing that I have made over and over again since I found this recipe!

    Reply

    • Briana says

      That is so awesome to hear, April! Thanks so much for your review! 🙂

      Reply

  4. Tan says

    Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (15)
    It’s very tasty dressing. I like spicy so I put in 5 big cloves of garlic and 1 tablespoon of spicy vinegar with 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. It turned out great for me. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Briana says

      That sounds delicious Tan, thanks so much for your review! 🙂

      Reply

  5. Veronica says

    Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (16)
    This is a fabulous recipe. The only thing I do different is add fresh basil instead of oregano. It’s so fresh and everyone asks for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Briana says

      Fresh basil sounds so good in this! We're so happy you enjoy it so much, thank you so much for the awesome comment! 🙂

      Reply

  6. Chellie Lynn says

    Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (17)
    Absolutely delightful! I am on a keto diet so this is perfect for a healthy diet, PLUS it's truly delishous!

    Reply

    • Briana says

      Aww yay!! We're so glad to hear this, Chellie! Thanks for the comment 🙂

      Reply

  7. Heather B says

    Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (18)
    This is absolutely delicious and my go to dressing for pasta salad…. well any salad!

    Reply

    • Briana says

      This is so great to hear Heather! Thanks so much!! 🙂

      Reply

  8. Dina Alley says

    Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (19)
    Best lemon vinaigrette I’ve made! I’ve swapped this for all others. Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Briana says

      You made our day, Dina! So glad you enjoy it and thank you so much for the kind review! 🙂

      Reply

  9. Elena Murphy says

    Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (20)
    I wanted a special dressing for my homegrown lettuce and this was perfect! It will be my new favorite!

    Reply

  10. Jaime says

    How big is a serving if it makes 12 servings? Looks so good!

    Reply

    • Briana says

      Hey Jamie, We're not exactly sure, but to find out, you could weigh the entire amount of dressing with a food scale, and then divide by 12. We didn't actually do it ourselves, but we feel like it's a very solid amount of dressing when we make it!

      Reply

  11. Penny says

    Love it!

    Reply

    • Briana says

      Thank you so much Penny!

      Reply

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Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe — A Full Living (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for vinaigrette dressing? ›

The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For my personal taste, that's a little too oily — but it's totally up to you. My simple system is: In a small screw-top jar, place vinegar and a pinch of salt; cover and shake (this helps to dissolve the salt).

How long does homemade vinaigrette salad dressing last? ›

How Long Does Homemade Salad Dressing Last in the Fridge? Every dressing has a different shelf life, based on the ingredients. We recommend consuming dressings and sauces within 3-4 days to be safe.

What salad dressing lasts the longest? ›

After opening, an oil-based dressing like Italian or vinaigrette can last up to several months, whereas dairy-based or mayonnaise-based dressings such as Ranch, Caesar, or blue cheese may have a shorter shelf life due to their ingredients.

Which vinegar is best for vinaigrette? ›

In addition to white wine vinegar, red wine, sherry, balsamic and cider vinegars can all be used in the same quantities as above. It's really down to personal taste and it's great to have a selection of vinegars in your cupboard to give variety to even the simplest salads.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when making vinaigrette? ›

12 Mistakes Everyone Makes When Making Homemade Vinaigrette
  • Estimating measurements for all ingredients. inspiredbyart/Shutterstock. ...
  • Using the wrong oil. ...
  • Using the wrong vinegar. ...
  • Leaving out the emulsifier. ...
  • Skipping the mustard. ...
  • Forgetting to check expiration dates. ...
  • Not using fresh herbs. ...
  • Using vinaigrette only on salad.
Aug 18, 2022

What is house vinaigrette made of? ›

The standard house dressing is a combination of vinegar, oil, garlic, herbs, and a touch of sugar, but each restaurant has its own method, proportions, and add-ons.

What is classic vinaigrette made of? ›

Put the mustard, vinegar and olive oil in a jar and season. Shake vigorously to mix. Store in a cool place (not the fridge) until ready to use. Use for all your salads or try one of our recipes, right.

What salad dressings are the healthiest? ›

8 Simple and Healthy Salad Dressings
  1. Sesame ginger. This simple salad dressing doubles as an easy marinade for meat, poultry, or roasted veggies. ...
  2. Balsamic vinaigrette. ...
  3. Avocado lime. ...
  4. Lemon vinaigrette. ...
  5. Honey mustard. ...
  6. Greek yogurt ranch. ...
  7. Apple cider vinaigrette. ...
  8. Ginger turmeric.
Jul 27, 2023

Does lemon vinaigrette need to be refrigerated? ›

While oils and vinegars don't need to be refrigerated on their own, once you add in ingredients like fresh-squeezed citrus juice, mustard and garlic to make a homemade vinaigrette, it's a good idea to pop any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Does homemade vinaigrette go bad? ›

According to Reader's Digest, oil-based salad dressings, such as a balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing, tend to last longer than mayo-based dressings. In general, these dressings can last for up to a few weeks (via Know Your Pantry). However, once they've expired, they will give off a noticeable rancid smell.

What is the number 1 salad dressing? ›

Ranch Dressing

The ranch is hands down America's most beloved salad dressings. It is made from a number of ingredients such as buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, onion, chives, salt, and pepper. A creamier and richer version often features sour cream or yogurt for enhanced taste.

When should you throw out salad dressing? ›

Unopened jars of mayonnaise and salad dressing may be stored in the pantry. After opening, keep refrigerated up to 2 months. For more information, you may call the Food and Drug Administration's toll-free at 1-888-723-3366 or go to FDA's website.

What is the second most popular salad dressing? ›

Italian dressing is the second most popular salad dressing, preferred by 10% of the US population. 8% of Americans prefer Caesar salad dressing. The global salad dressing market was reportedly worth $10.2 billion USD in 2020. The global salad dressing market is expected to reach $11 billion by 2023.

What is vinaigrette dressing made of? ›

In general, vinaigrette consists of 3 parts of oil to 1 part of vinegar whisked into an emulsion. Salt and pepper are often added. Herbs and shallots, too, are often added, especially when it is used for cooked vegetables or grains. Sometimes mustard is used as an emulsifier and to add flavour.

What is the ratio of oil to vinegar when making a vinaigrette? ›

Culinary Tips for a Basic Vinaigrette Dressing (with Variations) This is a standard vinaigrette recipe, so we use the traditional oil to vinegar ratio: three parts oil to one part vinegar/acid, but this ratio can vary depending on your choice of vinegar/acid and personal taste.

What are the two fundamental ingredients used to make a vinaigrette? ›

A vinaigrette is made of two basic ingredients - olive oil and balsamic.

Which of the following ingredients is used in making basic vinaigrette? ›

Basic Vinaigrette Ratio & Ingredients
  • Olive oil for your base.
  • Vinegar of choice.
  • Dijon mustard for some flavor complexity and creaminess.
  • Maple syrup or honey for a little sweetness that balances the vinegar.
  • Garlic for oomph.
  • Salt and pepper.

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