This homemade Italian dressing recipe is a staple in our kitchen. It calls for a handful of basic ingredients, and it's delicious on salads, grains, and more!
Move over, bottled Italian dressing! This homemade Italian dressing recipe is super easy to make, and it tastes far better than any store bought kind. Trust me, I know. Growing up in the Midwest, I tried bottled Italian salad dressings left and right. They were a staple at the salad bar, the secret ingredient in everyone’s pasta salad, and the default marinade for any protein.
I get it. Reaching for a bottle of pre-made dressing is quick and easy. But once you try this homemade Italian dressing recipe, you’ll won’t look back. It’s a breeze to make, it uses simple, nourishing ingredients, and it’s zesty, fresh, and bright. It’s a staple in our house, and I think you’ll love it too.
Italian Dressing Recipe Ingredients
You only need a few basic ingredients to make this easy homemade Italian dressing:
- Lemon juice and white wine vinegar – They make the dressing zesty and bright.
- Dijon mustard – For extra tang.
- Garlic – It adds sharp, savory depth of flavor.
- Honey – Don’t skip it! Instead of making the dressing sweet, it mellows the bold lemon juice, vinegar, and Dijon mustard. If you’re vegan, use maple syrup in its place.
- Fresh parsley, dried oregano, and thyme – For fresh Italian flavor! This combination of fresh and dried herbs gives this dressing more nuance and depth than you’d find in any bottled dressing.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – It adds richness and marries the flavors of the other ingredients.
- And sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, honey, herbs, salt, and pepper to a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a Mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste, and enjoy!
I like this recipe for Italian dressing as-is, but if you want to amp up the flavor even more, stir in a few tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese before serving. This homemade salad dressing is also delicious with a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Homemade Italian Dressing Serving Suggestions
This homemade Italian dressing recipe is really versatile! Once you have it on hand, you won’t have any trouble putting it to use. Toss it with your favorite greens to make a simple side salad, use it in my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, or swap it in for the dressing in any of these salad recipes:
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
- Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado
Not in the mood for salad? Not a problem! This zesty dressing has other uses, too. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Drizzle it over roasted veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, or Brussels sprouts.
- Use it to brighten up grilled veggie skewers, grilled asparagus, grilled eggplant, grilled potatoes, or grilled zucchini.
- Toss it with cooked quinoa, couscous, or farro and fresh herbs to make a hearty side dish.
- Use it as a punchy marinade for cooked lentils, chickpeas, or white beans.
- Spoon it over a simple grain bowl, like this Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl.
How do you like to use homemade Italian dressing? Let me know in the comments!
More Homemade Dressing Recipes
If you love this Italian salad dressing recipe, try one of these homemade dressings next:
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- Greek Salad Dressing
- Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Green Goddess Dressing
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Homemade Caesar Dressing
Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1½ teaspoons honey
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, honey, oregano, garlic, mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- If desired, stir in the cheese.
Can you substitute dried parsley for fresh parsley in your Italian Salad Dressing recipe? And by using dried parsley would it extend the fridge life?
Hi Beth, you could but I would use less – 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. It might extend the fridge life a little, but the garlic will spoil at some point.
If I was making for a 16 ounce pasta salad, how much dressing would I need? Triple the recipe?
So easy to make! The ingredient list in store bought salad dressings really turns my stomach. I was looking for a homemade Italian dressing recipe and found this one. I questioned the mustard and the honey, but they both worked in the dressing! Thanks for this!
Can I amke and store it in the refrigerator? What will be the shelf life?
Hi, yes! This dressing keeps well for about a week in the fridge.
Very tasty!
Delicious and easy. The husband was craving Italian dressing over tomatoes & avocado, but we were out of dressing. He was amazed I could just whip one up. We even had freshly grated parm on hand. You made me look like a whiz!
I made this last week. I stored it in the fridge in between uses. It was good for 2 days, but then hardened, probably due to the oil. When I shook it it was just too thick. Does it need to be refrigerated?
Hi Corinna, yep! With the grated garlic and fresh herbs, this one should go in the fridge. If you let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or so before using, it will become liquid again.
Great dressing! So much better than store bought!
So glad you loved it, Deb!
Ummm, what is the red stuff in your pictures? I am trying to figure it out but it any listed.
It appears to be red pepper flakes. Its also shown in the bowl in the upper left
outstanding! I could have eaten it by the spoonful!!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Your Italian salad dressing is amazing! I hesitated to make because of the Dijon mustard. But this dressing is wonderful! Thank you for the recipe! And your Cilantro lime dressing is the the best! I wrote to you about this before. So delicious!
Hi Judy, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes!
A bit too sweet for me. Next time I will leave out the maple syrup & dijon. I normally just mix olive oil, ACV & Italian seasoning for salad dressing so it seems really sweet to me. Does this need to be refrigerated?
Hi Sandy, yes, it should be stored in the fridge.
Absolutely perfect. I omitted the Dijon and found it to was just what I wanted.
So glad you loved it, Christine!
If I leave out the cheese, do I need to refrigerate this dressing?
yes, I’d still refrigerate it.
This dressing is amazing. Super flavourful and fresh. Thank you.
I’m so glad you loved it!
I don’t rigidly adhere to any culinary theories, but the general rule of thumb is a 3:1 ratio of oil to acid. This recipe calls for a 1:1 ratio (6T evoo, 3T white wine vin, 3T lemon juice), and it was obviously extremely acidic, but it was also way too runny for a salad.
L&L has a lot of solid recipes, but this one could use some tinkering, imo.
Yes. I also addea lot more oil. You can almost double the amount. IMO
Is there anything I can substitute for the white wine vinegar?
Rice vinegar is a good sub !
How long can i keep this Italian dressing?
In the fridge for up to a week.
I have made this so many times, following the recipe exactly. It has been on my table during holidays. I thought it was about time I leave a review. It is spectacular! I always receive compliments. Thank you for this!
Hi Catherine, thank you so much for your comment! I’m so glad you love the dressing.