The BEST Balsamic Vinaigrette

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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.

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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.

Best Ever Balsamic Vinaigrette beats anything you can buy at the store!

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. 

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

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.

There’s a reason I consider this particular Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing recipe 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 dressing when mixed by hand but feel free to experiment with both methods to figure out what you prefer.

Balsamic Vinaigrette is a staple in our fridge!

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

This Balsamic Vinaigrette 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.

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

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. 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!

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

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.

The BEST 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.

Best Ever Balsamic Vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

  1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic.
  2. Add the oil and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified.
  3. Store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate. Shake well before serving.

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Best Ever Balsamic Vinaigrette beats anything you can buy at the store!

Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

4.92 from 374 votes
Slightly sweet, tangy balsamic vinaigrette is versatile as can be. As a dressing for salad, drizzled on roasted vegetables and chicken wraps, everyone loves this recipe.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 20 tablespoons

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

If you choose to make this in the blender (as I like to do for almost every other recipe) this will be a thicker dressing. Still delicious, simply thicker. I prefer the consistency of this particular dressing when whisked by hand.

Nutrition

Calories: 81kcal · Carbohydrates: 2g · Fat: 8g · Saturated Fat: 1g · Sodium: 67mg · Potassium: 3mg · Sugar: 2g · Vitamin C: 0.1mg · Calcium: 1mg · Iron: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 3/22/12 – recipe notes updated 3/12/21}

How To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette

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Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

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  1. Paul says

    Made this for some Balsamic chicken breasts on a bed of salad and it was awesome.

    Took it to the office and the staff LOVED it.
    I also adjusted the amount of oil.

    Thanks for sharing.

  2. Tracie Carlson says

    Just made this for the first time, after thoroughly looking over other recipes. This is just right! I did reduce the evoo slightly and replaced some of the balsamic with a black Mission fig balsamic. This made a totally yummy dressing, and I’m pretty finicky! This is definitely a “keeper!”5 stars

  3. Carolyn VandeWiele says

    you can also substitute maple syrup for the honey and it makes a great combination for salads with fruit and when roasting veggies

    • Mary says

      I’ve swapped in maple syrup as well and it’s terrific that way. Love the idea of drizzling it with roasted vegetables too.

  4. Wendy says

    So strange Mary….I look this dressing up so frequently! I just made a batch this morning before work and 6 hours later you’re running it through my email? Just weird! Take my word for it, it’s delicious! Although for the first time ever making it I cut the honey back to 1 tablespoon today and it was just as good!5 stars

  5. Patricia Thompson says

    I love salads combining greens with cooked meat or fruit. Also like to make my own dressings as boughten ones are not as fresh.
    Thank you for including salad ideas for this dressing.
    I am already receiving your enotes so will not add my email. I find I get double replies.

  6. Lynda Troup says

    I have just made this dressing and Mary wasn’t joking when she said it was the best. It was all I could do to stop myself from eating it right then and there.5 stars

  7. Cami Berg says

    Can’t wait to try this.

    Also looking for a recipe for a honey vinaigrette.
    A restaurant near me has it and it’s homemade. They won’t give out the recipe. Any suggestions since your recipes are amazing.

    Thanks.

  8. Nancy says

    Oh, my! This is a perfect ratio of flavours/ingredients! I was looking for a balsamic dressing recipe that would be similar to that of a local restaurant – they make the most delicious kale and quinoa salad! I “dressed” the chopped kale, then added the quinoa, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, avocado, and goat cheese – perfection! The restaurant also puts in sliced cherry tomatoes but I don’t care for them with the sweet dressing (I eat them at the restaurant but omitted them here at home!) Definitely keeping a jar of this on hand in the fridge!5 stars

  9. Jen says

    First time making any kind of homemade dressing and this is simple and delicious! I didn’t have dijon on hand so I found a recipe for that online which was super simple!

  10. M says

    Why does it need refrigeration? That seems counter productive? None of the ingredients are refrigerate items?

    • Mary says

      I didn’t realize I still those directions written in the post. I actually did refrigerate this in the past, just from habit when making other dressings. I actually don’t refrigerate this when I make it now. It’s shelf stable in the pantry.

  11. Lizze says

    It’s delicious and perfectly balanced! I was looking for a quick balsamic vinaigrette for caprese sandwiches for this weeks lunches. I whisked by hand and stored in a glass jar in case I need to give it a shake.

    Thank you!

  12. Kathy says

    I’m eating this dressing on a salad right now. It is the best balsamic vinaigrette that I’ve had. I will try to reduce the olive oil a bit next time as this is quite caloric–probably why it’s so good! Thanks for the recipe.5 stars

  13. Claudia says

    Absolutely wonderful dressing. The BEST vinaigrette I’ve tried so far. By the way, I made mine in the food processor and thought it was perfect that way. Would be interesting to try by hand whisking and comparing.5 stars