Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe (2024)

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A good vinaigrette dressing is a basic kitchen staple. This lemon orange Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing can be used on salads and vegetables or as a marinade on chicken or seafood to add some tangy zest to any meal!

Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe

This Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe is so good! With a bit of garlic and pepper it’s a little bit spicy, but all the citrus flavoring makes it refreshing on a salad during winter’s citrus season or as a healthy salad dressing on a spring or summer salad.

My mom’s neighbors’ orange and lemon trees that hang over her fence are bursting with fruit! She trades her avocados for some citrus, so I went over and picked some fruit for this delicious Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing.

I used our fruit picker to pick the lemons. It’s harder than it looks! You have to try to not take the whole tree off with the fruit (oops!) and not shake the tree too much so that the fruit just falls off.

Do you have any citrus trees in your yard? Or your neighbor’s yard? If so, you should definitely try this Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing! If not, no worries because farmer’s market or store-bought citrus is good, too!

This is a super simple vinaigrette to make with just a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Ingredients:

Fresh-squeezed orange juice
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Garlic
Dijon mustard
Honey
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

You may notice that my “vinaigrette” recipe does not include vinegar as an actual ingredient; that’s because the citrus juices from the orange and lemon act as an acidic “vinegar” within the recipe.

Also, a basic vinaigrette is usually made with 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil and, again, my recipe differs. I use the fresh-squeezed orange juice and fresh-squeezed lemon juice as my acid, but I also use it as a flavoring, so I’ve included more of the acidic juices in my recipe than in a basic vinaigrette using the 1 to 3 ratio. Maybe that’s what makes it so good!

Want to Make This Recipe Vegan?

The vinaigrette is vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free. In order to make it vegan, simply substitute agave instead of the honey in the recipe.

Tips for Making a Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Use the best quality ingredients you can including fresh ingredients such as freshly squeezed juice using a juicer.

However, if you need to use a frozen garlic cube in place of the fresh garlic clove in the recipe, go for it! Sometimes, it’s just easier!

If you make this recipe and decide you love it ( … you will), you may wish to invest in a garlic press!

Oil and vinegar generally do not mix well, so in order to make a creamy vinaigrette, add the oil very slowly while whisking the mixture vigorously, allowing the vinaigrette to emulsify.

However, I totally get it, life gets crazy and if you’re in a hurry, simply add all the ingredients into a tightly-sealed jar and shake!

How Can I Store This Citrus Salad Dressing Vinaigrette?

Store this citrus vinaigrette in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you would like to keep it longer, you will need to omit the fresh garlic and pepper for food safety reasons as garlic or pepper combined with oil can form harmful bacteria.

How to Serve this Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing:

If you make more than what you need for a salad, you can always use the leftovers on tomorrow’s salad or use it as a marinade for some grilled chicken! Here are some other recipes with which you can use it:

Arugula and Orange Salad with Feta Cheese and Walnuts (shown in these photos)
Grilled shrimp

The salad shown is just a simple Arugula and Orange Salad with Feta Cheese and Walnutsand topped with the Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing.

Interested in more salad dressing and condiment recipes?

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Radish Relish
Roasted Beet Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Here’s the printable recipe for the Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing:

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

This lemon orange Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing can be used on salads and vegetables or as a marinade on chicken or seafood to add some tangy zest to any meal!

Ingredients

3 TB orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 TB lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TB Dijon mustard
2 TB honey
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Combine orange juice, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, and honey together in a bowl and whisk together.
Very slowly add the extra virgin oil olive to the salad dressing mixture while whisking vigorously.
Add salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
It's that easy!

Notes

Tip: Use the frozen cubes of garlic. So much easier.

Tip: Double the recipe if serving a large family/crowd. My photos show a double batch.

Substitute agave for the honey to make it vegan.

Keep refrigerated. Store this citrus vinaigrette in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you would like to keep it longer, you will need to omit the fresh garlic and pepper for food safety reasons as garlic or pepper combined with oil can form harmful bacteria.

Recommended Products

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at NO additional cost to you. It just means I made it easier for you to find something, so I earn a commission from the sale. I appreciate your support of Salty Canary. Thank you!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 34Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 0g

All information presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on saltycanary.com is provided as a courtesy, is an estimate only, and should only be used as a general guideline.

What other salads would you use this Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing on? Let me know in a comment below! I’m always looking for fresh, new ideas!

I am so happy to offer this blog post for free, but … if you liked this article or it helped you in some way, please considerbuying me a cup of coffee.Thank you!

And if you’re looking for new salad or salad dressing recipes, check out some of my other blog posts:

Orange and Arugula Salad with Feta and Walnuts Recipe

Cranberry Apple Winter Spinach Salad

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Italian Farfalle Pasta Salad Recipe

Beet Salad on a Stick

Citrus Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is citrus dressing made of? ›

Combine shallot, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender or mini food processor. (Alternatively, combine in a jar and use an immersion blender.) Add olive oil and canola (or avocado) oil; blend until smooth.

What is the formula for vinaigrette dressing? ›

The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For my personal taste, that's a little too oily — but it's totally up to you. My simple system is: In a small screw-top jar, place vinegar and a pinch of salt; cover and shake (this helps to dissolve the salt).

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What is the standard recipe for a basic vinaigrette group of answer choices? ›

This is a standard vinaigrette recipe, so we use the traditional oil to vinegar ratio: three parts oil to one part vinegar/acid, but this ratio can vary depending on your choice of vinegar/acid and personal taste. The less acidic the vinegar/acid, the less oil you need.

What is the most unhealthy salad dressing? ›

And at the top of that list? Caesar dressing. Made up of mayonnaise, cheese, salt and oil (and all too often, anchovies), Caesar tends to be one of the least healthy options out there. Those ingredients cause it to be high in both saturated fats and sodium.

Tell Me More ›

What is the healthiest salad dressing in the world? ›

Generally speaking, the healthiest salad dressing will be a vinaigrette like balsamic or oil and vinegar, while Caesar, ranch or anything with the word “creamy” will be the unhealthiest.

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Which vinegar is best for vinaigrette? ›

In addition to white wine vinegar, red wine, sherry, balsamic and cider vinegars can all be used in the same quantities as above. It's really down to personal taste and it's great to have a selection of vinegars in your cupboard to give variety to even the simplest salads.

What is vinaigrette dressing made of? ›

In general, vinaigrette consists of 3 parts of oil to 1 part of vinegar whisked into an emulsion. Salt and pepper are often added. Herbs and shallots, too, are often added, especially when it is used for cooked vegetables or grains. Sometimes mustard is used as an emulsifier and to add flavour.

Learn More ›

What is the ratio of oil to vinegar when making a vinaigrette? ›

Here is a perfect example of a culinary ratio, one that's fairly standard: The 3-to-1 vinaigrette, or 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar.

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What primary ingredient is used in most salad dressing? ›

Salad dressings represent one of the typical oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions composed of vegetable oil, vinegar, egg yolk, and starch, which can be categorized into three groups based on the oil content: (1) mayonnaise, (2) spoonable, and (3) French-type dressings.

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What goes on first oil or vinegar? ›

First Oil, Then Vinegar. It's somewhat akin to the old Far Side adage, "First Pants, Then Shoes." If you add the vinegar first, the oil slides off and ends up in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl, instead of coating every leaf. 3 to 1. This is the standard ratio of oil to vinegar: three parts oil to one part vinegar.

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How do you know if homemade vinaigrette is bad? ›

According to Reader's Digest, oil-based salad dressings, such as a balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing, tend to last longer than mayo-based dressings. In general, these dressings can last for up to a few weeks (via Know Your Pantry). However, once they've expired, they will give off a noticeable rancid smell.

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How do you cut the bitterness out of a vinaigrette? ›

Sweetness balances out acidity, spice, and bitterness. A salad composed of bitter greens may benefit from a sweeter dressing. But sweetness can come from sources other than one-note white sugar; consider honey, pureed dates, maple syrup, jam, or molasses as sweeteners that also add flavor and mouth-feel.

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What are the three types of salad dressings? ›

In Western culture, there are three basic types of salad dressing: Vinaigrette; Creamy dressings, usually based on mayonnaise or fermented milk products, such as yogurt, sour cream (crème fraîche, smetana), buttermilk; Cooked dressings, which resemble creamy dressings, but are usually thickened by adding egg yolks and ...

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What's the difference between mayonnaise and dressing? ›

Salad dressing is made with the same basic ingredients as mayonnaise. However, it has more water by weight than oil. It is also sweeter than mayonnaise, usually with high fructose corn syrup.

Read On ›

Does Italian dressing have citric acid? ›

INGREDIENTS: Water, Apple Cider Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Red Wine Vinegar, Garlic, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Spices, Onion, Red Pepper, Modified Potato Starch. STORE OPENED & SEALED BOTTLES IN REFRIGERATOR TO EXTEND PRODUCT LIFE. OPENED BOTTLES MUST BE REFRIGERATED.

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What dressing is made from ketchup and mayo? ›

A simple Thousand Island dressing recipe with mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish.

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