I have a bit of a love affair with salad dressings, and Italian dressing is no exception. In fact before my switch to healthier foods, ranch was about all that got me to eat raw broccoli. Thankfullymy journey to real food brought me to love all kinds of salads even without a lot of dressing.
Nota lot of dressing is needed when it’s freshly homemadeand chock-full of herbs and spices.Asimple homemade dressing takes an ordinary salad to a completely different level.
And it’s worth it from a health perspective too. Most store-bought salad dressings contain dangerous vegetable oils(high in omega-6, which we already get too much of in the American diet) and additives like MSG and carrageenan.
Homemade dressing only takes 2 or 3 minutes to mix up, contains healthy, real ingredients like olive oil, real garlic, and spices, and stores well for weeks at a time. It’s a win win!
Italian Dressingin the Kitchen
This homemade salad dressing is one of my favorites because it not only makes a great addition to almost any salad, but it also serves as a simple marinade for almost any kind of meat. And not just meat… marinate fresh vegetables for an hour or two and then grillthem! The smoky flavors of the grill and the herbal flavors in the dressing combine perfectly for a really complex flavor blend.
I love this dressing tossed on a big salad with some leftover chicken for a quick lunch, or as a ranch alternative for dipping raw veggies. The healthy oils give an energy boost and the flavor is amazing!
Not an Italian dressing fan? You can also check out six more of my favorite DIY alternatives to conventional salad dressings in this post.
How to Make and Store Homemade Italian Dressing
This dressing will last approximately 2 weeks in the fridge, but I highly suggest making it in small amounts as needed as the flavor is definitely the best in the first few days.
For a great shortcut, make up a batch of homemade Italian seasoning mix to replace the thyme, basil, and oregano. Just use 1 ½ teaspoons of the Italian seasoning mix instead of the herbs listed in the recipe. Then it’s easy to make this recipe from memory. You may not even need to measure after a few practice runs!
They make shaker bottles for homemade dressing, but my advice is to stick to a glass mason jar. I love these tops to give any mason jar a pour spout.
Check out below the recipe for some favorite salads with Italian dressing.
Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
A better-for-you version of Italian dressing without the highly processed vegetable oils!
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Calories 117kcal
Author Katie Wells
Servings
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ tsp basil
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
Amount Per Serving (2 TBSP)
Calories 117Calories from Fat 114
% Daily Value*
Fat 12.7g20%
Saturated Fat 1.8g11%
Sodium 322mg14%
Carbohydrates 1.3g0%
Fiber 0.3g1%
Sugar 0.2g0%
Protein 0.2g0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notes
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If refrigerated, the dressing may solidify slightly. This is perfectly okay. It happens when olive oil is chilled. Simply remove from the refrigerator about an hour before you need to use it.
Salad Combinations to Try with Italian Dressing:
- Classic chopped salad – Toss with romaine lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives (and a bit of feta if you’re in the mood!).
- Strawberry spring salad – TryItalian in place of honey mustard dressing on this favorite spring salad concoction with toasted pecans, fresh strawberries, and chicken.
- Simple summer salad – Splash a little Italian dressing overthinly sliced cucumbers and red onion with a few cherry tomatoes thrown in. Top with fresh basil leaves.
- Sweet pepper steak salad – Italian dressing is not only for chicken!
The applications are endless… for other meal ideas usingItalian dressing, try out my favoriteReal Plans meal planning tool!
What is your favorite salad dressing? Have you tried makingyour own? I’d love to hear about your favorite dressings to shake up at home!
FAQs
Any pourable dressing works as a marinade, so try them all! Be creative and vary the taste even more by adding Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, mustard, wine, herbs, spices, or some other personal touch. But take care not to overly dilute the vinegar or lemon juice in the dressing if you want to tenderize as well.
What's the difference between Italian dressing and zesty Italian dressing? ›
A: Yes, zesty has a little more garlic and stronger spices.
Why is Italian dressing a good marinade? ›
Bottled Italian dressing has everything a good marinade does: Fat, acid, salt, sugar, and a seasoning. It can be a one-ingredient upgrade to nearly any weeknight protein.
What are the ingredients in Kraft Italian dressing and marinade? ›
Vinegar, Water, Blend of Vegetable Oils (Soybean Oil, Canola Oil), Sugar, Salt, Garlic (Dried), Contains Less than 2% of Red Bell Peppers (Dried), Onions (Dried), Xanthan Gum, Spice, Oleoresin Paprika (Color), Potassium Sorbate and Calcium Disodium EDTA (to Protect Flavor).
Is Italian dressing good for marinating steaks? ›
Italian dressing is one of the best steak marinades you can use, and it's a flavorful shortcut to perfectly juicy and flavorful steaks. The combination of oil and vinegar with herbs and spices makes it a delicious and powerful tenderizer. The dressing is especially handy when you're dealing with tough cuts of beef.
Which should be avoided when marinating? ›
Avoid marinating in metal containers as the metal can chemically react with the marinade and change the flavor of your dish. Not marinating in the refrigerator. Marinating in the refrigerator will help to prevent the growth of bacteria. Never marinate food at room temperature.
What is the most popular Italian dressing? ›
Top 50 Scanned: Italian Dressing beta
| Popularity |
|---|
| #1 | Italian Dressing, Light Olive Garden Grocery | 30 Calories |
| #2 | Italian Dressing Olive Garden Grocery | 80 Calories |
| #3 | Dressing & Marinade, Lite. Northern Italian with Basil & Romano Ken's Steak House | 50 Calories |
| #4 | Zesty Italian Dressing, Fat Free Kraft | 10 Calories |
46 more rowsIt's a classic oil and vinegar salad dressing with lots of garlic and a few surprise ingredients, like Worcestershire sauce and maple syrup.
Is Italian dressing better for you than ranch dressing? ›
Italian dressing makes a better alternative than many other higher-calorie options. It adds taste to salad and offers good fat. Though many calories come from fats, it is better than primarily cream-based dressings like ranch, a thousand island, or blue cheese.
What is the secret to a good marinade? ›
Making a mouth-watering homemade marinade isn't rocket science! You simply need to follow this simple formula: an acidic ingredient to tenderize the meat (think vinegar, juice, yogurt, or mustard), fresh herbs and spices for added flavour, and a fatty ingredient, such as oil or butter.
Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.
Is Italian dressing a good meat tenderizer? ›
Marinating steaks with Italian dressing adds flavor and tenderness to the meat. The acidity in the dressing helps to break down the proteins in the steak, making it more tender.
What is in olive Garden Italian dressing? ›
Ingredients. Water, Soybean Oil, Distilled Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Eggs, Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Part Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Dehydrated Garlic, Spice, Xanthan Gum, Dextrose, Annatto Color, Calcium Disodium EDTA Added to Protect Flavor, Natural Flavor.
What is used to mix dressings marinate ingredients? ›
Answer. Explanation: MIXING BOWLS- used to mix dressings, marinate ingredients, hold separate elements of a salad before assembling and used to toss and mix all the ingredients together.
Can you use salad dressing as a meat marinade? ›
Did you know that most salad dressings also make great marinades? Not creamy ones. But pretty much all non creamy ones do, including French Dressing, Honey Mustard Dressing, this Asian Sesame Dressing and Balsamic Dressing.
Is French dressing a good marinade? ›
This basic dressing may be used plain or with herbs for a tossed green salad; it may be spiced with onion and garlic for marinating meat, vegetables or fish; or it may sweetened with honey or sugar as a dressing for fruit salads.
Is marinade the same as salad dressing? ›
Salad dressing and marinades are structured very similarly, so you can easily substitute your favorite dressing for marinade.
Can I use vinaigrette as a marinade? ›
Give steak, chicken, fish, tofu, or olives a bold and tangy flavor profile by using balsamic vinaigrette as a quick and easy marinade option. The longer you let your favorite protein soak up the flavors, the better!
