This easy lemon salad dressing is the perfect addition to all of your favorite summer salads. Make it with just a few basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand!
Lemon Salad Dressing Recipe
Push those store-bought dressings aside and make your own dressing instead! This super easy lemon salad dressing is tangy, flavorful and makes the most delicious salad. Drizzle this tangy dressing over a Greek chicken salad for the best summer time meal.
No matter what salad is your favorite, this recipe has ingredients that pair well with any flavor profile. Whether you’re serving a simple green salad as a side with pork chops, or you’re making a spicy chicken fajita salad for dinner, this olive oil lemon dressing is a fantastic topping.
Summer time always has me searching for meals that aren’t super heavy. It’s just too hot outside for soups and rich foods, so salads are often on the menu for lunch and dinner!
If you need a simple lemon vinaigrette, then this is just the recipe for you. Lemon salad dressing is tangy, light, refreshing and oh so tasty! You won’t want to get store-bought salad dressing ever again.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
There are loads of reasons to love a quick and healthy recipe like this one:
- This easy lemon vinaigrette is much healhtier than salad dressing you can get in the grocery store. There are no additives, preservatives or added sugar.
- Make a big batch of lemon salad dressing and then store in the fridge! It keeps for a few weeks and will be ready to go whenever you get a craving for a leafy green salad.
- Homemade dressings have the best flavor. This lemon dressing is so fresh — it’s crazy that it’s really so easy to make!
Ingredients
These simple ingredients are all that you need to make the best lemon olive oil dressing! You probably already have everything on hand:
- red wine vinegar
- extra virgin olive oil
- lemon juice
- minced garlic
- dried dill
- dried oregano
- salt
- black pepper
Substitutions and Variations
Add a touch of sweetness to this dressing with a bit of honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup. You can keep it just savory too!
Feel free to add more flavor to this dressing with some fresh herbs like fresh cilantro, basil, or parsley.
With an oil-based dressing, I tend to like the flavor of olive oil best. However, you can use some avocado oil too.
Don’t have red wine vinegar? Balsamic vinegar will work, as well as white vinegar. Just know that the flavor may change a little bit.
How to Make Lemon Salad Dressing
There’s really only one step to make the easiest, most delicious homemade salad dressing:
Add all of the ingredients into a small bowl or a mason jar with a lid. Then whisk together well or shake until everything is thoroughly combined.
Use immediately or store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
How to Use Lemon Olive Oil Salad Dressing
This easy recipe is a lovely topping on any and all of your favorite salads! Whether that be a grain bowl like this quinoa arugula salad or a protein packed recipe like grilled chicken salad, the lemon flavor pairs well with so many things.
You can actually even use this as a chicken marinade! Marinate some chicken breast or chicken drumsticks to pack some flavor into your favorite protein. This dressing is actually even super tasty on roasted broccoli and other fresh veggies. Or, press the easy button on pasta salad and use this as the dressing.
Tips for Success
This is one of the most delicious ways to make your salad perfect, so check out these tips to ensure the dressing turns out great:
- Always use fresh lemons and squeeze fresh lemon juice. It’s way better than bottled and will homemade lemon salad dressing the best flavor.
- For the best flavor, make this dressing ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving. This will allow time for the flavors to meld together.
- Store in a jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid for best storing practices. This will keep the dressing fresh and make sure the flavors aren’t contaminated.
FAQ
If stored correctly in an airtight container, lemon dressing will last a week or two. The acid from lemon juice will help to preserve the dressing, but for best flavor use the dressing within about a week. Give it a good shake before serving!
A bitter flavor is often caused by too much acid. Your homemade dressing should have equal parts oil and lemon juice. If there’s a bitter flavor, add a bit more oil or maybe even a touch of honey.
More Salad Dressing Recipes
- Greek Salad Dressing
- Healthy Caesar Dressing
- Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
- Whole30 Salad Dressing Brands
Lemon Salad Dressing
Equipment
- Wide Mouth Mason Jar
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredient to a small bowl or mason jar.
- Whisk together or shake until throughly combined.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge until needed.
Pat says
Laura, love your recipes and Whole 30 healthy approach! Just wanted to point out an error in your Lemon Salad Dressing recipe. Ingredients list 1-2cloves of garlic but do not say minced garlic. I had to go back up and look through your whole article to see if you actually used whole garlic cloves like recipe implies. But I found the list in article said minced garlic. It sounds wonderful and I’m making it today!!
Madison Wetherill says
Thank you for pointing that out! We will get that updated 🙂