Balsamic Vinaigrette
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My go-to balsamic vinaigrette—perfect for drizzling over fresh greens, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and more.
Tangy and a touch sweet, this is a great all-purpose balsamic vinaigrette. The secret is a spoonful of Dijon mustard, which not only adds flavor but also acts as an emulsifier to make the vinaigrette nice and thick. In addition, finely minced shallots, which have a delicate and slightly sweet onion flavor, and a bit of fresh garlic round out the flavor. Try to use good-quality extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar—it makes a big difference. Balsamic vinaigrette will keep for about 4 days at room temperature. It’s delicious tossed with mixed greens, drizzled over a Caprese salad or grilled vegetables, or slathered onto an Italian-style sandwich.
“Delicious, fresh and simple to make. No longer buying this at the grocery store.”
What You’ll Need To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Dijon Mustard: Adds tanginess and helps emulsify the vinaigrette.
- Garlic: Infuses the dressing with a subtle savory flavor.
- Shallot: Provides a mild oniony taste.
- Salt and Pepper: Enhance the overall seasoning.
- Sugar: Balances out the acidity of the balsamic vinegar.
- Balsamic Vinegar: The star ingredient, lending its rich, sweet, and tangy flavor. I’d suggest a quality brand like Lucini.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness and smoothness to the vinaigrette. Similar to the balsamic vinegar, I really like the Lucini brand of olive oil.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step-Instructions
Combine the mustard, garlic, shallot, salt, freshly ground black pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar in a medium bowl.
Whisk to combine.
While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil to create an emulsion.
The dressing should be slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
That’s all there is to it. Store the vinaigrette in a jar at room temperature for up to 4 days. Shake to re-emulsify when ready to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, you can freeze it, but it’s not ideal. Olive oil can solidify and change texture in the freezer, affecting the overall quality. It keeps nicely at room temperature in a jar or other airtight container for up to 4 days. If you’d like to extend the shelf life, you can refrigerate it for up to a week. Just make sure you give it a shake to re-emulsify before using.
Sure, that should work! However, because the dressing has vinegar in it (which is acidic), it will do best with either bone-in chicken pieces or dark meat. Acidic marinades are generally too harsh for lean white meats like boneless skinless chicken breasts; they will give the meat a leathery texture.
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Balsamic Vinaigrette
My go-to balsamic vinaigrette—perfect for drizzling over fresh greens, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and more.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot, from 1 small shallot
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, garlic, shallot, salt, freshly ground black pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in the oil to create an emulsion; the dressing should be slightly thickened and emulsified when all the oil is added. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Store the vinaigrette in a jar at room temperature for up to 4 days. Shake to re-emulsify when ready to use.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 174
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Sugar: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 193mg
- Cholesterol: 0mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Absolutely delicious. I am so glad that I finally have a great classic balsamic dressing.
Lovely – perfect for a simple lettuce salad.
Another great recipe. We absolutely love this dressing. Great taste, not too tangy & not too sweet. We topped our salad with goat cheese which was great with this dressing. Thanks once again Jenn. ?
This is so easy to make and far better than store bought balsamic vinaigrette dressings. It’s become our “house” dressing, but I either omit the sugar or substitute maple syrup or a bit of fresh squeezed lemon or orange for sugar.
This is one of my favorite go to for whenever I need to make dressing in a snap! I pretty much always have these items in my pantry so it’s very quick and easy to whip up! Sometimes, if I have lemons on hand, I add a squeeze of lemon juice just to brighten up the flavor profile. Funny, but I even have the same Bonne Mamman jar that I throw the ingredients into to shake it up. lol
This is my new go-to recipe for Balsamic Vinaigrette!
I thought this recipe was absolutely horrible. Threw it down the drain. The ratio for olive oil and dijon mustard is way off. Calls for too much olive oil. Sorry- will keep looking for a different recipe.
I had the same problem when I made this recipe. Does it require balsamic glaze or what? The ratio of olive oil was way overpowering.
Doubled the recipe and prepared on the lowest setting of my vita mixer. The dressing holds together well and is possibly the best salad dressing I’ve ever made! My guests loved it! But what can I say, I’ve never found a bad recipe on this website.
Two questions:
1. Is this a dressing I can use for a mesclun salad with strawberries and mango?
2. Can I substitute red onion for shallots in a pinch?
Hi Gay, I think the dressing would compliment that salad beautifully and yes, you could get away with using red onion instead of shallots.
This dressing is just fantastic. We like to serve it on a salad of gently tossed baby greens and sliced Persian cucumbers. I love the unique flavor profile that the shallots bring to this dressing. Delicious!