This creamy French dressing recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy making it a delicious topping for your favorite salads. This homemade version is more flavorful than the store bought version and can easily be made in 2 minutes with staple ingredients you are likely to have on hand.
"Really good dressing. I drizzle in pita bread stuffed with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, chopped cucumbers and a little bacon on top. Flavor is great." ★★★★★-Ro
🔍 Quick Look: Homemade French Dressing
⏱️ Ready In: 2 minutes
🥣 Yield: About 2½ cups (16 servings)
🧂 Ingredients: Ketchup, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and seasonings
🥬 Best For: Garden salads, Cobb salads, taco salads, grilled meats, and marinades
❄️ Storage: Keeps up to 3 weeks refrigerated
Homemade salad dressings are one of those little things that make an ordinary salad taste restaurant quality. I almost always have a jar sitting in my refrigerator because it takes just a couple of minutes to make and tastes so much better than anything from the grocery store.
This French dressing is sweet, tangy, creamy, and made with pantry staples you probably already have. We love it on Cobb salad, but it also makes a fantastic barbecue sauce for chicken, pork chops. and ribs!
Try it next time you grill your favorite meats! I hope you love it as much as we do. Enjoy! Xoxo~Katie.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
This homemade French dressing recipe is made with the following ingredients:
- ketchup- There are other recipes that use tomato paste or tomato puree. If you were to use either, you would need to add sugar. I find the ketchup is creamy and thick. It does a good job emulsifying with the olive oil.
- honey- Some recipes use sugar and sometimes the sugar does not break down properly. I find the honey blends well, adds the perfect balance of sweet, and thickens the dressing beautifully.
- onion powder- Blends in smooth and adds savory flavor without the bite of a fresh onion.
- apple cider vinegar- Apple cider vinegar is best, but you can substitute with white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- light olive oil or regular olive oil- Light olive oil (not to be confused with low-fat olive oil) is milder in flavor than extra virgin olive oil and lighter in color. Extra virgin olive oil is a better quality olive oil, however, it can overpower the flavor of the dressing. You can also substitute with vegetable oil.
- paprika- Gives the dressing its classic color and mild flavor. Regular paprika works best, do not use smoked paprika.
- celery seed- I love the flavor the celery seed adds, but if you cannot find celery seed, you can substitute with celery salt.
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
Steps
Follow these simple steps to make homemade French dressing.
- Add the ingredients to a food processor or blender.
- Process until smooth.
Watch how to make
Can you make French dressing without a blender?
Yes. To make by hand, add ingredients to a mason jar and shake several times until emulsified. However, making French dressing by hand may not emulsify as well as making it in the blender or food processor, and may result in a thinner dressing.
How long does it last?
Vinegar based dressings last up to 3 weeks in an air tight container stored in a refrigerator. However the flavors are best if used within a week.
If you substitute onion powder with fresh onion, use within 5 days.
Salad Pairings
This classic French vinaigrette is delicious on any of your favorite garden salads. However, try it also on these salad variations:
- Grilled Romaine lettuce with blue cheese, tomatoes, and bacon.
- Mexican taco salad- Skip the chipotle ranch and try this sweet version instead. It surprisingly compliments the ground beef, beans, corn, and cheese!
- Spinach salad with tomatoes, boiled eggs, bacon, and red onion
- Grilled chicken salad
- Large thick summer tomatoes and red onions
- Cobb Salad
- It is delicious on arugula and endive lettuce as well.
More ways to use French dressing
- As a chicken marinade or glaze
- On grilled pork chops
- As a burger sauce
- Mixed in pasta salad
- As a chicken tenders dipping sauce
Why is French dressing orange?
Many homemade French dressings get their orange color from ketchup and paprika. Store-bought versions often use food coloring, but this recipe gets its color naturally.
Try some of these homemade dressings also!
Did you like this salad dressing recipe? Please leave me a comment below if you make it and tell me what you thought. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your French Dressing on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtag! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Homemade French Dressing Recipe in Just 2 Minutes
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup honey
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup regular or light olive oil you can substitute with vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon celery seed you can substitute with celery salt
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 cup ketchup, 1 cup honey, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup regular olive oil, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon celery seed in a food processor or blender.
- Process until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
Ro says
Really good dressing. I drizzle in pita bread stuffed with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, chopped cucumbers and a little bacon on top. Flavor is great.
Ann says
We live in Nebraska, so Dorothy Lynch french dressing is always a go to! I made this recipe the other night, and it was almost an exact! Will definitely make this again!
Savita says
I literally have all the ingredients in my pantry, this is going to be my go-to dressing recipe.
Hayley Dhanecha says
This was absolutely delicious! All the flavours and textures were just perfect!
Jacqueline Debono says
I love making homemade salad dressings. I've made your blue cheese dressing and the parmesan one. Both yum! Now I want to give this French dressing a try!
Tammy says
I LOVE French dressing but I hate the store brands...fresh is always better and this homemade version is absolutely delicious!
Cathleen says
I can't believe I have never made my own dressing before!! If only I knew how easy it is! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Lauren Michael Harris says
French dressing is my favorite, but I've never tried making it before. I thought it would be harder, but this is so easy and delicious!
Veronika Sykorova says
This is so cool! I like the combo of ketchup and celery, I've never tried making dressing with those. I can imagine it'd be delicious on chicken or cobb salad. Can't wait to try!
Megan says
So easy and delicious! Thanks for an amazing dressing.
Sharon says
Not only is this creamy French dressing great on salads, you really need to try it on grilled steak! So good.
Gwynn says
I love how easy it is to make a homemade salad dressing and this one is so delicious too!
Freya says
I loved the tanginess of this dressing, so much nicer than heavy creamy dressings, and really versatile too!
Tracy says
Nothing beats a homemade dressing and French is one of my favorites! This recipe is so spot on. So so good, never buying it from a bottle again!