Recipe

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Follow this balsamic vinaigrette recipe for a perfectly balanced salad dressing that's ready in minutes.

This balsamic vinaigrette is smooth and tastes like the classic dressing you love, making any salad taste better.

Creamy balsamic vinaigrette drizzling from a spoon into a glass jar with a fresh salad in the background.

Balsamic Salad Dressing

This balsamic salad dressing is one I always keep in my fridge. It has the perfect balance of acid and sweetness that coats every bite of crisp greens beautifully. Once you learn how simple it is to make at home, you’ll understand why store-bought just doesn't compare.

Ingredients

The recipe card includes the amounts and all the details. Here is why each ingredient is used in this balsamic vinaigrette:

Balsamic vinegar: the star ingredient that brings that sweet and tangy flavor.
Olive oil: balances out the acidity from the vinegar, smooths the dressing, and helps it coat your salads evenly.
Dijon mustard: adds flavor and helps emulsify, keeping the dressing smooth and combined instead of separating.
Honey: balances the acidity with a touch of sweetness (regular sugar works too).
Salt: brings out flavor and balances the acidity.
Black pepper: subtle heat and depth to round out the dressing.

4-image collage for balsamic vinaigrette recipe. Top left: ingredients including olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Top right: ingredients combined in a blender. Bottom left: olive oil being poured into the blender. Bottom right: smooth, blended balsamic vinaigrette.

Vinegar to Oil Ratio in Balsamic Vinaigrette

For balsamic vinaigrette, I like a 2:1 ratio of olive oil to balsamic vinegar because it highlights the natural sweetness of the balsamic. This is different than other vinaigrettes, which use a 3:1 ratio because other vinegars are more acidic. If you want a milder dressing, blend in a little more olive oil.

Best Containers & Storage

At home: Store this vinaigrette in a jar or dressing bottle in the fridge. For meal prep: Use a small lidded container to keep the dressing separate and toss it with the salad right before eating to prevent wilting.

Pouring balsamic vinaigrette over a fresh spring salad with strawberries

Favorite Recipes Using Balsamic Dressing

Make this vinaigrette today and use it again with:

Chicken Caprese salad – as a dressing
Balsamic roasted beets – to roast them
Balsamic chicken breasts – as the marinade
Fig salad with goat cheese – as a dressing

Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Servings: 8 (1 cup approx)

Prep Time: 3

Total Time: 3

Follow this balsamic vinaigrette recipe for a perfectly balanced salad dressing that's ready in minutes.

5 from 38 votes

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Ingredients

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Make it:

Make the salad dressing by placing all ingredients, except the olive oil, inside a blender. Blend until smooth.
With the blender running, slowly pour the olive oil through the opening in the lid. This helps the dressing emulsify; meaning, keeping it smooth and combined instead of separating, and creates a creamy texture.

Store:

Pour this balsamic vinaigrette into a sealed jar or dressing bottle and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. To use, give it a quick stir or shake and enjoy.

Notes

For this balsamic vinaigrette recipe, I'm using a 2:1 ratio of olive oil to balsamic vinegar to highlight the natural sweetness of the balsamic. This is different than traditional vinaigrettes, which typically use a 3:1 ratio because other vinegars are more acidic (the extra olive oil smooths it out). If you want a milder dressing, blend in a little more olive oil. For dips or marinades, a 1:1 ratio works well to intensify the balsamic flavor.
This recipe yields about 1 cup of salad dressing (8 ounces). You can easily double it and make more in one batch.