12 Easy Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes That Beat Bottled

February 22, 2024

Courtesy of A Farmgirl's Dabbles

Homemade salad dressing is one of those things that feels fancy, but is actually so easy to make. Plus, it’s usually less expensive than store-bought, healthier, and tastier, too. The best part: You can start with a recipe and swap ingredients based on your taste and what you have on hand. Once you start making your own dressings, you’ll never go back to bottled. Here are some easy, delicious salad dressing recipes to help you get started.

1. Creamy Herb Cucumber Dressing

Sure, you can put cucumbers into your salad – so why not in your dressing, too? Blended with dill, lemon, and scallions, plus mayo and sour cream, this refreshing dressing is bursting with flavor. Use it as a dip or in tuna salad, too.

Try this recipe from Celebrating Sweets

2. Asian Sesame Dressing

Toasted sesame oil adds tons of nutty flavor to this dressing, which works beautifully on greens, noodle salads, or Asian-inspired slaw. Or drizzle it on steamed vegetables to add flavor. A sprinkle of sesame seeds on top adds a nice little bit of crunch and more sesame flavor.

Try this recipe from Recipe Tin Eats

3. Honey Chipotle Salad Dressing

Add a kick to your salads, tacos, grain bowls, and more. Smoky chipotle peppers combined with tangy lime juice and honey creates a sweet-spicy flavor that you’ll want to drizzle on everything. Tip: If you have extra canned chipotles in adobo left over, they freeze well.

Try this recipe from Gimme Some Oven

4. Raspberry Vinaigrette

Just a few simple ingredients – raspberries, shallot, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and red wine vinegar – blend together to make this sweet and tangy dressing. It’s perfect on salads that include some fruit. If raspberries are out of season, use thawed frozen ones (be sure they’re unsweetened).

Try this recipe from Downshiftology

5. Orange Vinaigrette

Here’s a vinaigrette that can easily double as a marinade for steak or chicken, and would go as well on a sweet potato salad as it does on greens. Play around with different vinegars to see which one you like best.

Try this recipe from The Modern Proper

6. Carrot Ginger Dressing

Love the dressing on salads at Japanese restaurants? It’s easier to recreate at home than you might think. Plus, it’s a tasty way to get more carrots into your diet. A shortcut we love: Buy pre-grated ginger in the freezer section of your supermarket.

Try this recipe from Just One Cookbook

7. Maple Dijon Dressing

If you love the sweet-savory combo of honey mustard, meet your new favorite dressing. With five simple ingredients, a bowl, and a whisk, it couldn’t be simpler. Try it on a kale or arugula salad, or a slaw.

Try this recipe from Foolproof Living

8. Tahini Dressing

Is there anything tahini can’t do? Along with making delicious baked goods and subbing for peanut butter on sandwiches, it also makes this dressing creamy, nutty, and hearty. Drizzle it on salads, roasted vegetables, or grain bowls.

Try this recipe from Love and Lemons

9. Herby Lemon Vinaigrette

Classic lemon vinaigrette gets a glow-up thanks to fresh thyme and rosemary. Use it on salads, of course – but also on grilled or roasted vegetables, or to add flavor to a simply cooked piece of chicken or fish.

Try this recipe from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

10. Healthy Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

As far as salad dressing recipes go, ranch is a must – for salads, for wings, for pizza (trust us on this). Make yours healthier with protein-packed Greek yogurt. This tasty version uses dried spices straight from your pantry, so it’s completely fuss free.

Try this recipe from Ambitious Kitchen

11. Best Balsamic Vinaigrette

Balsamic dressing is such a crowd pleaser – even people who are generally meh on salads will take a few bites if there’s balsamic involved. So you must have this one in your roster of salad dressing recipes. You can whip this one up in five minutes flat, whether you whisk it or make it in your blender.

Try this recipe from Barefeet in the Kitchen

12. Creamy Avocado Dressing

Avocado, lime, and cilantro are a perfect combo, and they’re the stars in this rich, creamy dressing. Along with tons of flavor, this dressing is loaded with great nutrition, healthy fats, and fiber. Drizzle it on salads, tacos, grilled meats, or grain bowls.

Try this recipe from Budget Bytes