Here's an easy-to-make lemon salad dressing that's bright and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Use it to dress up a simple green salad, as a marinade for chicken or fish, or drizzled over your favorite roasted veggies. This versatile lemon vinaigrette uses mostly pantry ingredients, and is ready in just a few shakes!

If you love the bright, fresh taste of lemon, also try our lemon chicken orzo soup or lemon poppyseed banana bread.

Lemon Salad Dressing in a jar with a spoon

This recipe was originally published in 2015. We've updated the post with some new photos and more information, but we've left the delicious recipe the same.

This is one of our favorite homemade dressings because it's tasty, versatile, easy to make, and leftovers store well in the fridge. It will brighten up anything you drizzle it on from green or grain salads, to roasted veggies, chicken and fish dishes, and more.

You'll find this zippy lemon vinaigrette is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of honey and bold depth of flavor from dijon mustard and garlic. Shake it up and store it in your fridge for a delicious dressing you can use all week long!

How to make lemon salad dressing

This versatile lemon vinaigrette recipe is easy to make by following just two simple steps:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a 2-cup mason jar. Make sure to tighten the lid.
  2. Shake it vigorously for about a minute until it looks creamy. That's it!

Any unused dressing will store well in the fridge for up to 10 days. Give it another good shake before using.

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

two pictures showing how to make Lemon Salad Dressing

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make this delicious homemade lemon vinaigrette:

  • Lemons – fresh is best for all the bright flavor!
  • Avocado oil – this neutral-tasting oil makes a great base for dressings. Bonus that it doesn't harden in the fridge like olive oil!
  • White vinegar – adds some slightly sweet acidity to balance the lemon.
  • Honey – rounds out the tart flavors with a mild sweetness.
  • Dijon mustard – for a bold depth of flavor.
  • Garlic – the garlic adds its kick.
  • Minced chives – herbs make everything better, and here they add a bit of complexity.

Lemon Salad Dressing: FAQS

How long does it keep in the fridge?

Store this lemon salad dressing in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week!

Can I use a different type of vinegar?

Yes, apple cider vinegar works especially well in its place, or just more lemon juice.

Can I use a different type of sweetener?

We recommend pure maple syrup as an alternative to honey.

Lemon Salad Dressing being poured over a salad

When to use this lemon vinaigrette

This lemon salad dressing will brighten up simple greens (like our spring mix salad), but there are so many delicious ways to use up this lemon salad dressing. Here are our favorites:

Lemon Salad Dressing in a jar with lemons on the side
Lemon Salad Dressing in a jar with lemons on the side

Lemon Salad Dressing (Lemon Vinaigrette)

Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Here's an easy-to-make lemon salad dressing that's bright and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Use it to dress up a simple green salad, as a marinade for chicken or fish, or drizzled over your favorite roasted veggies. This versatile lemon vinaigrette uses mostly pantry ingredients, and is ready in just a few shakes!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

4.86 stars (35 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 2 lemons, about ½ cup lemon juice
  • ½ cup avocado oil, see notes
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced chives, optional

Instructions 

  • Add all the ingredients to a 2-cup mason jar.
    2 lemons, ½ cup avocado oil, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon minced chives
    image for recipe instruction
  • Shake it until the dressing begins to look creamy, about 1 minute. Store the dressing in the jar in your fridge for up to 10 days.
    image for recipe instruction

Notes

We like to use avocado oil in this recipe as it doesn't harden in the fridge. If you choose to use olive oil, you'll need to let the dressing warm to room temperature then shake it well before you use it. 
Serving: 1 tablespoon, Calories: 66kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 7mg, Potassium: 4mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 5IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 1mg
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