Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (2024)

Published March 6, 2023.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This easy-to-make homemade French dressing recipe comes together in a matter of minutes and is the perfect complement to any salad. You will love the simple sweet flavors in this vinaigrette.

I love flavorful salad dressings that enhance the flavors of a salad that always has me wanting just one more bite. If you’re the same, then for sure, try out myButtermilk RanchorBalsamic Vinaigrette.

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (1)

French Dressing

French dressing is a simple oil and vinegar-based dressing with herbs and seasonings. The American version of French dressing is also a vinaigrette but is tart, sweet, and red in color due to the ketchup. This is a trendy dressing in the United States and is commonly served on a basic house salad.

This is a sweet dressing, so be sure to add the sugar slowly while tasting it to be sure it is to your liking. You can also add more of the ingredients used in this recipe to enhance those flavors.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (2)
  • Onion – You can use a white, yellow, or sweet onion in this recipe. You’ll also need a clove of garlic. If you love garlic, feel free to add an additional clove.
  • Vinegar – I used apple cider vinegar. You could also use distilled vinegar.
  • Ketchup – Any good organic ketchup that is on sale will work. You can also use homemade ketchup.
  • Sugar – Granulated sugar will help add a little sweetness to the French dressing.
  • Seasonings – I used a combination of salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and paprika.
  • Oil – Any good neutral flavored oil will work.

How to Make French Dressing from Scratch

Finely grate the onion into a bowl.

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (3)

Also, finely grate the garlic into the same bowl.

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (4)

Add the ketchup, vinegar, hot sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, and paprika to the bowl.

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (5)

Slowly drizzle in the oil while continuing to whisk until it is emulsified.

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (6)

Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve or store.

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (7)

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead:You can make this French dressing recipe up to 3 days ahead.You can serve this immediately, but more flavors will come out with time. In addition, let it sit at room temperature before serving it.

How to Store:Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.This will not freeze.

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (8)

Chef Notes + Tips

  • Substitute thesugar with honey, maple syrup, or agave if desired.
  • Feel free to useany oil, but I recommend a neutral-flavored oil. You can also blend oils together.
  • Make thisrecipe in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
  • Emulsify isjust a fancy culinary term to combine two things that generally wouldn’t go together, like, oil and vinegar.

More Dressing Recipes

  • Lemon Vinaigrette
  • Russian Dressing
  • Greek Dressing
  • Italian Dressing
  • Blue Cheese Dressing

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (9)

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Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (10)

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5 from 8 votes

This easy-to-make homemade French dressing recipe comes together in minutes and perfectly complements any salad.

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • ¼ peeled finely grated yellow onion
  • 1 finely grated garlic clove
  • ¾ cup ketchup
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 cup neutral flavored oil
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Finely grate the onion into a bowl.

  • Also finely grate the garlic into the same bowl.

  • Add in the ketchup, vinegar, hot sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, and paprika to the bowl.

  • Slowly drizzle in the oil while continuing to whisk until it is emulsified.

  • Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve or store.

Notes

Make-Ahead:You can make this lemon dressing recipe up to 3 days ahead.You can serve this immediately, but more flavors will come out with time. In addition, let it sit at room temperature before serving it.

How to Store: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.This will not freeze.

Substitute thesugar with honey, maple syrup, or agave if desired.

Feel free to use any oil, but I recommend a neutral-flavored oil. You can also blend oils together.

Make thisrecipe in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.

Emulsify isjust a fancy culinary term to combine two things that generally wouldn’t go together, like, oil and vinegar.

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 0.3gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 218mgPotassium: 87mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 239IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.2mg

Course: Salad, salad dressings

Cuisine: American

Author: Chef Billy Parisi

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18 comments

    • Michelle Bruner
    • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (11)

    I live overseas and cannot get French dressing. I have tried different recipes and could never eat them. Finally, I found yours and it is delicious! It’s what I have longed for. Thank you for sharing this!

    Michelle

    • Reply
    • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (12)

        excellent!

        • Reply
      • Roanne
      • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (13)

      I love this recipe! I made it low carb by using sugar free ketchup and monkfruit sweetener. I also made it as written for my husband. He loved it also. I used Avocado oil in both.

      • Reply
      • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (14)

          Anything with neutral flavors

          • Reply
        • Puck Bateman-Roberts
        • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (15)

        Absolutely delicious! I will be saving this recipe for continued use. Considering I have salad every day, it will see a ton of use!! No more store bought for me.

        • Reply
          • Chef Billy Parisi

          thank you for trying this!

          • Reply
        • suzen
        • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (16)

        delicious

        • Reply
        • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (17)

            fantastic!

            • Reply
          • Margherita

          I’m hoping eliminating hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce would be okay with how this turns out.

          • Reply
          • Maggie
          • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (18)

          Tasty and zingy..loved it on my chilled veggies that I had grilled under broiler..

          • Reply
          • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (19)

              Awesome

              • Reply
            • Barbara
            • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (20)

            This was awesome. Loved it!

            • Reply
            • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (21)

                Excellent!

                • Reply
              • carrie
              • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (22)

              This recipe is amazing comes together quick with easy to follow directions, I love garlic so I added an extra clove. My husband loved it, we are done buying bottled French Dressing !

              • Reply
              • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (23)

                  Love this.

                  • Reply
                • Kris Trobaugh
                • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (24)

                Great!

                • Reply
                • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (25)

                    thank you!

                    • Reply
                Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe (2024)

                FAQs

                What are the ingredients in French dressing? ›

                It's defined as a blend or emulsion of vegetable oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and any of the following optional ingredients: Salt. Spices and/or natural flavorings (usually paprika, onion powder, and sugar) Tomato paste, tomato purée, or ketchup.

                What is the simplest form of dressing? ›

                This is equally true for even something as simple as a salad dressing, which a vinaigrette is as simple as it gets. Vinaigrettes are an emulsion of 3 parts vegetable oil (usually olive oil) and 1 part acid (usually vinegar or acidic fruit juice), seasoning, and sometimes other flavourings.

                What is country French dressing made of? ›

                Soybean Oil, Sugar, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Tomato Paste, Contains Less Than 2% Of Salt, Paprika, Mustard Flour, Xanthan Gum, Onion,* Garlic,* Beetroot Juice Powder (Color), Natural Flavor, Calcium Disodium EDTA (To Protect Flavor). *Dried.

                What is the difference between French and Catalina dressing? ›

                The basic distinction between the two is that Catalina contains more ketchup, less oil, and usually fewer spices than French dressing, making for a deeper red-orange color. Because French dressing has more oil, it tends to taste creamier and look a paler shade of orange.

                Which ingredient is not used in making French dressing? ›

                The ingredient that is not used in making french dressing is the egg yolk. What is a french dressing? This creamy dressing that varies in color from pale orange to bright red is American cuisine. In France they call it vinaigrette and it is usually made of oil, vinegar, sugar, and other flavorings.

                What's the difference between California French and regular French dressing? ›

                A. Yes, the California French is a classic Catalina dressing, with bright red colour and notes of sweet tomato, tangy vinegar, and spicy paprika, among other ingredients. However, it has a thinner consistency than a classic French dressing.

                What is the French dressing rule? ›

                The French dressing standard allowed for certain flexibility in manufacturers' choice of oil, acidifying ingredients, and seasoning ingredients. Tomatoes or tomato-derived ingredients were among the seasoning ingredients permitted, but not required.

                Why did they stop making French dressing? ›

                The U. S. Food and Drug Administration is revoking the standard of identity for French dressing in response to a citizen petition from the Association for Dressings and Sauces. The petitioners shared information documenting that the standard is outdated.

                Are there different types of French dressing? ›

                French dressing is made of oil, vinegar, sugar, and other flavorings, with the coloring derived from tomato and often paprika. It exists on a spectrum between Russian and Catalina dressing. French dressing is generally pale orange and creamy, while Catalina French dressing is bright red and less creamy.

                What are the ingredients in Kraft French dressing? ›

                SOYBEAN OIL, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, VINEGAR, WATER, SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF WHEY (FROM MILK), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, PAPRIKA, SORBIC ACID AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR), POLYSORBATE 60, DRIED GARLIC, XANTHAN GUM, GUAR GUM, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5, NATURAL FLAVOR.

                What is a sauce that is called a French dressing? ›

                Classic French dressing or vinaigrette is a base recipe that combines acid (vinegar or lemon), oil, salt, and pepper to which a variety of ingredients can be added, from fresh herbs to Dijon mustard, to make a cold, emulsified sauce, according to the Larousse Gastronomique Culinary Encyclopedia.

                What dressing is most similar to French? ›

                Catalina is often considered a subset of French dressing, with most of the same ingredients — ketchup, oil, vinegar, sugar, and other seasonings — but in different proportions.

                What's another name for French dressing? ›

                In France they call it vinaigrette. I can only attribute as a food oddity how our creamy, red/orange version, so commonly served in America, evolved from those ingredients into something so different yet with the same name.

                Is French dressing the same as Dorothy? ›

                Picky eaters love it, dads love it, and you'll love how many different ways it can come to the table. Is Dorothy Lynch a “French style” dressing? No. Most French style dressings are oil-based.

                What are the bad ingredients in dressings? ›

                5 Ingredients To Avoid
                • Palm Oil. Palm oil can pop up in both creamy and oily dressings, and it's a top ingredient that Taub-Dix said to avoid. ...
                • Sugar (but it's rarely called sugar) ...
                • Salt. ...
                • Monosodium glutamate (MSG) ...
                • Coconut oil.
                Jan 24, 2024

                How to make French dressing for Jamie Oliver? ›

                FRENCH DRESSING

                Peel and finely chop ¼ of a clove of garlic. Put the garlic, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar and 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

                What are the ingredients in California French dressing? ›

                Soybean Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Maltodextrin, Apple Cider Vinegar, Tomato Paste, Water, Contains Less Than 2% Of Salt, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Onion,* Beetroot Juice Concentrate (Color), Xanthan Gum, Oleoresin Paprika (Color), Mustard Flour, Natural Flavor, Calcium Disodium Edta (To Protect ...

                Is Thousand Island the same as French dressing? ›

                French Dressing – This is often confused with thousand island dressing due to their similarities in ingredients and colors. The main difference between French dressing and thousand island dressing that the main component for this dressing is Ketchup while thousand island's main component is mayonnaise.

                What is the healthiest salad dressing? ›

                8 Simple and Healthy Salad Dressings
                1. Sesame ginger. This simple salad dressing doubles as an easy marinade for meat, poultry, or roasted veggies. ...
                2. Balsamic vinaigrette. ...
                3. Avocado lime. ...
                4. Lemon vinaigrette. ...
                5. Honey mustard. ...
                6. Greek yogurt ranch. ...
                7. Apple cider vinaigrette. ...
                8. Ginger turmeric.
                Jul 27, 2023

                What is Dorothy Lynch dressing? ›

                However, where French dressing is oil-based, sticky and overly tangy, with a bright red color, Dorothy Lynch is a tangy, though milder dressing, tomato-based, and very sweet. It's delicious on salads and has a website devoted to other uses (some delicious and some very strange).

                What are the ingredients in Great Value French dressing? ›

                INGREDIENTS: HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), DISTILLED VINEGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, SALT CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF WATER. MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, PHOSPHORIC ACID, DRIED ONION, XANTHAN GUM, GUAR GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR, RED 40, BLUE 1, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (AS PRESERVATIVES).

                What's the difference between mayonnaise and French dressing? ›

                Difference in oil percentage. The biggest difference of all is the percentage in oil. By law in the Netherlands, mayonnaise must consist of at least 70 percent oil and 5 percent egg yolk. French fries sauce does not have to meet this requirement and often contains between 20 and 25 percent oil.

                What are the ingredients in praise French dressing? ›

                Nutrition Information

                Ingredients: Water, Vegetable Oil (Antioxidant (320)), Sugar, White Vinegar (9%), Food Acids (330, 332), Salt, Garlic (1.3%) (Food Acid (330)), Vegetable gums (407, 410, 415 from Soy, 440), Parsley (0.06%), Mineral Salts (332, 341, 508), Natural Colours (Carthamus extract, carrot extract).

                References

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