French Salad Dressing

Creamy French Salad Dressing is easy to make, and much tastier than store-bought. Ready in 10 minutes, made with regular pantry ingredients. This sweet and tangy dressing will boost the flavors your summer salads this year!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Healthier - no un-pronounceable ingredients, added preservatives and sweetened without high fructose corn syrup
• Many Uses - not only for salads, but perfect as a French fry dip, spread over your sandwiches, a vegetable dip or a chicken marinade
• Tastes Better - while store-bought is easy, it can't compare to the taste of homemade salad dressing. Balance the flavors, adjust to dietary needs to personalize recipe

Types of French Salad Dressing

Classic French Dressing

This is a traditional Oil and Vinegar Vinaigrette. Prepared in the French style (from France), it's usually made with oil, vinegar and dijon mustard.

Creamy French Dressing

The Americans started adding flavors to the classic vinaigrette, creating the creamy, tangy, orange French dressing loved by millions. Adding spices like Paprika and Ketchup adds to the bright dressing.

Ingredients

• Mayonnaise - the base of the dressing
• Ketchup - for color and flavor
• White Vinegar - adds tang
• Sugar - for sweetness
• Onion and Garlic - fresh onions are the secret to why this recipe tastes great!
• Spices - Salt, Pepper, Paprika
• Vegetable Oil - a neutral tasting oil

How to Make French Salad Dressing

You'll need a food processor or blender when making French Dressing. This ensures the onion is finely processed and ingredients are blended together. The onion brings the tang and bite in French salad dressing.

1. Combine - add all ingredients into the food processor, except the vegetable oil
2. Process - blend until smooth
3. Stream Oil - in a slow and steady stream, slowly pour oil while processing
4. Refrigerate - allow flavors to meld for a few hours before serving

Variations

• Honey French Dressing - substitute sugar with honey for a more natural taste - bonus points if you use scented Australian Eucalyptus honey
• Spicy French Dressing - add a dash of Hot Sauce, Cayenne Pepper or Sriracha Sauce
• Herb Dressing - add your favorite fresh herbs like basil, oregano or dill
• Lemon French Salad Dressing - substitute Vinegar with Lemon Juice (or use ½ lemon juice and ½ vinegar)

Recipe Tips and FAQs

• Try Dried Spices - substitute with 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1 teaspoon garlic powder - but remember, the secret is the tang from the fresh onion!
• Adjust Flavors - make it your own, add more or less sugar, onion, vinegar or mayo. Taste and adjust as you go
• Store in Glass - for best flavor and to reduce chemical contamination, store in a glass container or jar

Do I Need To Use A Food Processor?

You can skip the use a food processor or blender to make French Dressing. Sometimes it's a hassle of cleaning a food processor, as it's really only the onion that needs blending.

LIFE HACK: Cut the onion into smaller pieces, small enough to fit into a garlic press, and push through. The garlic press allows the onion pieces to be broken up small enough, saving blending time! Just place all the ingredients in a bowl, and vigorously whisk together until combined. Easy Peasy!

Sugar Substitutes Ideas

• Stevia - naturally sweeten with minimal calories. However you need to use much less Stevia. For this recipe I'd subsitute with 2 teaspoons of Stevia - taste and adjust to taste
• Honey - adds floral sweetness, substitute with the same ratio as sugar
• Agave Nectar - subsitute sugar with 2 tablespoons of Agave
• Maple Syrup - strong flavor adjusts flavor profile, suggest to use natural syrup (instead of pancake syrup) with the same ratio as sugar
• Splenda - or Xylitol or Monk Fruit Sweetener, all used in a 1:1 ratio with sugar

Best Oils for Salad Dressings

Always use a neutral tasting oil when making salad dressings. Strong fruity oils like Olive Oil will overpower the flavors. Try these suggestions;

• Sunflower Oil
• Canola Oil
• Vegetable Oil
• Corn Oil
• Grapeseed Oil

Storage

Make ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Best used within 7 days. The fresh onions and garlic shorten the lifespan of home-made dressings, but increase flavor.

French Dressing Serving Tips

Drizzling dressing over a garden salad isn't the only way to enjoy this recipe. There are other delicious ways to enjoy French dressing. It's a sauce, a dip and a dressing!

• French Dressing Dip - perfect with sliced vegetables like carrots, celery, broccoli
• Toss it through a Potato Salad - really adds extra zing
• Chicken Wing Dip - served right alongside your Blue Cheese Dip
• Sandwich Condiment - skip the mayo and spread this on your next sandwich
• French Fry Dipping Sauce - amazing with Air Fryer Potato Wedges too!
• Chicken Nuggets - the kids will love dipping into this red sauce
• Dip your Pizza Crusts - actually, dip with every bit of pizza

Salad Dressings You'll Love

• Zesty Italian Dressing
• Blue Cheese Dressing
• Poppyseed Vinaigrette
• Bacon Ranch Salad Dressing
• Coleslaw Dressing
• Greek Salad Dressing
• Creamy Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

If you've never made French Salad Dressing before, you've got to try this recipe! Full of flavor, easy to make, tangy and creamy. This is my favorite salad dressing and dip recipe, made in 2 easy steps. You'll never buy Kraft dressing again! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

©PetersFoodAdventures.com *originally posted August 2015, updated May 2024