Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe
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 my Buttermilk Ranch or Balsamic Vinaigrette.
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
- 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.
Also, finely grate the garlic into the same bowl.
Add 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.
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.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Substitute the sugar 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 this recipe in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
- Emulsify is just a fancy culinary term to combine two things that generally wouldn’t go together, like, oil and vinegar.
More Dressing Recipes
Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe
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.
This was excellent! I made it almost exactly as written (including the suggestion of swapping the sugar for honey). I also did NOT add in any additional “salt to taste” — and it was just fine! (If you’re cutting back on sodium, this is a good recipe!) The one thing I’d like to tweak next time is tone down the “kick” a bit; It had slightly more than our palettes are used to. I added more honey – but that didn’t seem to do it. Would you suggest cutting back a bit on the apple cider vinegar or the hot sauce . . . or both?
nice. The kick is spice or sour?
Pantry to table in minutes. Really tasty. I added another light splash of vinegar cause I like a lot of tang. That’s the beauty of home made.
Yum!! Wow I am still amazed how quickly this dressing comes together!! Have made this recipe several times – but this time I added 1/2 ketchup and 1/2 homemade cocktail sauce, that was left over in my frig .
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
excellent!
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.
What is considered a neutral cooking oil??
Anything with neutral flavors
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.
thank you for trying this!
delicious
fantastic!
I’m hoping eliminating hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce would be okay with how this turns out.
Tasty and zingy..loved it on my chilled veggies that I had grilled under broiler..
Awesome
This was awesome. Loved it!
Excellent!
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 !
Love this.
Great!
thank you!