Simple Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe – Ready in 5 Minutes

Need a quick and easy delicious homemade salad dressing to brighten up your greens? This five minute lemon vinaigrette recipe has a tangy flavor that is perfect for any salad you can think of, making it the ultimate quick fix for busy weekdays. No need for store bought salad dressings – say hello to your new go-to salad topper!

Looking for more easy salad dressings free of the added ingredients in commercial dressings? Try this Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, this Best Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe, or this delicious Honey Mustard Salad Dressing.

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Salad dressings were one of the first homemade pantry basic recipes I started making after realizing three things:

1. Quality Ingredients – You can easily control the ingredients – a look at even the highest quality dressings often shows added sugar, gums, and preservatives.
2. Cost Savings – You can make a bottle for about half the cost of store-bought (some of the higher quality brands are more than $6 a bottle!).
3. Quick to Make – It literally takes five to ten minutes, depending on the type of dressing (vinaigrette dressing uses five, while a ranch or feta dressing may need 8 to 10 minutes).

We eat salads almost daily year around and having the ability to whip up a dressing like this lemon vinaigrette recipe even as you’re making it means you’re never “out of dressing!”

What’s great about this recipe

• SIMPLE PANTRY INGREDIENTS – The recipe uses six basic ingredients that you might have in your pantry and fridge right now.
• FIVE MINUTES – You can have homemade lemon vinaigrette in just 5 minutes, start to finish.
• WORKS FOR ALL DIETS – With only the ingredients you source and add, this naturally gluten free food is also dairy free and paleo/keto friendly with no added sugars.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this easy lemon vinaigrette dressing:

Ingredient Notes

• Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the top choice, but any olive oil you have on hand will work.
• Dijon Mustard: This gives the dressing body and flavor and is a classic ingredient in vinaigrette recipes.
• Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is preferred, but in a pinch bottled is okay if that’s what you have.
• Optional herbs: Using a dried or fresh herb of choice enhances the flavor profile of the dressing, but it’s not required.

TIP: Got lemons that are turning and you haven’t used them yet? Add freshly squeezed lemon juice to small glass containers with lids or ice cube trays (transfer cubes to a baggie) and freeze. When you need it, microwave the frozen juice (or let thaw on counter) to use the juice when you need it (this works with lime juice, too).

How to make this lemon vinaigrette recipe

Here are a few helpful instructions and tips – the full instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the printable recipe card below.

There’s only one step to this 5-minute recipe:

• Mix all of the ingredients in a jar and shake or whisk until combined.

Love it!!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

The biggest issue with homemade vinaigrette dressings is that they separate fairly quickly (it’s why there’s always a gum thickener in store bought dressings).

To combat this, try one of the following methods to stir instead of simply shaking:

• Add all the ingredients to a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Place a whisk between the palms of both and and whir back and forth to emulsify the dressing.
• Add the ingredients to a pint sized wide mouth mason jar. Use a hand held immersion blender to blend the dressing (this seems to last the longest before separating).

Storage

Since this has fresh garlic it should be stored in the refrigerator in a glass bottle with a good lid. I will last two weeks or more.

I LOVE using pour lids like these that fit on standard mouth mason jars – makes it so easy to pour and seal.

TIP: If the olive oil hardens in the fridge, you can run the bottle under hot water or microwave for a few seconds, shaking frequently. If you’d like to keep it at room temperature so the olive oil doesn’t harden, use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.

Variations

• If your family is used to sweet store bought dressings, use a teaspoon or so of honey or maple syrup (to taste).
• For a classic Greek salad dressing, add oregano as the herb to the basic recipe. Serve over a green salad with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, sweet pepper, and feta.
• Use a spicy brown mustard or other favorite mustard in place of the Dijon.
• This makes a GREAT marinade for chicken – toss in a bowl about an hour or so before baking or grilling.
• This lemon dressing is a variation of this pantry basic vinaigrette salad dressing four different ways – check it out for the Asian, plain, and balsamic versions and see how easy it is to make your own salad dressings!

What does this lemon salad dressing go with?

Serve as a dressing over any green salad or toss with cabbage for a tangy coleslaw. Serve alongside roasted sausages, whole slow cooker chicken, or cheesy baked pasta.

More Easy Dressing Recipes

• Best Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
• Crazy Simple Strawberry Vinaigrette Recipe
• Creamy Garlic Pepper Salad Dressing Recipe

I hope you love this Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave comment and/or star rating so I know how you liked it!

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