French Dressing Recipe

Meggan Hill

• Updated

4.99 from 256 votes

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Skip store-bought salad dressing and blend up your own tangy homemade French Dressing recipe in just 2 minutes. This easy salad dressing is made with all pantry staple ingredients.

A bowl of homemade French dressing.


 

Thick and tangy with a sweetness and some spice, this is the French salad dressing of my dreams. It’s what I remember from the Greek restaurants growing up, and it’s exactly what I want on my Dorito Taco Salad today.

The best part is, it comes together in 2 minutes pantry table ingredients you likely already have stocked in your kitchen.

Table of Contents

  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. French Dressing Recipe Recipe

Recipe ingredients

French dressing ingredients.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Granulated sugar: The 1 cup sugar in the dressing may sound like a lot, but it tastes just like the ones at Wisconsin supper clubs of my youth (they’d bring a small salad dressing caddy to your table with 4 different kinds of dressing: Ranch, Italian, Thousand Island, and French). If you don’t love sweet dressings, start with 2 tablespoons of sugar, taste, and increase if desired.
  • Light olive oil: Light olive oil is milder than extra virgin which allows the other flavor-boosters to shine.
  • Paprika: Use regular paprika (often simply labeled “Paprika” on the package) rather than hot or smoked paprika.

Instructions

  • In a food processor or blender, add sugar, ketchup, olive oil, white vinegar, celery seed, chili powder, dried mustard, onion powder, paprika, and salt to taste (I like 2 teaspoons). Process until smooth and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Making French dressing in a food processor.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This French Dressing recipe makes 2 cups of dressing or 16 (2-tablespoon) servings. If you are making this for a Dorito Taco Salad, you’ll probably only need half the recipe.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. And I know what you’re thinking: “Everything in this ingredients list is shelf-stable! Why isn’t this dressing shelf-stable, or why can’t it last for a month?” Ingredients interact when they are combined, and without stabilizers and preservatives, it’s just as perishable as any other “leftover.”
  • Make ahead: Feel free to make this homemade up to 3 days in advance. If the dressing begins to separate during this time, give it a shake before drizzling over your salad.
  • Bonus salad pairings: In addition to taco salads, this homemade French Dressing tastes incredible tossed with or drizzled over my Easy Garden Salad, Wedge Salad, or Cobb Salad.
2 plates of Dorito taco salad next to a bowl of French dressing.

Delicious salad ideas

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A bowl of homemade French dressing.

French Dressing Recipe

By Meggan Hill
Skip store-bought salad dressing and blend up your own tangy homemade French Dressing recipe in just 2 minutes. This easy salad dressing is made with all pantry staple ingredients.
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings 16 servings (2 tbsp each)
Course Pantry
Cuisine American
Calories 121
4.99 from 256 votes
ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a food processor or blender, add sugar, ketchup, olive oil, white vinegar, celery seed, chili powder, dried mustard, onion powder, paprika, and salt to taste (I like 2 teaspoons). Process until smooth and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Granulated sugar: The 1 c. sugar in the dressing may sound like a lot, but it tastes just like the ones at Wisconsin supper clubs of my youth (they’d bring a small salad dressing caddy to your table with 4 different kinds of dressing: Ranch, Italian, Thousand Island, and French). If you don’t love sweet dressings, start with 2 Tbsp. of sugar, taste, and increase if desired. Or, substitute a bottle of store-bought French dressing.
  2. Light olive oil: Light olive oil is milder than extra virgin which allows the other flavor-boosters to shine.
  3. Paprika: Use regular paprika (often simply labeled “Paprika” on the package) rather than hot or smoked paprika.
  4. Yield: This French Dressing recipe makes 2 c. of dressing or 16 (2-Tbsp.) servings. If you are making this for a Dorito Taco Salad, you’ll probably only need half the recipe.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. And I know what you’re thinking: “Everything in this ingredients list is shelf-stable! Why isn’t this dressing shelf-stable, or why can’t it last for a month?” Ingredients interact when they are combined, and without stabilizers and preservatives, it’s just as perishable as any other “leftover.”
  6. Make ahead: Feel free to make this homemade up to 3 days in advance. If the dressing begins to separate during this time, give it a shake before drizzling over your salad.
  7. Bonus salad pairings: In addition to taco salads, this homemade French Dressing tastes incredible tossed with or drizzled over my Easy Garden Salad, Wedge Salad, or Cobb Salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbspCalories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 92mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 78IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
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4.99 from 256 votes (192 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. I love this recipe so much! I’ve made it exactly as written and I’ve also used 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup honey. I didn’t have celery seed so I used celery salt. Also, rice vinegar is a little less acidic so sometimes I use it. I’ve been searching for a good French dressing recipe and this fits the bill. Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

  2. Excellent recipe much tastier than store bought but I have a question:
    “Can I use Apple cider vinegar instead?”

    Reply

    1. Hi Shiela, yes! It’s delicious with apple cider vinegar. I hope you love it! – Meggan

  3. This is the best French Dressing I’ve tried! It does seem like a lot of sugar but the end result is PERFECTION, wouldn’t change a thing!5 stars

    Reply

  4. Thanks for this nice recipe. I really enjoyed it, but I will cut the sugar by half next time I make it

    Reply

  5. I am from the Midwest and love French dressing, but I couldn’t find it in any stores when I moved to California. So I tried this recipe and couldn’t believe how delicious it is. It was easy to make using ingredients I already had. I will be making salads more often at home now.5 stars

    Reply

    1. I’m so happy you found this recipe and love it, Sue! Take care! – Meggan

  6. A GREAT recipe !!
    I was concerned about the amount of sugar so I went just with 1/2 cup….as I could add more if I wanted….I was happy with my decision and would change nothing else…It’s now my go to recipe for French Dressing . FYI…reviews that omit or change ingredients drive me crazy… using less or more of an ingredient is permissible for an honest review. Thanks for the recipe 😁😎
    Henry K

    Reply

    1. Thanks for writing, stRKEY! Yes, I recommend starting with 2 tablespoons, tasting, then adding more little by little until you reach your desired sweetness. One reader shared it was 1/3 cup for them, another shared it was 1/2 cup. I hope you love it! – Meggan

  9. I cannot believe this recipe was actually better than store-bought! It tastes so fresh and unprocessed. I used an immersion blender, which made this creamy french. And I made it with ingredients I already had. Very happy I ran across this easy recipe 🙂5 stars

    Reply