Greek Salad Dressing
Homemade Greek Salad Dressing is tangy, easy to make, and absolutely delicious drizzled over a Greek salad, stirred into a pasta salad, or used as a marinade!
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Homemade salad dressings are always a hit when I share them on Five Heart Home. However, while perusing the ones I've already posted, I realized that there was a big ol' hole where a nice Greek Salad Dressing should be! So I decided to remedy that today by sharing my favorite recipe for homemade Greek dressing that's zippy, zesty, and loaded with flavor.
In recent years, I've developed an affinity for Mediterranean food that sometimes feels like a betrayal to my Tex-Mex loving identity. But that's okay...where there is queso, there's also room for hummus (and sometimes even Tex-Mex-inspired hummus). I've realized that not only is Mediterranean food indescribably delicious, but it's also one of the healthier cuisine options out there. And so with each passing year, I incorporate more and more Mediterranean recipes into my repertoire.
And one of my favorites is (surprise!!!) a traditional Greek salad! You know the kind I'm talking about...a bed of salad greens generously topped with crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives and creamy crumbles of Feta cheese. And the tastiest, easy-to-make Greek dressing!
Of course, there are often thin slivers of raw red onion on Greek salads as well. But while I include those in my styled salad photos, y'all know I pick them off before eating said salad. 😉
Why Make Homemade Dressings
I love making my own from-scratch salad dressings at home because I can use high-quality ingredients and I know exactly what's going in there. There are no preservatives or weird, icky additives to worry about!
In addition, recipes like this homemade Greek Salad Dressing taste fresher and can always be tweaked and customized to your liking.
Ingredients
As I may have mentioned before, what makes a really good Greek salad is the dressing!
Fundamentally just a basic vinaigrette, this Greek dressing recipe features a handful of simple ingredients:
- Extra-virgin olive oil. Be sure to use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil (that you like the taste of!) in any salad dressing, as the flavor will shine through.
- Red wine vinegar. I have not tried substituting another type of vinegar for the red wine vinegar in this recipe. I'm sure it could be done and the dressing would still be tasty, but it's probably not going to taste like Greek dressing anymore.
- Lemon juice. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice is best, but you can also use bottled lemon juice as long as "lemon juice" is the only ingredient.
- Dijon mustard. Just a little dab is all you need! The intention of the Dijon is for a layer of flavor, not to taste "mustard-y."
- Garlic. When using fresh garlic in a salad dressing, I like to make sure it's very finely minced. If I'm going to whisk or shake my dressing, I push a garlic clove through a garlic press, or finely mince and then mash with the side of my knife. If I'm using my mini food processor to assemble my dressing, I pulse the garlic clove first to chop it up before adding the rest of the ingredients and processing. That being said, if fresh raw garlic is too strong for your taste, you may substitute ¼ to ½ teaspoon garlic powder instead.
- Dried oregano. I typically make my dressing with dried oregano, but if you'd like to substitute fresh chopped oregano, use three times the amount...1 tablespoon fresh oregano in place of 1 teaspoon dried.
- Salt + freshly ground black pepper.
How to Make Greek Salad Dressing
Simply combine the ingredients in a bowl with a wire whisk...
or whiz them together in a mini food processor....
or shake 'em up in a jar.
And that's it!
See? Easy-peasy.
Storage
Because of the fresh garlic and lemon juice, this Greek Salad Dressing needs to be stored in the refrigerator.
However, because it's made with olive oil, it's likely to solidify a bit when chilled.
Therefore, it's important to take the dressing out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before you'd like to use it.
Since I often don't remember to do that in time, I have been known to quickly bring it to room temp by resting the dressing bottle in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Or, if I've got it stored in a glass container of some sort (which I always do), I might even remove the lid and zap it in the microwave for a few seconds...not enough to heat it up, but just enough to re-liquify the EVOO.
Ways to Enjoy Greek Dressing
This recipe is perfect on a salad to accompany just about any type of meal.
Or you can top your salad with some protein to make it a meal in and of itself!
It's a wonderful dressing to stir into a pasta salad...particularly Greek Pasta Salad.
This Greek dressing also makes a mean marinade for chicken or flank steak or shrimp.
So are you a fan of Mediterranean cuisine?
Do you adore a good Greek salad?
Either way, I've got your back with this tangy, tasty Greek Salad Dressing recipe!
I hope you'll add it to your homemade dressing regular rotation as I've added it to mine. 🙂
Helpful Tips, Tricks, & Equipment
- If you find this vinaigrette to be too tangy or acidic, you can add a small pinch of sugar or a tiny squeeze of honey. It won't be enough to make the dressing sweet, but just enough the mellow out the acidity.
- For a *creamy* Greek Salad Dressing, you may incorporate 2 to 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt. However, if doing so, you may need to slightly increase the salt.
- Or you can try my Creamy Feta Dressing for another Greek-inspired salad dressing option. 🙂
More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
- Homemade Italian Dressing
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Lightened-Up Honey Mustard Dressing
- Asian Salad Dressing (Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette)
- The BEST Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Greek Salad Dressing
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well-blended and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. (Alternatively, you may whisk the ingredients together in a bowl, process the ingredients in a mini food processor, or blend them together in a blender.)
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Allow to come to room temperature and shake well before using.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- If your dressing is too tangy or acidic, you can add a small pinch of sugar or a tiny squeeze of honey to mellow out the acidity.
- To make a Creamy Greek Salad Dressing, blend in 2 to 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt. Taste and increase the salt, if necessary.
Nutrition
Post originally published on January 10, 2019.
I tried this and it’s fabulous! So fresh tasting, I did add a tsp sugar to cut the acid.
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I'm so sorry about that, Melissa...the ads are NOT supposed to print. I will reach out to my ad network on Monday and try to get to the bottom of this. I apologize for wasting your ink and paper.
This dressing was amazing! My son even added it to his rice and meat he loved it so much. Thanks for sharing
Very good recipe! Thank you!
Love!! My new go to
He was delicious. I added just a little onion powder and a little more of the red wine vinegar.
I absolutely love this dressing!! I have used it on not only salad, but potatoes and quinoa!! Thank you:) My guests also love it as well! Now I no longer buy any salad dressings....this is just so easy!! Thank you
This recipe is so good!
I accidentally added a tsp of Dijon mustard instead of 1/2. So I to balance it a little more I added a dash more of red wine vinegar
By far the BEST Greek salad dressing I’ve made! I made exactly how the recipe calls for. Other reviewers aren’t lying when they say you can literally drink this stuff it’s so good! I’ve been making this weekly for the past month now, Thanks for the recipe!
I'm a Greek girl, and I love this recipe. Simple to make and delicious! I will use it to marinate chicken too. I see lots of other delicious recipes on your site to try.
This is hands-down my favorite, I make it all the time and I love bold flavors.
This is a great Greek dressing, U use it all the time, I make a double batch and add 6-7 big garlic cloves to a double batch. I am a garlic lover and grow and harvest around 250 head of organic heirloom hardneck garlic per year. This is my go to dressing.
I was questioning the people saying they could drink this but after trying it I feel the same way, it was delicious. My whole family agrees.
My daughter and I will literally drink the rest of this off the salad plate. Lol. Ty!
Perfect greek dressing. This is literally what I eat at a restaurant and I didn't realize how incredibly easy it was to make at home. I freaking love it. I did add a LITTLE bit more red wine vinegar because I enjoy the taste lol but perfect. I served it for some guests also and the loved it, too!
This dressing IS amazing! Made it tonight and it will now be a regular!
This dressing is delicious. My husband blurted out "I could have this every night" which is huge! LOL. Very refreshing. Thanks for the recipe 🙂