Maple Dijon dressing comes together in just 5 minutes! The easy salad dressing doubles as a quick marinade or topping for chicken or veggies.
Key Ingredients
This maple Dijon dressing comes together with a handful of simple pantry staples. Make a jar ahead of time to drizzle over salads, grain bowls, or roasted veggies all week long. Here’s everything you need to make it.
- Shallot: Finely diced shallots add a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves provide a savoriness that perfectly balances sweetness.
- Orange Juice: Brighten everything up with a splash of fresh juice from one orange.
- Maple Syrup: Naturally sweeten the dressing with pure maple syrup.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard adds a subtle sharpness and helps to emulsify the dressing.
- Vinegar: A bit of apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice adds the perfect balance. Distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar also works.
- Spices: Season with kosher salt and coarse black pepper to taste.
- Oil: Finish it off with quality extra-virgin olive oil for a smooth consistency and richness.
Additions and Substitutions
- Swap the sweetener. Replace the maple syrup with honey, brown sugar, agave nectar, or a sugar substitute like monk fruit.
- Make it creamy. Stir in a spoonful of Greek yogurt or mayo for a creamy maple Dijon dressing.
- Add freshness. Toss in fresh herbs like basil or mint leaves to brighten the dressing.
Equipment
Combine the maple Dijon vinaigrette in a blender cup or glass jar using an immersion blender, or mix it with a small blender, whisk, or shake everything together in a small bowl or Mason jar, whichever you prefer.
How to Make Maple Dijon Dressing
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Add the dressing ingredients (apart from the olive oil) to a small blender, blender cup, or a wide-mouth jar. Use an immersion blender to process the dressing until smooth.
Step 2: Pour the olive oil into a blender cup or blender in a slow, steady stream while blending or whisking the ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Taste the oranges. I recommend tasting the fresh orange juice before using it. If the oranges are sour or unripe, they can ruin the flavor.
- Taste as you go. If you prefer a slightly sweeter taste, add another drizzle of maple syrup. If it’s too tangy, splash a little more olive oil to smooth it out.
- Combine well. The Dijon mustard helps emulsify the dressing, but you’ll still want to mix the ingredients until it is thick and creamy, whether you’re using an immersion blender, giving it a good whisk, or just shaking to combine.
Tips for Emulsification
What is Emulsification?
Emulsification is a culinary term for combining ingredients that do not naturally mix, such as oil and vinegar, and stabilizing them with an emulsifier.
What is an Emulsifier?
An emulsifier acts as a bridge between ingredients that typically do not mix, such as oil and water. It helps them blend into a smooth, stable mixture, rather than separating. The best emulsifiers have both water- and oil-based properties to encourage the ingredients to combine. Common emulsifiers are egg yolks, mustard, mayonnaise, soybeans, honey, and xanthan gum.
How to Create a Stable Emulsification
If you want to learn how to make homemade dressings, vinaigrettes, hollandaise sauce, aioli, or mayonnaise, learning how to create a stable emulsion is key. Plus, it’s easier than you think!
- 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 the 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 achieve a stable emulsion, allowing the two liquids to combine rather than separate.
- Adjust the Consistency: If the dressing gets too thick, add a water-based liquid to thin it out while continuing to mix.
If you enjoy maple Dijon dressing, try it with one of these delicious recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Maple Dijon dressing isn’t just for salads. It’s a versatile dressing you’ll want to drizzle on everything. II’s perfect for a crisp fall kale salad loaded with kale, apples, and air fryer acorn squash, but it’s just as delicious drizzled over cooked veggies like Brussels sprouts, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
Pour it over grain bowls with quinoa, kale, and chickpeas, or use it as a quick marinade for chicken, salmon, or tofu before baking or grilling.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Pour the leftover maple Dijon dressing into an airtight container or jar. It will keep for one week. Just give it a good shake before using, as it may separate as it sits.
More of my favorite salad dressings:
Maple Dijon Dressing
- Blender Cup or Wide-Mouth Jar
- ½ shallot, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice, 1-1½ oranges
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Add the dressing ingredients (apart from the olive oil) to a small blender, blender cup, or a wide-mouth jar. Use an immersion blender to process the dressing until smooth.
- Pour the olive oil into a blender cup or blender in a slow, steady stream while blending or whisking the ingredients.
- Taste the oranges. I recommend tasting the fresh orange juice before using it. If the oranges are sour or unripe, they can ruin the flavor.
- Taste as you go. If you prefer a slightly sweeter taste, add another drizzle of maple syrup. If it’s too tangy, splash a little more olive oil to smooth it out.
- Combine well. The Dijon mustard helps emulsify the dressing, but you’ll still want to mix the ingredients until it is thick and creamy, whether you’re using an immersion blender, giving it a good whisk, or just shaking to combine.