Easy Lemon Vinaigrette
This post may contain affiliate links.
This Lemon Vinaigrette recipe makes a fantastic dressing for your favorite summer salads. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients like oil and vinegar, and the flavor is bright, tangy, and absolutely delicious!
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.
Push those store-bought bottles aside, and make your own dressing instead! Not only will your salads taste better, but you won’t have to read labels to find out if it has unhealthy ingredients.
Why This Recipe is a Favorite
Vinaigrette is a fancy-sounding word, but it’s nothing more than an oil and vinegar-based dressing. This lemon vinaigrette is tangy, flavorful, and beyond easy to make! The flavor is super vibrant, just like lemon aioli.
If you need a quick and delicious way to dress your salads, this is the recipe for you. I bet after tasting the bright flavor, you won’t want to get store-bought salad dressing ever again.
It’s a budget friendly recipe, too! Oil and vinegar are both inexpensive, and one lemon will cost less than a dollar. So, hands down, homemade lemon vinaigrette is less expensive than store-bought.
Not only is it less expensive to make, it’s healthier than store-bought, too. There are no additives, preservatives or sugar in this recipe.
And best of all, this recipe is perfect for meal prep! It stays fresh in the fridge for a couple of weeks. You can make a big batch of dressing so it’s ready to go whenever you need it for a salad or marinade.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested tips for making this salad dressing recipe! I’ve made it countless times to ensure that you can make it perfectly, too.
- Always use fresh lemons and freshly squeezed juice. The flavor is much tastier than concentrated juice from a bottle.
- For the best flavor, let it sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving. This allows time for the flavors to meld together.
- Store in a jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. This will help prevent the vinaigrette from taking on flavors from nearby foods in the fridge.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
These simple ingredients are all that you need to make this lemon vinaigrette recipe:
- red wine vinegar: If you don’t have any red wine vinegar on hand, balsamic vinegar will work, as will white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a little too strong for a citrus-based dressing, but you can use it if you need to. Just know that the flavor of the dressing will be a bit stronger.
- extra virgin olive oil: I like the flavor of olive oil in a vinaigrette. However, avocado oil, canola oil, or any other mild-flavored oil will also work.
- lemon juice: You’ll only need a tablespoon of juice, which is about one-half of a small lemon.
- minced garlic: You can mince a fresh garlic clove or use the jarred variety.
- dried herbs and spices: For this vinaigrette recipe, you’ll need dried dill, dried oregano, and a bit of sea salt and black pepper.
Variations of Lemon Vinaigrette
Add a touch of sweetness to the dressing with a bit of honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup. You can keep it just savory too!
Use fresh herbs for a brighter flavor. Some fresh herbs that taste good with citrus fruits are cilantro, basil, and parsley. You can also substitute fresh herbs for the dried dill and oregano. However, because dried herbs are concentrated, you’ll need to use more of the fresh.
Use a ratio of 3:1 when substituting fresh herbs for dried. For example, this lemon vinaigrette recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of dried dill. This means you will need to use 3/4 teaspoon of fresh dill.
How to Make Lemon Vinaigrette
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, either whisk it together in the bowl, or put the cover on the jar and shake it well to combine everything.
Other Great Uses for Salad Dressing
This easy lemon vinaigrette recipe is really delicious on any type of dinner or side salad. Whether that be a grain bowl like this quinoa arugula salad or a protein-packed main dish like grilled chicken salad. The citrus flavor and bright herbs pair well with so many foods!
Try it on veggies! It's super tasty on roasted broccoli, and as a dip for raw vegetables.
You can also use the dressing as a marinade! It adds fantastic flavor to chicken breast and chicken drumsticks. Or, press the easy button on pasta salad by using this as the dressing.
Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe FAQ
If stored in an airtight container, lemon vinaigrette will last a week or two. The acid from lemon juice helps to preserve the dressing, but for the best flavor, try to use it within a week.
A bitter flavor can sometimes be caused by too much acid. A good lemon vinaigrette should have a balance of oil and vinegar, but not too much lemon juice. If it tastes bitter, add a bit more oil, or maybe even a touch of honey for sweetness.
Easy Lemon Vinaigrette
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 close the jar with a lid and shake vigorously to combine.
- Serve immediately, or store in the fridge until needed. It will keep for 1-2 weeks.
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!!
Thank you for pointing that out! We will get that updated 🙂