Balsamic Vinaigrette
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Needed a dressing recipe and knew Jenn would come through… my choice of 6 and the balsamic is easy and delicious, thanks again! But the Chipotle copy cat sounds great, have to try that one soon!
My new go-to balsamic dressing recipe!!! Very good!!
This is my go to and favorite vinaigrette. I routinely get requests for the recipe from guests. The key to making the best dressing is to use high quality ingredients. I use the more syrupy balsamic vinegar (Central Market currently) and omit the sugar. If I use the more runny balsamic vinegar, I add sugar, just a tad less. I have no issues with the mustard overpowering the dressing as another reviewer remarked. Only thing I can think of is the vinegar was too weak. My favorite way to use the dressing is on spinach with chicken, sliced almonds, blueberries, strawberries and a really good blue cheese. Dried cranberries or spiced pecans are also a very nice for a fall twist. Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
So easy – Didn’t have to pull out blender or processor just my handy-dandy mason jar – and the taste was incredible!
Easy, quick, healthy, and delicious recipe for busy working moms. Thank you!
What are some things I might add to a mesclun mix with this dressing? I was thinking sliced carrot strips and roasted portobellos. Any other ideas?
Hi E., The first things that come to mind are sliced bell peppers and/or celery but it really depends on what vegetables you like best in your salad. I’d also add some nuts and/or cheese for texture. I also have a mesclun salad if you want to check it out. Hope that helps!
We love this dressing and make it weekly in our home. My presumption is that it tastes best with fresh shallot and garlic, however I’m wondering what you think about subbing dry spices. If we use onion powder and garlic powder what amount would you reccomend Jen?
Hi Monica, So glad you like this! For the best tasting dressing, I’d stick with the real stuff and I wouldn’t recommend substituting onion powder for shallots. For the garlic, I’d substitute 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder. Hope that helps!
Love this dressing! It’s quick to make and delicious.
Thanks for another great recipe. I wanted a rather mild dressing for a simple salad that I was topping with leftover salmon. This was perfect. Even my husband, who doesn’t like balsamic vinegar as much as I do, loved the salad.
Delicious! I made a chicken salad and this dressing turned the salad into a delicious meal.
Could you substitute red wine vinegar for the balsamic?
Sure, but you may need to add a pinch or two of sugar to taste.