Italian Dressing Recipe
Posted Jun 14, 2026
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This homemade Italian dressing recipe is easy to make in one jar in mere minutes with simple pantry ingredients! Skip the store-bought dressing and make this flavorful homemade version instead!
You know I can’t resist making common boxed or bottled pantry staples in my own kitchen, from pizza sauce to mac and cheese to this homemade Italian dressing – homemade is always better than a bottle or box!
If you’ve ever wanted to make a salad but were out of dressing, or if you’re like me and just prefer to make pantry staples homemade – you’ll love this Italian salad dressing recipe.
All you have to do is toss a handful of dried spices, olive oil and lemon juice and a few other simple ingredients into a jar and give it a good shake – and you have the most delicious Italian dressing ever – perfect for salads, marinades, etc.
Italian Dressing Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive oil. I do not recommend substitutions for this. Higher quality oil yields a better dressing.
- White wine vinegar. Red wine vinegar works well too.
- Lemon juice. No substitutes here.
- Dijon mustard. Any type of mustard works well, but Dijon is best.
- Dried spices. You can replace all the dried spices (minus salt and pepper) with 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
How to Make Italian Dressing
We’ll walk through this recipe together, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining all the ingredients in a bowl or glass jar. I prefer to use a glass jar because all you have to do is shake it up and you’re done! But you can also whisk it together in a bowl, then transfer to a jar or dressing bottle.
Then, let the dressing sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour, and up to 1 week. You can serve it immediately, but I like to give the herbs time to soften in the oil/vinegar/lemon juice.
Serve
Serve this dressing over your favorite salads. Or you can use it on burrata salad, pasta salad, etc. You can even use it as a marinade for chicken.
Store
Store leftover Italian dressing in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
More Delicious Salad & Dressing Recipes
If you love this Italian dressing, try these recipes!
- Burrata Salad is my fave.
- Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Homemade ranch dressing mix served on a BBQ chicken salad.
- Cilantro lime avocado dressing on this taco salad!
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Pomegranate Dressing
- Greek salad dressing on this amazing Greek chicken salad!
Italian Dressing Recipe FAQS
Yes, fresh herbs work really well in this recipe. Use 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon dried.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it will last up to 1 week. Be sure to shake it before serving, because the ingredients will naturally separate.
Separation is completely normal! Since there are no preservatives or emulsifiers, the oil and vinegar will naturally separate. The vinegar is denser than the oil, so it will settle on the bottom and the oil will settle on top. Just shake it up before using.
Yes, you can whisk in some mayonnaise or parmesan cheese to make it slightly creamy.
Absolutely, just make sure you have a large enough jar.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Italian Dressing Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar (or red wine or balsamic vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a glass jar or small mixing bowl and shake or whisk to combine.
- Then, let the dressing sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour, and up to 1 week. You can serve it immediately but I like to give the herbs times to soften in the oil/vinegar/lemon juice.
Notes
- Olive oil. I do not recommend substitutions for this. Higher quality oil yields a better dressing.
- White wine vinegar. red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar work well too.
- Lemon juice. No substitutes here.
- Dijon mustard. Any type of mustard works well, but Dijon is best.
- Dried spices. you can replace all the dried spices (minus salt and pepper) with 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
