Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing
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Forget the bottled stuff: this zesty homemade Italian dressing is easy to make and packed with flavor.
This Italian dressing is my go-to weeknight salad dressing. It’s a classic oil-and-vinegar homemade dressing with lots of garlic and a few surprise ingredients, like Worcestershire sauce and maple syrup. Sounds strange, I know, but it works. It’s a cinch to make, too: simply combine all of the ingredients in a jar, give it a shake, and you’re done. While it’s perfect for a crisp green salad, it also adds a bright, tangy element to a cold pasta salad or a medley of roasted vegetables. The recipe makes enough for one large head or three hearts of romaine.
“A big fat hit with my family!! This dressing was exactly as described- tangy, zesty and yummy.”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Italian Dressing
To make homemade Italian dressing, you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to emulsify. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.
As the dressing sits, it will separate, so give it a good shake before using. Be sure your greens are completely dry before dressing them—wet leaves cause the dressing to slide right off and dilute the flavor. Add the dressing gradually, tossing as you go, until the salad is coated to your liking. Store any leftover dressing in the fridge for up to a week.
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Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 small cloves garlic, minced (or 2 to 3 medium cloves)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a jar. Seal tightly with lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. Toss gently with the romaine lettuce right before serving. Store extra dressing in refrigerator for up to a week. As the dressing sits, it will separate (and solidify in the fridge), so be sure to shake well before using.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My favorite Italian dressing. 5 stars!!
Would this recipe be god for marinating chicken, then baking in the oven?
Thanks,
Hanna
Definitely!
We now have a new house dressing! Need I say more?
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m not a salad lover, but this year I’m committed to eating healthier and making as many things as I can from scratch. I’ve made this and your balsamic vinegar dressing recipe multiple times since January. Quality oils and vinegar really do make a difference! The only modification I’ve made is I’ve grated the garlic instead of mincing because I don’t like biting into pieces of raw garlic, but this recipe is now a staple in my home.
What is the calorie count per serving?
Hi Vicki, Each serving is 2 tablespoons and is 155 calories. I just added the nutritional info to the recipe.
This Zesty Italian Dressing recipe is freaking amazing! I’m rarely compelled to write reviews for recipes because I usually have to tweak for my tastes, but this one is spot on!
Amazing!
Very smooth with just the right amount of tartness. Perfect for any salad.
Would this make a good marinade for my chicken cutlets? Thankyou
Hi Kathleen, because of the vinegar the dressing contains, I would not recommend it as a marinade for white meat (the vinegar will make the chicken tough). It would work fine for dark meat though. You may want to give this marinade a try instead.
Wow. This looks like an interesting recipe for me to try. I’m on a mission to eat more veggies. My favorite Italian dressing has herbs in it. Can you add dried or fresh herbs? If so, what and how much? I was thinking of adding dried Italian seasoning.
Yes, go ahead and add a tablespoon of fresh herbs or a 1/2 teaspoon dried.
Going forward, I am trying to be efficient with herbs, chipotle peppers and even tomato paste by pulsing and freezing the left overs in a silicone ice cube tray. Can I use the frozen herb and chipotle cubes for salad dressings? Or should I only use them for cooked dishes? What quantity would you advise me to freeze, such as tsp or Tsb? Thanks so much….
Hi Elizabeth, I think you could use them in salad dressings as well as cooked dishes. I would probably freeze tablespoon-size portions since recipes rarely call for less than that.
This Italian dressing is a home run! Just made tonight for a simple Romaine salad with grilled chicken. It was simply divine and I don’t even like Italian dressing!! This will be new go-to for sure!