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!

Greek Salad Dressing with text overlay.

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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.

Aerial view of Greek dressing plus ingredients for salad.

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.

Close-up bottle of Greek Salad Dressing.

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. 😉

Close-up of salad drizzled with Greek dressing recipe.

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:

Aerial view of 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.
Ingredients for Greek Salad Dressing layered in a bottle.

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!

Pouring olive oil in jar.
Pour in red wine vinegar.
Adding oregano to Greek Salad Dressing.
Skaking bottle of Greek Salad Dressing.

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.

Homemade Greek Salad Dressing shaken up in a bottle.

Salad Dressing Container Options

If, like me, you prefer to make your own salad dressing on a regular basis (because we've already established that homemade dressing is way better than store-bought!), you’ll need some quality airtight containers to store it in.

To shake and store your Greek Dressing in the same container, you can use a classic mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, which you can find at Walmart for around $17 for a dozen (the extras come in handy to use around the house)!

Or, if you want something that’s a little easier to pour, a glass bottle or classic salad cruet (as pictured in some of the photos in this post) will do the trick!

Authentic Greek Dressing being poured over a salad.

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.

Bowl of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, half eaten.

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. 🙂
Aerial view of Greek Salad Dressing in cruet.

More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

Homemade Greek Salad Dressing ~ tangy, easy to make, and delicious drizzled over a Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, onions, and Feta! | FiveHeartHome.com

Greek Salad Dressing

Homemade Greek Salad Dressing is tangy, easy to make, and delicious drizzled over a Greek salad, stirred into a pasta salad, or used as a marinade!
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 8 (one serving is 1.5 Tablespoons; recipe makes approximately ¾ cup dressing total)
Calories: 122kcal
Print Pin Rate

Video

Ingredients

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

Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Post originally published on January 10, 2019.

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4.93 from 160 votes (77 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




112 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So glad I found this recipe! I used to buy Greek salad dressing regularly, but no more - this is so easy and delicious! Thank you!

    1. 5 stars
      No need to buy store bought Greek salad dressing when this recipe is so simple and absolutely delicious!
      I always have all of the ingredients on hand and that's helpful.
      I sometimes add some of the bottled grated parmesan cheese for something a little different.
      I use this dressing on any salad not just Greek or Italian. 😋
      Since I eat low carb this dressing is perfect.

  2. 5 stars
    This is my go-to Greek dressing recipe! I love it so much! My partner said, it’s so good that he wants to dip bread in it. Thank you so much for sharing.

  3. 5 stars
    This is the best salad dressing. I use it all of the time. It is gluten free and soy free and if you have those dietary restrictions you can’t even find a commercial salad dressing. But I would use this one over any others

  4. 5 stars
    Perfect recipe! I also use this recipe to marinate pork tenderloin when making souvlaki. It goes perfect with the salad. Thank you for this and I love your blog!

  5. 5 stars
    Such a delicious recipe! I’ve made it twice now - once per the directions and it was absolute perfection! The second time I added a teaspoon of Mayo and a touch of honey, it was equally as deliciously and a bit creamier.

  6. 5 stars
    This recipe is SO good! I gave up on being disappointed by store-bought dressing and decided to make my own. I stuck to the recipe exactly and was so impressed with the flavor in this dressing! I don’t want to buy store bought again!! I poured this over a Greek salad with fresh green pepper, red onion, tomato, chickpeas, and feta and found myself wanting to lick the dressing off the plate!

  7. 5 stars
    My go to favorite greek dressing. I add extra garlic cloves but otherwise it's perfect. Thankyou for sharing this recipe.

    1. This is a personal food blog, not a conglomerate corporate recipe website. Posts are written and recipes are shared from my perspective. However, for your convenience, you are more than welcome to use the handy-dandy JUMP TO RECIPE button at the very top of the post to skip straight to the recipe. Have a nice day.

      1. 5 stars
        Hi, Love this dressing! Thank you for making the blog personal. There must be so many, many stories that include good food, handed down recipes, stories told around dinner tables. History. Food is love and romance, or it can be. Thank you so much!❤️❤️🌺🌺

  8. 5 stars
    Perfect dressing!! One of the staples on the menu. Why would any one buy dressing when you can make fresh at home wonderful dressing like this?

    1. 5 stars
      Wonderful Greek dressing! I made this for a salad and took it to work, and everyone loved it. I added feta cheese to it before blending the rest of the ingredients.

      1. 5 stars
        A very refreshing and tasty dressing. Thank you for sharing this. I may try changing up the spices for a Mexican or an Italian variation. But the Greek recipe is perfect!

  9. 4 stars
    The 8:3 oil to vinegar ratio was way too oily for our taste. Ended up adding another 3TBS of vinegar and it came out perfect.

    1. This recipe actually has a bit more vinegar than the standard 1:3 vinegar-to-oil ratio for a vinaigrette. But I'm glad you were able to tweak the ratio to your tastes! 🙂

  10. 5 stars
    Delicious and simple. Just what I was looking for. I used my mini food processor and added a pinch more salt. Definitely will make again!

    1. 5 stars
      My family loved it! Definitely a great dressing that you can alter to your taste. I will try this recipe again!