Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing goes well with just about every salad and is the most versatile salad dressing to stock in your fridge (that’s what we do!). It’s bright, zippy, and perfectly balanced, making it a crowd-pleaser. Watch my easy video tutorial and you’ll be mixing up a batch in minutes!
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Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe
With fresh ingredients, my homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing tastes so much better than store-bought salad dressing. It makes even basic side salads sparkle, and it’s easy to scale it up or down.
Our friends, Clark and Sara, shared this family recipe with us, and it became an instant hit with our family. Even our kiddos were smitten, calling it, “awesome!” When your six-year-old likes it, it’s a keeper!
I like making homemade condiments, like BBQ Sauce, Pesto, Hummus, and Marinara, because I love knowing exactly what I’m eating (frankly, it tastes better), it’s often cheaper, and surprisingly easy to make.
Lemon Vinaigrette Video
You don’t need a fancy blender to make my lemon vinaigrette dressing, but it certainly makes the process faster! Grab your whisk or immersion blender and let’s get mixing.
Ingredients for Lemon Vinaigrette
Grab these 5 fresh ingredients to make the best lemon vinaigrette dressing. You can also add optional herbs like fresh parsley, chives, cilantro, thyme, or oregano when you have them on hand.
- Olive oil – use a high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which really makes a difference. Here’s Bon Appétit’s guide to buying the best oil.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed from 2 lemons (not the bottled stuff, which can taste flat or bitter).
- Dijon mustard – adds so much flavor and helps emulsify (mix two liquids that don’t usually mix together, like oil and water) the dressing.
- Garlic cloves, salt, and pepper – use fresh minced, grated, or pressed garlic
- Honey – optional, but can help tame the acidity of the lemon. You can also use maple syrup.
How to Make Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
Just two steps to a classic lemon vinaigrette dressing:
- Mix – Mix all the ingredients together by shaking in a mason jar, whisking, or using a blender.
- Taste and adjust the ingredients if needed (see the chart below). Store in the fridge in an airtight container, and if the dressing separates in the fridge, shake or whisk to mix.
Natasha’s Pro Tip:
If using a whisk to emulsify, mix all the ingredients except the oil, and then slowly add the oil while whisking. This prevents the oil from clumping into large blobs, so it mixes well.
How to Adjust Lemon Dressing to Taste
This Lemon vinaigrette dressing recipe has the perfect kick for covering salad greens, but the quality and ripeness of the lemons and oils can vary. Taste and then use this chart to adjust the flavor to your tastes.
- Too punchy/lemony? – add more oil or a hint of honey to sweeten
- Not lemony? – add a bit more fresh lemon juice or dijon mustard
- Too salty? – Drizzle in more oil and a bit more lemon juice
- Overpowering garlic? – Add more oil and lemon juice to the dressing
- Separated dressing? – Leave at room temperature for a few minutes and then shake or whisk vigorously. You can also blend for about 10 seconds.
Lemon Vinaigrette Serving Ideas
Easy lemon vinaigrette dressing tastes amazing with nearly any salad and also works as a marinade, dip, or a drizzle over veggies. Here are some of our favorite ways to serve it:
This will be everyone’s favorite salad dressing! One batch makes 2/3 cup of dressing, so feel free to double it to store in your fridge. It stays fresh for up to a week when refrigerated, with just a little shake before serving. Let me know how you love to serve this amazing lemony dressing.
Lemon Vinaigrette
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
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Mix – In a medium bowl with a whisk, combine all of the ingredients except the oil. Whisk until blended and emulsified. While whisking vigorously, slowly put in the oil and whisk until blended and emulsified. You can also shake up the dressing in a mason jar until emulsified and creamy.
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Taste and adjust if needed (see troubleshooting table below). Transfer to a mason jar or an airtight container and refrigerate. If it solidifies or separates in the fridge, leave it out for a bit on the counter, then shake to recombine.
- Too sharp/ sour? Add more oil if it seems too punchy or lemony. You could also add a hint of honey to sweeten.
- Too mild/ oily? Add a splash more of lemon juice or a bit more Dijon.
- Too salty? Add more oil plus a splash of lemon juice
- Too garlicky? Add more oil and lemon juice
- Dressing Separates? Whisk or shake vigorously or blend for 10 seconds.
Optional – add fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, cilantro, thyme, or oregano.
Storage – Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week. If the dressing separates, leave it at room temperature for 5-10 minutes and then shake vigorously to re-emulsify.
134kcal Calories2g Carbs0.1g Protein14g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Vinaigrette
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
More Homemade Dressing Recipes
Lemon Vinaigrette is a great homemade dressing to start with, but then try these other fan favorite salad dressing recipes:
