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    Home » Dips & Dressings

    Tips for Making Homemade Marinades & Dressings

    Published: Aug 26, 2021 · Modified: Apr 10, 2023 by Jessica Fisher

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    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Homemade marinades and salad dressings taste so delicious…and they are so much friendlier on the budget. Not only that, you can control the exact amount you make as well as the ingredients that go in it.

    From this easy Asian Chicken Marinade recipe to this zesty Italian Salad Dressing Recipe, you’ll be set for tasty saucing of your grilled meats, chicken, and fish as well as great salad toppings.

    hand pouring buttermilk dressing onto green salad in black bowl. this …

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    grilled spicy chicken on white platter next to salad bowl and dish of corn
    lifting cooked steak off the hot grill with tongs.
    raspberry vinaigrette in cruet on black table with fresh raspberries nearby.
    Jump to:
    • Why Do This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Money-Saving Strategies
    • FAQs
    • Recommended Marinade Recipes
    • How to Make a Basic Marinade or Vinaigrette Dressing

    It’s happened before. You buy a jar of marinade or dressing, try it, and then it sits in the door of the fridge for a few months before you decide to up and chuck it.

    The bottled sauce might have been just fine, but not your style. Or maybe you don’t make that dish often enough for a full bottle to make sense. Or maybe it was just too… processed and canned tasting to want to use it up.

    Any which way, making homemade marinades and salad dressings can be just the thing!

    Why Do This

    It’s easy! As long as you have vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper, you’ve got the basics to a simple homemade marinade or dressing. Add in some spices or herbs, mustard, jam, or honey, and you’ve got something fantastic. Mix it all in a mason jar with a lid, shake, and go.

    It’s cheaper. Making homemade marinades, vinaigrettes, and creamy dressings can be so much cheaper than buying the commercial varieties. But, not only that, you can make just as much as you want to use instead of being saddled with a 16-ounce bottle of something that you’re not overly crazy about.

    It’s so delicious. Once you start making your own marinades and dressings you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!

    raspberry vinaigrette ingredients laid out on a black table top.

    Ingredients

    You don’t need much to make homemade marinades and vinaigrettes. Here are the basics:

    vinegar or other acid, such as citrus juice – There are so many delightful vinegars that you can use in marinades and dressings, including balsamic, red or white wine, apple cider, and champagne vinegar. You can also use a citrus juice, such as grapefruit, orange, lemon, or lime.

    oil – Use whatever oil you typically use for cooking. Keep in mind that extra virgin olive oil should be reserved for dressings but any cooking oil can be used in marinades, such as olive, avocado, or sunflower.

    seasonings – Seasoning in your marinade can be as simple as salt and pepper or as complex as a homemade spice blend, jam, fruit sauce, mustard, BBQ sauce, or even honey. Mix and match flavors however you like!

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    pouring vinegar into dressing cruet.
    stirring in jam into cruet.
    adding oil to the dressing cruet.
    raspberry vinaigrette in cruet on black table with fresh raspberries nearby.

    The same process for making a homemade marinade works for salad dressings. Taste and adjust the seasonings to suit your fancy

    1. Pour out a few tablespoons to ½ cup of vinegar or other acid, like citrus juice.
    2. Add your seasonings, such as salt, pepper, herbs, mustard, jam, or honey.
    3. Add an equal amount of oil as you did vinegar. Whisk or shake well to combine.

    Money-Saving Strategies

    Here’s a tip for making your own dressings or marinades. If you’ve got a small jar of mustard, jam, garlic, or vinegar that’s almost empty, mix your dressing in that jar! Not only will use you up all those little bits that you can never really get off the sides of the jar, but you’ll also be reusing the jar. Double win.

    FAQs

    Can I freeze homemade marinades?

    Yes, marinades are great for freezing. Store in an airtight container in the freezer or you can even package the meat or chicken in marinade for freezing.

    Can I use salad dressing for a marinade?

    Salad dressing and marinades are structured very similarly, so you can easily substitute your favorite dressing for marinade.

    Recommended Marinade Recipes

    • greek yogurt dressing in small pitcher with sprigs of dill.
      Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing
    • mason jar filled with creamy garlic dressing.
      Creamy Garlic Dressing with Buttermilk & Herbs
    • closeup of potsticker sauce in dipping cup with chopsticks and dumplings nearby.
      Potsticker Dipping Sauce
    • Easy Maple Balsamic Dressing
    overhead view of cruet of dressing next to salad bowl.

    How to Make a Basic Marinade or Vinaigrette Dressing

    Marinades and vinaigrette dressings can often be interchangeable. There are plenty of commercial options, but it's so easy to make them yourself with a few handy ingredients.
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad, Sauces, Seasonings
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 127kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $2

    Equipment

    • small mixing bowl
    • glass measuring cup
    • wire whisk

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup vinegar or citrus juice
    • salt to taste
    • black pepper to taste
    • ½ cup olive oil

    Optional mix-ins

    • 1-2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Mix or other favorite blend
    • 1-2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1-2 teaspoon honey or jam

    Instructions

    • In a small mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add any of mix-ins you like, whisking to blend.
      ½ cup vinegar, salt, black pepper, 1-2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Mix, 1-2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1-2 teaspoon honey
    • Slowly add the oil, whisking to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your tastes.
      ½ cup olive oil
    • Use as you would a marinade or salad dressing.

    Video

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate and based on two tablespoons. Remember that meats and chickens will not absorb all the marinade.
    Food safety tip: never serve uncooked marinade that has been used for raw meats and chicken. It can be boiled and used as a sauce, however.
    Variations: consider the following flavor combinations
    • Italian – red wine vinegar and Italian herbs
    • Mexican – orange or other citrus juice and taco seasoning mix
    • Greek – lemon juice and Greek Spice Blend

    Nutrition

    Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    This post was originally published on October 8, 2014. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Renee

      August 29, 2021 at 9:05 pm

      Do you have a link for that wonderful dressing cup/maker with the spout?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        August 30, 2021 at 8:52 am

        Yep, it’s here: https://amzn.to/3BpViSh

        Reply
    2. Janet

      October 09, 2014 at 1:36 pm

      I love to dress cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in a mixture of sour cream, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar.

      Reply
      • Jessica

        October 10, 2014 at 1:42 pm

        Sounds yummy!and very Scandinavian — except for the tomatoes.

        Reply
    3. Jennifer

      October 09, 2014 at 6:05 am

      I have been making my own blue cheese dressing for a couple of years now. It tastes SO much better than the bottled versions and is so easy to make.

      Reply
    4. Molly

      October 09, 2014 at 5:11 am

      Just yesterday I made up my first batch of homemade ranch because I’m allergic to something in the store bought kind. We’ll see how it turned out today!

      Reply
      • Jessica

        October 10, 2014 at 1:42 pm

        How did it turn out?

        Reply

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