Make easy balsamic citrus vinaigrette your go-to salad dressing, and add fresh flavor to your favorite salads, grain bowls, and fresh fruit.
A line from the movie Billy Madison comes to mind – “You aren’t cool unless you” make your own salad dressing.
And it’s true! Why buy store-bought salad dressings when making them from scratch is easy and affordable. Plus, you can control the ingredients. My homemade balsamic citrus vinaigrette with tangy citrus flavor draws inspiration from the beloved Chili’s salad dressing.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Citrus: Prioritize using fresh orange juice from 1-2 oranges to give the dressing its signature citrusy flavor. You can use store-bought orange juice or fresh juice from mandarins, clementines, or blood oranges.
- Garlic: I suggest using two fresh garlic cloves, but measure with your heart.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Use white balsamic vinegar or aged balsamic vinegar, which has a sweeter taste.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard adds creaminess and keeps the vinaigrette from breaking.
- Honey: Balance the tangy flavors of the dressing with a little bit of honey.
- Lemon Juice: Add fresh lemon juice from one fresh lemon.
- Olive Oil: Good quality extra virgin olive oil is an ideal foundation for the dressing.
Additions and Substitutions
- Replace the honey with maple syrup, agave nectar, or a sugar substitute like monk fruit.
- Use red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar instead of white balsamic vinegar.
- Include fresh herbs like basil or mint leaves.
Tools Used to Make This Recipe
Use an immersion blender, food processor, or high-speed blender to make the simple vinaigrette. I recommend using an immersion blender when making salad dressing or sauces that require emulsification.
Use the tall cup provided with the immersion blender, a wide-mouth jar, or one of these meal prep containers to ensure the blender works properly and to avoid a mess.
How to Make Balsamic Citrus Vinaigrette
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine the orange juice, garlic, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and lemon juice with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
Step 2: Pour the olive oil into a tall cup or blender in a slow, steady stream while blending or whisking the ingredients.
Step 3: Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Then, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into an airtight container, discarding the seeds and pulp.
Expert Tips
- I recommend tasting the fresh orange juice before using it. If the oranges are sour or unripe, they can ruin the flavor of the vinaigrette.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and pulp for a smooth dressing.
Tips for Emulsification
What is Emulsification?
Emulsification is a fancy word for combining ingredients that do not naturally mix, such as oil and balsamic vinegar and making them stay together using an emulsifier.
What is an Emulsifier?
An emulsifier acts like a bridge between two opposing ingredients, holding them together in a smooth, stable mixture. The best emulsifiers contain water and oil-friendly properties to help the ingredients combine. The most common emulsifiers include egg yolks, mustard, mayonnaise, soybeans, honey, and xanthan gum.
How to Create a Stable Emulsification
If you want to learn how to make homemade vinaigrette, dressing, hollandaise sauce, aioli, or mayonnaise learning how to create a stable emulsification is key.
- Choose an Emulsifier: Select an emulsifying ingredient based on what you are making.
- Combine the Ingredients: Mix the water-based ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice with an emulsifier.
- Slowly Add Oil: Add a few drops, then pour the oil gradually in a slow, steady stream while whisking or blending the ingredients. The gradual addition helps to achieve a stable emulsion (so the two liquids combine instead of separate).
If you enjoy the dressing, pair it with one of these dinner recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Use the tangy dressing to finish your favorite salad greens like watermelon beet salad, arugula spinach salad, fall kale salad, or leafy greens such as baby spinach, kale, or arugula. Spoon it over grain bowls and chicken or pork recipes.
Balsamic citrus vinaigrette is a tasty addition to cheese platters and charcuterie boards. Drizzle the vinaigrette over goat cheese, feta cheese, or blue cheese to scoop onto your favorite crackers.
What to do with the Leftovers
- Can I make the recipe ahead of time? Vinaigrette is easy to make in advance because it tastes even better once the ingredients combine. Feel free to prepare the dressing 1-2 days before you’re ready to serve.
- Refrigerate: Store leftover balsamic citrus vinaigrette in an airtight container or glass jar for one week. The dressing may thicken once refrigerated because of the oil. I recommend leaving it at room temperature for 30 minutes, then give it a good shake or stir before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic vinaigrette?
Balsamic vinegar is a concentrated, dark vinegar made from aged grape must (the juice of freshly pressed grapes). The condiment has an intense flavor that adds richness to salads, fruits, cheeses, and meat.
Balsamic vinaigrette is a salad dressing created from balsamic vinegar with oil and ingredients like Dijon mustard, honey, fresh garlic, herbs, and warm spices.
More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes:
Balsamic Citrus Vinaigrette
- Airtight Container
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice, 1-2 oranges
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- fresh lemon juice, 1 lemon
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Combine the orange juice, garlic, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and lemon juice with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
- Pour the olive oil into a tall cup or blender in a slow, steady stream while blending or whisking the ingredients.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Then, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into an airtight container, discarding the seeds and pulp.
- I recommend tasting the fresh orange juice before using it. If the oranges are sour or unripe, they can ruin the flavor of the vinaigrette.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and pulp for a smooth dressing.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.