French Dressing Recipe (2024)

Meggan Hill

• Updated

4.98 from 243 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.

French Dressing Recipe (2)

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 Recipe (3)

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, andFrench). If you don’t love sweet dressings, start with 2 tablespoons of sugar, taste, and increase if desired. Or, substitute a bottle of store-bought French dressing.
  • Light olive oil:Light olive oil is milder than extra virgin whichallows 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.
French Dressing Recipe (4)

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.
French Dressing Recipe (5)

Delicious salad ideas

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French Dressing Recipe (10)

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 min

Cook Time 1 minute min

Total Time 2 minutes mins

Servings 16 servings (2 tbsp each)

Course Pantry

Cuisine American

Calories 121

4.98 from 243 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 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, andFrench). If you don’t love sweet dressings, start with 2 tablespoons 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 whichallows 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 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.
  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

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

French Dressing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is basic French dressing made of? ›

It's defined as a blend or emulsion of vegetable oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and any of the following optional ingredients: Salt. Spices and/or natural flavorings (usually paprika, onion powder, and sugar) Tomato paste, tomato purée, or ketchup.

Is French and Catalina dressing the same? ›

Catalina is often considered a subset of French dressing, with most of the same ingredients — ketchup, oil, vinegar, sugar, and other seasonings — but in different proportions. French dressing tends to contain more oil and spices, while Catalina has a higher proportion of ketchup.

Why did they stop making French dressing? ›

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration is revoking the standard of identity for French dressing in response to a citizen petition from the Association for Dressings and Sauces. The petitioners shared information documenting that the standard is outdated.

What is the French dressing rule? ›

The French dressing standard allowed for certain flexibility in manufacturers' choice of oil, acidifying ingredients, and seasoning ingredients. Tomatoes or tomato-derived ingredients were among the seasoning ingredients permitted, but not required.

What is country French dressing made of? ›

Soybean Oil, Sugar, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Tomato Paste, Contains Less Than 2% Of Salt, Paprika, Mustard Flour, Xanthan Gum, Onion,* Garlic,* Beetroot Juice Powder (Color), Natural Flavor, Calcium Disodium EDTA (To Protect Flavor). *Dried.

Does French dressing contain vinegar? ›

Method. Whisk the Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper together in a small bowl, or shake together in a jam jar.

What is Olive Garden's dressing called? ›

Our Famous House Salad served with our signature Italian dressing (served on the side).

Are French dressing and Thousand Island the same? ›

Though both condiments are tomato-based, their recipes differ. The Thousand Island dressing combines ketchup, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, vinegar, minced onion and garlic. In contrast, the French dressing is composed of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, ketchup, sugar, and paprika, among other seasonings.

Why do they call it French dressing? ›

The first recipe bearing such a title appeared in The Ladies Home Journal in 1900, and afterward it simply became the term we use to describe the most common type of salad dressing that the French put on their salad. In France they call it vinaigrette.

What is going on with French dressing? ›

FDA drops regulations on French dressing : NPR. FDA drops regulations on French dressing French dressing is the only pourable dressing required to adhere to standards. The Association for Dressing and Sauces, an industry group, petitioned to pull the standards in the name of "innovation."

Is French dressing better for you than ranch? ›

Ranch and French dressing were ranked the unhealthiest options of the bunch because of their high sodium (260 milligrams and 240 milligrams, respectively) and fat content (14 grams in ranch including 2.5 grams saturated fat, and 15 grams in French with 1 gram saturated fat).

Is French dressing the same as Dorothy? ›

However, where French dressing is oil-based, sticky and overly tangy, with a bright red color, Dorothy Lynch is a tangy, though milder dressing, tomato-based, and very sweet.

What is California French dressing? ›

Ken's California French Dressing is a classic red Catalina-style French. Moderate-bodied with a vivid red color. Sweet tomato notes are combined with a mild vinegar tang and subtle spicing. Brightens up lush green salads, wedge salad, veggie plates—adds tang to coleslaw too.

What is the standard of French dressing? ›

The standard of identity for French dressing as defined in 21 CFR 169.115 describes French dressing as a liquid food prepared from vegetable oil(s), acidifying ingredient(s), and optional ingredients, including seasonings and flavorings.

Is Western dressing the same as French dressing? ›

A savory twist on traditional French dressings that's bursting with flavor. This rich and creamy dressing is sure to make you say, “Yee-haw!”

What is basic French dressing made with Quizlet? ›

Basic French dressing made with. Oil vinegar and seasoning.

Which of the following ingredients is used in making French dressing? ›

Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable oil.
  • 1 cup ketchup.
  • ¾ cup white sugar.
  • ½ cup vinegar.
  • 1 small onion, chopped.
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
  • 1 teaspoon paprika.
  • ½ teaspoon salt.
Jul 10, 2022

What's the difference between California French and regular French dressing? ›

A. Yes, the California French is a classic Catalina dressing, with bright red colour and notes of sweet tomato, tangy vinegar, and spicy paprika, among other ingredients. However, it has a thinner consistency than a classic French dressing.

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