Rich and versatile, this homemade balsamic vinaigrette is so delicious on so many different types of salad!

a clear glass jar with a black screw on lid filled with a brown liquid labeled "balsamic vinaigrette"

Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

This vinaigrette is so good! It has a slight sweetness from the balsamic vinegar and honey and a really delicious tang from the balsamic vinegar (again) and the dijon mustard. It’s one of those dressings that is silly simple to make, requires just a few ingredients, tastes *so* much better than its store-bought counterpart, and is incredibly versatile!

Ingredients for this Healthy Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

The ingredients for this dressing are super simple, and I’d even be willing to bet that you have a few of these ingredients on hand already! Here’s everything you’ll need:

Balsamic Vinegar – to start, you’ll need 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
Honey – though this ingredient is optional, we love the hint of sweetness that just 2 teaspoons of honey brings to the finished dressing.
Dijon Mustard – 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard adds a really yummy tang to the dressing while also making it just a little bit creamy!
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – this ingredient shows up in a lot of our dressings! For this one, you’ll need a ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil!
Sea Salt + Pepper – the only seasonings you’ll need are a ¼ teaspoon of sea salt and a ¼ teaspoon of cracked black pepper.

the ingredients for homemade balsamic vinaigrette in different sized bowls sitting on a marble surface

How to Make an Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette

The process is as simple as it gets (like 1-step silly simple!). Here’s how you’ll bring this dressing together:

Add all of the ingredients to a jar or bowl and either shake (if your jar has a tight fitting lid) or whisk to combine.

a person using a fork to whisk together a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing in a spouted measuring cup

How to Store Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

As with all of our dressings, this one is best stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or jar. Stored this way, it’ll last for up to 2 weeks!

Is balsamic vinaigrette healthy?

We think so! Health is relative, though, and truly dependent on what YOU can tolerate. If you do well with the ingredients in this dressing, then it is a great choice to add to your salad!

What is the difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic vinaigrette?

Balsamic vinegar is one of the ingredients in this dressing, and while it is really delicious drizzled over a caprese salad (or caprese chicken skillet!), it can be a strong flavor to use all on its own as a dressing. A balsamic vinaigrette, on the other hand, combines the really delicious rich flavor of balsamic vinegar with a few other ingredients for a more mild version that is TASTY over greens!

What to serve with balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing?

Our favorite way to enjoy this dressing is over greens with some grilled chicken (or shrimp!), cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, mozzarella pearls on top for a really delicious, flavorful, filling salad!

This dressing is versatile enough, though, that it’ll go really well over almost any combination of toppings, so the sky’s the limit!

a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing being poured over a wooden bowl filled with spinach leaves

Our favorite dressing containers

The most obvious choice here are mason jars, but if you don’t have those on hand, don’t feel like you need to purchase a set just for dressing! Any lidded container that you can easily pour out of would work great, and if you’re close to using up something from the fridge (think: a jar of pepperoncinis or even a bottle of store-bought salad dressing), feel free to clean that out really well and use it for your homemade dressing!