This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Want a fast and delicious Italian dressing you can make at home? You’re going to love this! Just shake everything together in a jar. That’s it! Ready in just 1 minute! No cooking, no chopping, no blending, no nothing.
Update: This recipe was originally published in 2017 and has been republished with all new photos.
I’m a huge fan of homemade salad dressings. They’re so easy! Plus a homemade dressing is more flavorful than store-bought dressings but made with far better ingredients. All the ingredients in this easy homemade Italian dressing are clean. No junk. No artificial anything. Just the good stuff.
This is one of my very favorite dressings and it’s been my most popular recipe on this site for years! Everyone loves its big zesty flavor. But the best part? You likely have all the ingredients you need already. Just shake everything together in a jar and you’re done. It’s that simple!
It’s the perfect way to elevate a green salad, it’s an excellent marinade for chicken or pork, and it can transform any pasta salad into something truly special. Talk about a versatile dressing, right?
If you have dietary concerns you’ll be happy to know this dressing is also Whole30 compliant, gluten free, and dairy free.
Easy Homemade Italian Dressing Ingredients
- Olive oil: I recommend extra-virgin olive oil in this dressing.
- Red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar: Both red and white wine vinegar work beautifully. Feel free to go with whichever you have on hand. I tend to select the red more than the white but I couldn’t say that it makes a difference other than creating a dressing that looks (in terms of color) more like what you see in stores.
- Lemon juice: A little fresh lemon juice adds a brightness to this zesty Italian dressing.
- Seasonings: The incredible taste comes from a blend of simple but powerful seasonings. We’re also using a few dried herbs because they pack more flavor than fresh herbs. For this recipe you’ll need dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
How to Make Easy Homemade Italian Dressing
Ready to make this homemade italian dressing recipe? Add all ingredients to a jar. Place the lid on the jar. Make sure it’s a tight-fitting lid so we don’t make a mess. Now give it a good shake. That’s it!
This dressing is pretty perfect as is and this is how I enjoy it. If you want to make it more like the dressing you’ll find at Olive Garden, simply add a little grated parmesan cheese and a bit of honey or sugar for a touch of sweetness. Those are optional adjustments you can make based on your own personal preference.
How to Serve this Italian Dressing
Now you’ve made your own salad dressing. What are we going to do with it? The obvious answer is of course to pour it over leafy vegetables. It will add a burst of flavor to a simple side salad or entree salad. But we can get a bit more creative, can’t we? Here are some of my favorite uses for this recipe.
- Drizzle over vegetables like my Easy Roasted Broccoli or Grilled Vegetables.
- Toss in a pasta salad like my Make Ahead Italian Pasta Salad.
- Use it as a marinade for chicken, pork, or turkey. My Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken is a huge hit!
- Spread on sandwiches or in wraps. My son would tell you this is the best way to use this dressing. I add it to his sandwich every morning before school! It’s so much cheaper than buying a sandwich dressing from the grocery store. Those little bottles are pricey!
How to Store Leftover Italian Dressing
Store your leftover dressing in the refrigerator in an airtight container with a lid. I like to use a jar with a tight seal. I like to use a glass bottle or mason jar. This dressing can keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The oil may solidify in the cold but it will return to normal if you leave it at room temperature for a few minutes. You’ll see some separation so shake before using.
Easy Homemade Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a jar, place the lid on the jar, and give it a good shake!
- Just like with all vinegar based dressing you'll need to shake it up again before pouring to eliminate separation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I used my immersion blender and it made a delicious and creamy dressing
I liked this dressing but it was zestier than I was hoping. Odd for me to say as I like a lot of flavor but it was almost hot. I don’t want my mouth burning from eating salad, lol. I think next time I’ll reduce the pepper and eliminate the crushed red pepper. Overall, solid recipe.
Also – the pro tip mentioned in these comments to soak the herbs in the vinegar to keep them from clumping was BRILLIANT! Worked like a charm. Thanks Chef!
This went perfect in my macaroni salad! ❤
I always add a pinch of sugar.
Same here, I add just a slight pinch of brown sugar, also substitute half of the garlic powder with fresh minced garlic, same with the onion powder and minced onion. I also add a bit of dill weed.
I found my dressing was expired … and I just needed the dressing for finishes my pasta salad. Without hope I was searching for home made italian dressing and wow! I am really happy with result !
In fact, I didn’t have all of the ingredients but I found “Italian herb mix” from my shelf that I decided to use it and oh! worked really well 🙂
Next time will fallow the proper recipe but thank you for giving me hope and found good substitute in emergency situation ! hahaha
This is my go-to Italian dressing. I’ve brought it to several dinner parties to rave reviews, and I’m looking forward to enjoying it again tonight.
Super easy and very tasty. No weird ingredients like mayonnaise.
Made it with Apple Cider Vinegar and it was delicious (although tastes a ~little~ less like Italian dressing). Very easy and good recipe!
Wow. This is so simple and with common ingredients and SO GOOD. Thanks for sharing!
Love to hear that! Thank you!
I like this recipe for my highly allergic child. I’m wondering, can Apple cider vinegar be used instead? That’s what I have right now. Or rice wine vinegar? I’m not versed in vinegars. Thank you!!
Hi, Carly. I wouldn’t recommend using apple cider or rice vinegar here because the quantity we’re using is quite a lot and those are pretty powerful in flavor.