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This Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe is perfect. You heard me correctly. Perfect. And I don’t use that word lightly. The recipe I’m sharing with you today is truly worthy of that descriptor. You don’t think I’d call something the “best” if I didn’t mean it, do you?
I’ve tried numerous recipes for balsamic vinaigrette over the past few years and while they have been decent, they were not quite what I was searching for. Some homemade vinaigrettes would end up a little too oily, while others were too sweet for my tastes. This dressing has the perfect balance of tang and sweetness, vinegar, and oil.
Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
After a lot of experimentation, trial and error, I am thrilled to be sharing this balsamic vinaigrette recipe with you today. I found this winning recipe for Balsamic Vinaigrette over at Chinese Grandma.
I served this balsamic vinaigrette last week on a salad while we had family visiting us. Everyone who tried the dressing immediately requested the recipe. It’s miles better than any store-bought salad dressing and as easy as whisking together a few ingredients.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
There’s a reason I consider this particular balsamic vinaigrette the absolute hands-down best. The dressing has plenty of tartness and bite from a generous portion of balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and garlic with just a touch of sweetness and honey flavor to balance it all out.
With enough extra virgin olive oil to coat every bite of your salad with rich flavor without making the salad too greasy, oil or soggy; it’s everything you could want in a vinegar-oil based dressing!
While I whisk the vinegar, oil, dijon mustard, garlic, and olive oil by hand with a sturdy kitchen whisk, you could also use a blender if you prefer. Mixing the ingredients with a blender gives the recipe a slightly thicker consistency.
I prefer the consistency of the balsamic dressing when mixed by hand but feel free to experiment with both methods to figure out what you prefer.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
This dressing is so versatile, I serve it on salads, on roasted vegetables and drizzled on chicken in a wrap. It’s a wonderful addition to whatever dish I’ve used it on.
There are so many ways to enjoy this dressing that you’ll always want to keep a jar or two handy for whenever the craving strikes.
The sourness of the balsamic is such a great complement to salads with apples, oranges, grapes, peaches, pears, and berries. It absolutely sings on Fuji Apple Chicken Salad and Strawberry Spinach Salad and would make a lovely addition to a Mixed Green, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad, too.
Of course, it also elevates everyday salads into the realm of extra tastiness. Toss your favorite garden salad in this dressing, try it on a Simple Spinach Salad, or drizzle it over a fresh Cucumber Tomato Salad.
Try it on pasta salad or in your favorite wrap for a way to jazz up your lunch staples.
Storing Balsamic Vinaigrette
Because vinegar-based salad dressings like this one have such a high acidity content, they keep for a good long while if stored correctly. After preparing the dressing, pour it into a mason jar and secure the lid tightly.
Store the dressing in the refrigerator where it should keep for several months. You can store it at room temperature as well, but I try to use it much more quickly when it is stored that way. Of course, you’ll find yourself reaching it for it so often that it’s bound to be gone long before then.
The oil and vinegar may separate during storage so just give the jar a nice shake to get everything all mixed together again before using. If you have a leftover bottle from store-bought salad dressing, you can totally wash and reuse it as a vessel for your homemade dressing!
Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add the oil and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified. Store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate or store at room temperature. Shake well before serving.
Balsamic Dressing
While this is truly a perfect go-to salad dressing recipe for any food that calls for a vinaigrette, I’ve made tons of variations on the recipe for different types of salads.
White Balsamic Vinaigrette is a take on balsamic vinaigrette that uses white balsamic and light olive oil that I love on an Orange Parsley Salad. When I’m in the mood for a slightly sweeter take on this recipe, I make Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette and for garlic lovers try Garlic and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette, and spice lovers must give my recipe for Honey Lime Jalapeño Vinaigrette try.
This balsamic vinaigrette is a staple recipe you must add to your cooking repertoire. It’ll never steer you wrong and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Kitchen Tip: I use this whisk and this jar to make this recipe.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper finely ground
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Add the oil and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified.
- Store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate. Shake well before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 3/22/12 – recipe notes updated 3/12/21}
Can you recommend a good balsamic vinegar please? I want to make this vinaigrette but I’m not sure of a good brand of balsamic to get. Recipe looks fantastic.
Hi Shari, I don’t typically use a high end balsamic when mixing up salad dressing. Pretty much any store brand will work nicely. When I’m drizzling balsamic over something and it’s going to stand alone, that’s when I use the aged or fancier vinegars.
Made this for our Italian dinner night, and it was fantastic on our salads. I used the rest as a marinade for chicken tenders, which were amazing. We will definitely make again.
I’m thrilled that you like it so much, Veronica.
I have been using the Trader Joe’s giotto’s Gold Label in the squatty glass jar for at least 10 years it is a reasonable price and extremely good in balsamic vinaigrette, panzanella Etc.
This is the best balsamic vinaigrette dressing I’ve ever had. Thank you
I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying it!
Eating my salad with this homemade dressing on it as I type this. It’s delicious! So easy to make! Better than the store bought dressing which I don’t enjoy anymore. Is it me or do they all taste processed?
Can you use minced garlic or does it require fresh garlic?
Fresh garlic will make a pretty big difference in this recipe, but you can use an alternative garlic in a pinch, Dee.
I simply put everything in a small blender, then there’s no lumps of garlic, shallot or anything else!! Makes the end product a little thicker but hey, no lumps x x
This was delicious just as written—didn’t change anything as I had everything on hand. Also, I found most of the reviews helpful (especially the suggestion to use immersion blender), but one review is an example of what I often find on internet recipes that drives me nuts—please don’t give a five star review for something you have not made! It is deceptive to give something high marks because it “looks good“. That said, I thought this salad dressing recipe was delicious, not too sweet or salty. I had it on a green salad but it would go nicely as a marinade or base for a pasta salad as well, and would stand up nicely to a steak salad.
I’m so glad you like it, Carol!
I made this dressing last minute for a BBQ. It was simple yet delicious. I would recommend making.
I’m glad you like it!
Delicious! I whisked mine by hand, but it still came out rather thick. I used a balsamic that was a higher grade and a little thick to start. Any suggestions on how to thin it out without changing the taste? Thanks for this wonderful recipe 💕!
Hmmm, you could try a splash of oil and a bit more (thinner) vinegar, but honestly? It’s a fairly thick dressing and if you love the flavor as is, I’d go with it this time. Next time, use a lower grade of vinegar and it will likely result in a thinner dressing.
I just made this and had the same problem. I tried adding more oil but that just reduced the flavour. I think I’ll buy a cheaper vinegar then make it again and mix the two to thin it out a bit. Otherwise this is very good and I can already tell how versatile it will be.
Very good, easy dressing. I whisked it, but the minced garlic kept going to bottom of the jar, so I blended it with immersion blender to incorporate the garlic. It was thicker, and I prefer it that way.
Thanks for posting this recipe which gave me the encouragement to try making salad dressing again. Other attempts were a disaster, lol! Thank you!
I’m so happy it was a hit, Karen!
This is so easy and good!! I used avocado oil as that’s all I had on hand. I doubled this recipe so I had extra to last me through the week.
I would NOT try to eat this on a salad directly after eating – it’s not bad but, it needs time to set up in the refrigerator.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the dressing, Mel.
This is my go to recipe. Ive run into a bit of a snafu today. I just realized I’m completely out of Dijon mustard. Would you omit the mustard completely or sub yellow mustard in its place?
I’d just sub yellow mustard, Gina. Enjoy!
Soooo good! My husband cannot stop raving about this dressing. I will now be making this regularly. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m thrilled it’s a hit!
Mine I think is turning out way more olive oil taste – do I need to add more balsamic?
If you’re tasting too much oil, I’d try adding more vinegar.
I loved this dressing! Super easy to prepare and very tasty <3 Served lasagna with a mixed greens salad.
I’m happy to hear that the dressing was a win for you!
Absolutely delicious! Will never purchase store brand again
Hooray! I’m thrilled the dressing is a hit.
This was very good. Next time, I’ll make sure I have fresh garlic on hand.
I’m glad you like it!
Delicious! It did solidify after about a week in the refrigerator though, to the point that it’s like a thick applesauce. What would you recommend to thin it back out to a normal dressing? Any way to prevent this in the future?
If you bring it back to room temperature, you should be able to shake it smooth again. If it stays thick, you can warm it just slightly to thin it out.
I loved the way this turned out… however I had to put my own little spin on it. The first time I made this I ate it with a spinach salad and loved it. Immediately after, I decided to add one half extra clove of garlic, 2 TBSP of lemon juice, 2 TSP of onion powder, 2 TSP of basil, 2 TSP of oregano. I feel it just gave it a little spin, thought I’d share.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the dressing and playing with the recipe too!
I thought this recipe was super oily & I had to really doctor the recipe to make it taste like the sharp, fresh, zesty vinegarette I think most people enjoy.. I advise using half the recommended oil & using more vinegar (I recommend cider vinegar for sharpness or rice vinegar for a smooth sharp flavor, another ⅓ cup). I also recommend a freshly squeezed lemon or lime, fresh dill (1-2 tsp), 1 tsp grated ginger, & some Garlic & Herb Mrs. Dash or Badia Complete seasoning (1-2 tsp). I also added 1-2 tsp of umami seasoning, but I really love mushrooms. We had to up the mustard too & the salt & pepper to taste. With the left over dressing the next day, I added 1 tsp pepper flake, 2 tsp red chili flake oil, & ½ a jalapeño, a splash of Mirin, 2 tbsp Green Mountain sauce with another tbsp of honey for heat/sweet & used it to marinate some chicken for stir fry. Having said all that, I can’t really recommend the recipe as is but augmentation works as long as you start out halving the oil. Good luck everyone.
Hi Lisa! It sounds like you have a pretty good handle on making vinaigrettes exactly as you like them. It also sounds like you weren’t really interested in a traditional balsamic vinaigrette. I’m glad you were able to come up with a dressing and marinade that you enjoyed. There are dozens of other salad dressings and vinaigrettes here on the site, if you want to try something different.
Absolutely delicious !! I loooooved it and so did my family. So glad I found this recipe !!!
I’m thrilled you like the dressing, Margaret.
Yummy and so easy!
I’m so happy to hear that you like it, Elizabeth!
So simple and soooo GOOD! I used to buy the Trader Joe’s Balsamic Dressing and now make this recipe which is so much better. In fact, I use the TJ dressing bottle to store this dressing which is perfect for the amount this recipe makes LOL. I just wanted to share with you that one time I started making this dressing just to realize that I didn’t have fresh garlic so I used 1 Tbsp pesto sauce and it turned out very good! I love it both ways, but my husband LOVES the pesto version. Thank you for sharing this easy and delicious recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that the dressing is a hit, Matti!