Discover this easy honey mustard salad dressing recipe with just 6 ingredients and only 6 minutes to make! Tangy, sweet, and so simple. Say goodbye to store-bought dressings!
If you've ever savored the famous hot bacon and honey mustard traditional salad at Houston's (Hillstone) restaurants, you're in for a treat. This recipe recreates one-half of that iconic pairing.
This is the first homemade salad dressing I ever had the pleasure of tasting. The recipe is from my mother-in-law, Anne. Unlike many store-bought versions that overwhelm your palate with sickening sweetness, this homemade version lets the tangy mustard shine through while the honey adds just enough sweetness. The Dijon mustard also stabilizes the emulsion, creating that silky-smooth texture that won't separate.
Whether drizzled over a simple green salad with quick pickled red onions, drizzled over roast vegetables like my sauteed asparagus recipe with lemon or these crispy oven-roasted Brussels sprouts, or spread on a gourmet sandwich, this versatile dressing elevates everything it touches.
Make a double batch today, store it in the refrigerator, and enjoy this restaurant-quality salad dressing over the next 2 weeks.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Only 6 ingredients that are probably already in your pantry.
- Just 6 minutes to whip up.
- It's a low-fuss vinaigrette that won't separate.
- So much better than store-bought versions.
Common Problems When Making Salad Dressing
- Overly sweet result: Adding too much honey can make the dressing super sweet and mask the tangy mustard flavor. To correct this, mix in small amounts of vinegar.
- Too tangy: Add more honey to the dressing 1 teaspoon at a time until you've reached your desired sweetness.
- Separation/breaking: The oil and vinegar separate quickly after mixing, creating an uneven dressing. The mustard helps stabilize the emulsion. Also, you need to add the oil slowly as the final step.
Ingredients
You only need 6 staple ingredients to make this honey mustard salad dressing!
- Apple Cider Vinegar: A tangy vinegar made from crushed apples that compliments the strawberries. Good substitutes are white wine vinegar or rice vinegar.
- Dried Minced Onion: Dehydrated chopped onion in the spice aisle. It’s common in salad dressings, marinades, and dried rubs for meat. You can substitute a pinch of dried onion powder.
- Garlic: Real garlic, not the jarred stuff.
- Honey: A liquid, natural sweetener with floral notes that enhance the vinaigrette.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon is a mustard from France. It can be pretty strong by itself, but it is so useful for pan sauces, salad dressings, and marinades. Dijon began in France and definitely has a distinctive mustard flavor, and is more intense, sharp, and complex than yellow mustard. It is made with brown mustard seeds and white wine. If a recipe (such as a salad dressing or baked chicken) calls for Dijon, yellow mustard will not deliver quite the same dynamic flavor and may not emulsify quite as well in a vinaigrette.
- Canola Oil: Any neutral-tasting oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor such as grapeseed, vegetable, or avocado oil will work.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
Variations
- Mustard Lovers: Add more Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon at a time or substitute half of the Dijon with whole grain mustard.
- Sweet Tooth: Add up to 2 more tablespoons of honey to this dressing.
Equipment
Here are the options for equipment needed to make the vinaigrette, starting with my favorite.
- A blender produces the best results by chopping up the dried onion and garlic while completely emulsifying this vinaigrette.
- If you don't have a blender, a food processor also works.
- If a blender or a food processor is not available, you can whisk these ingredients together in a bowl.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Roughly chop the garlic and add it to the blender or food processor.
Step 2: Add the dried minced onion, honey, Dijon mustard, and cider vinegar. Blend on medium speed to combine.
Step 3: With the machine running, slowly add the canola oil until it is mixed and thickened.
Step 4: Transfer the dressing to a jar with a lid and store it in the refrigerator.
Storage Information
The USDA Foodkeeper app indicates that homemade salad dressings (vinaigrettes) stored in the refrigerator are safe for up to 2-3 weeks.
FAQ
This versatile dressing works wonderfully as a dipping sauce for chicken and carrots, a spread for sandwiches and wraps, a marinade for grilled chicken or salmon, or drizzled over some roasted vegetables.
Olive oil will change the flavor, but would still work, or try replacing canola oil with a neutral-tasting oil such as grapeseed oil.
I have not substituted a different mustard for Dijon mustard. Yellow mustard will not deliver quite the same dynamic flavor and may not emulsify quite as well in a vinaigrette. Let us know if you try a different type of mustard.
Did you try any of these tips? Leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Honey Mustard Salad Dressing Recipe
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 fresh garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon dried minced onion
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- ¾ cup canola oil
Instructions
- Roughly chop the garlic and add to the blender or food processor.
- Add the dried minced onion, honey, Dijon mustard, and cider vinegar. Blend on medium speed to combine.
- With the machine running, slowly add the canola oil until mixed and thickened.
- Transfer the dressing to a jar with a lid and store it in the refrigerator.
Notes
- I always double this recipe to have extra salad dressing.
- This dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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