Italian Vinaigrette Recipe (Easy Homemade Italian Dressing)

This Italian vinaigrette recipe is a quick homemade dressing made with red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, and dried herbs. It's bright, tangy, and ready in just 5 minutes.

Grant and I never buy salad dressings. We usually have some kind of homemade vinaigrette in the fridge, especially during the summer months when we eat a lot of salads.

This easy homemade Italian vinaigrette is one of those kitchen basics that works with almost everything. Drizzle it over green salads, toss it with pasta salad, spoon it over grain bowls, or use it as a simple marinade for vegetables, chicken, or fish.

At its simplest, Italian vinaigrette is an oil-and-vinegar dressing made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Dijon mustard helps the dressing emulsify, while a little honey or maple syrup can soften the acidity if needed.

Scroll down for step-by-step photos, helpful tips, and easy flavor variations!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Italian Vinaigrette
• Basic Vinaigrette Ratio
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Italian Vinaigrette
• Chef's Tips
• Flavor Variations, Substitutions and Add-Ins
• What to Serve with Italian Vinaigrette
• Storage Instructions
• FAQ's
• More Salad Dressing Recipes
• Italian Vinaigrette Recipe (Easy Homemade Italian Dressing)

Why You'll Love This Italian Vinaigrette

• Quick to make - Ready in about 5 minutes with no cooking needed.
• Simple pantry ingredients - Made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, and dried herbs.
• Fresh and tangy - Bright enough for salads but balanced enough for grain bowls and roasted vegetables.
• Better than store-bought - You can adjust the acidity, seasoning, and sweetness to suit your taste.
• Versatile - Use it as a salad dressing, marinade, or finishing drizzle.

Basic Vinaigrette Ratio

A classic vinaigrette ratio is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.

For this Italian vinaigrette, we use ¾ cup (180 ml) olive oil and ¼ cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar. This gives the dressing a balanced flavor that is tangy, but not too sharp.

Once you understand the ratio, it's easy to adjust a vinaigrette to your taste. Add a little more vinegar if you like a sharper dressing, or a touch more olive oil if you prefer it softer and rounder.

Chef's Tip: Dijon mustard helps hold the oil and vinegar together, creating a smoother dressing that coats salad leaves beautifully.

Ingredients You'll Need

This Italian vinaigrette dressing uses simple ingredients that come together to create a bright, flavorful homemade dressing.

• Dijon mustard - Helps the vinaigrette emulsify and adds a little gentle sharpness.
• Honey or maple syrup - Optional, but a small amount helps balance the acidity of the vinegar. Use maple syrup to keep it vegan.
• Italian seasoning or dried oregano - Adds classic herby flavor. Italian seasoning gives a more rounded flavor, while oregano keeps it simple.
• Garlic - Fresh garlic gives the dressing a bold, savory flavor. Use a small garlic clove if you prefer a milder dressing.
• Red wine vinegar - Gives this vinaigrette its bright, tangy flavor.
• Extra virgin olive oil - The base of the dressing. Use a good-quality olive oil you enjoy the taste of.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper - Season the dressing and bring all the flavors together.

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Italian Vinaigrette

Build the base

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey (if using), Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar.

Emulsify the dressing

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. (If using a jar, simply seal and shake well.)

Chef's Tip: Adding the oil slowly helps create a stable emulsion so your dressing stays beautifully combined.

Taste and adjust

Taste and adjust seasoning-add more vinegar for acidity or a touch more honey to balance.

Chef's Tips

• Use good olive oil - The flavor of the olive oil really comes through in a simple dressing like this.
• Mince the garlic finely - Finely minced or pressed garlic blends better into the vinaigrette.
• Shake before serving - Homemade vinaigrettes naturally separate as they sit. Give the jar a good shake before using.
• Taste with a lettuce leaf - Dip a salad leaf into the dressing before adjusting. This gives you a better idea of how it will taste on the finished salad.
• Start with less salt - Some Italian seasoning blends contain salt, so season lightly at first and adjust at the end.

Flavor Variations, Substitutions and Add-Ins

This homemade Italian vinaigrette is easy to adapt depending on what you are serving it with.

• Add Parmesan - Whisk in a little freshly grated Parmesan for a salty, savory variation.
• Use lemon juice - Replace some or all of the red wine vinegar with fresh lemon juice for a brighter dressing.
• Use fresh herbs - Swap the dried herbs for finely chopped fresh oregano, basil, parsley, or thyme.
• Add red pepper flakes - A small pinch adds gentle heat.
• Make it creamy - Whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise for a creamy Italian dressing.

What to Serve with Italian Vinaigrette

This Italian vinaigrette dressing is a lovely everyday dressing for salads, vegetables, pasta salads, and Mediterranean-style dishes.

• Use it as a salad dressing - Toss it with crisp green salads, tomato salads, or hearty chopped salads.
• Toss with pasta salad - Try it with our Vegetarian Italian Pasta Salad for a bright, herby dressing.
• Serve with Mediterranean-style salads - Drizzle it over Roasted Beet Salad with Feta, Mediterranean Bulgur Salad, or Mediterranean Chicken Salad for extra brightness.
• Add it to grain bowls - Toss with cooked bulgur wheat, quinoa, or orzo to add acidity and balance.
• Drizzle over vegetables - Spoon over grilled or roasted vegetables, or try it with Mediterranean roasted vegetables or our Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Dukkah.
• Use it as a marinade - This vinaigrette works well as a simple marinade for vegetables, chicken, fish, or shrimp.

Storage Instructions

Fridge: Store Italian vinaigrette in a clean jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

The olive oil may solidify in the fridge. Let the dressing sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, then shake well before serving.

FAQ's

More Salad Dressing Recipes

If you enjoy making your own salad dressings, you may also like our:

• White Wine Vinaigrette
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Lemon Garlic DressingApple Cider Vinaigrette
• Greek Vinaigrette
• Tahini Yogurt Dressing

This Italian vinaigrette is one of those simple kitchen basics that makes everyday meals taste fresh and bright. It takes just a few minutes to shake together, keeps well in the fridge, and works with everything from salads to roasted vegetables and grain bowls.

Give it a try and let us know in the comments how you used it! Don't forget to Pin it for later or share it with a friend.

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The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.