
Bottled dressings get the job done, but it only takes a few ingredients to whip up a fresh batch of your own. Next time you’re building a seasonal salad, spruce it up with any of these delicious homemade dressings.
A fresh, flavorful dressing can work wonders when it comes to transforming a plate of salad from bland to divine. Not only will all the recipes below deliver delicious flavor, but because you’re crafting them yourself, you can tweak them any way you want. Experiment until you find the perfect blend.
Creamy Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing

The creamy mouthfeel you get from avocado makes it a win for creating a lusciously smooth salad dressing, as well. They’re also a much healthier source of fat than the mayonnaise typically used in creamy dressings, like ranch and blue cheese.
You just blend the simple ingredients (cilantro, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and olive oil) into a velvety dressing fit for any spring salad.
Get the Recipe: Gimme Delicious
Strawberry Vinaigrette

One of our favorite ways to enjoy seasonal spring flavors is by topping a plate of mixed greens with berries, candied nuts, soft goat cheese, and red onion.
If you want to take that salad to the next level, though, whip up a batch of this sweet, tart berry vinaigrette.
Get the Recipe: Taste of Home
Sunshine Salad Dressing

Honey mustard meets wholesome lemony vinaigrette in this one-of-a-kind sunshine salad dressing. Rather than using mayonnaise like a traditional honey mustard dressing, the author from Cookie and Kate uses tangy Greek yogurt to achieve the perfect flavor and texture.
Get the Recipe: Cookie and Kate
Chipotle’s Honey Vinaigrette

If you’ve ever wanted to know what ingredients they use in the delicious chipotle honey vinaigrette at Chipotle’s, Jenn over at Once Upon a Chef has replicated it for you. And just in case you’re wondering, it’s spot on! Copycat recipes are always popular, but this one tastes just like the original.
What gives it that unforgettable flavor is the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You can find these in the Latin section of most grocery stores.
Get the Recipe: Once Upon a Chef
Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing is another delicious go-to for spring salads that every home chef should know how to make.
As it requires only four ingredients (mayo, lemon juice, sugar, and poppy seeds), you’ll wonder how something so simple can be so flavorful. Make a big batch and treat yourself!
Get the Recipe: Lil’ Luna
Balsamic Vinaigrette

Okay, so we did say we wanted to go “beyond balsamic” vinaigrette, but this one variation was just too good to leave out! It builds so beautifully on the basic balsamic foundation, you’ll never go back to the bottled stuff.
The tart balsamic vinegar and Dijon combined with just the right amount of sweet honey create the ideal combo. You can also enjoy this drizzled on grilled or roasted veggies, or in a sandwich or wrap.
Get the Recipe: Barefeet in the Kitchen
Classic Creamy Italian

Here’s another tasty addition to your virtual recipe book. Creamy Italian is a mayonnaise-based delight, filled with Italian herbs, like basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme.
The Parmesan cheese combined with garlic and white wine vinegar really bring on the flavor, though. Whether you douse it on your salad or dip your pizza in it, this rich dressing is not to be missed.
Get the Recipe: The Busy Baker
Sesame Ginger Dressing

With ingredients like sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and sriracha, this Asian zing of a salad dressing is sure to be a crowd-pleaser! Sesame ginger dressing also tastes perfect over cold Asian noodles, or on top of a cabbage salad with crispy wonton noodles.
You can also drizzle some on your white rice or ramen.
Get the Recipe: Spend with Pennies
Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette

If it’s a sweet and tangy sauce fit for a fruit salad you want, this honey-citrus vinaigrette is it! Fresh orange and lime juice combined with honey and citrus zest work wonders here.
This recipe delivers a tart topping for fresh fruit.
Get the Recipe: Kitchn
Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing

You’ll fall in love with this velvety cool Greek dressing immediately! It instantly transforms any salad into a meal made in heaven. The fresh lemon juice and white wine vinegar work in tandem with the yogurt, oil, and herbs to create a light, tasty dressing.
It also pairs well with grilled meats veggies.
Get the Recipe: Once Upon a Chef
Sweet and Spicy Mango Dressing

Sweet meets spicy in this one-of-a-kind salad dressing fit for spring and summer. It’s the perfect finish to a lovely field greens salad. It can also add some magnificent oomph to grilled fish, chicken, or shrimp.
All you’ll need for this recipe is a fresh mango, some honey, cumin, garlic, cilantro, and hot chili pepper. You can also add a splash of lime juice if that’s your jam. The toughest part about this recipe is finding the right mango. Fortunately, there’s a guide for that!
Get the Recipe: The Café Sucre Farine
Lemon Tahini Dressing

Oh, tahini, how we love you and your creamy, sesame ways. Never heard of it? It’s a paste made from ground sesame seeds and it’s the ingredient in hummus that makes it so delicious!
After you combine it with fresh lemon juice, sesame oil, and a touch of maple syrup, this rich, bold dressing will bring boring salads to life.
Get the Recipe: Love and Lemons
Healthy Chipotle Ranch

Ranch dressing has won many hearts across the nation because it’s just that good. Add a spicy kick to your ranch by making this healthy version of your favorite condiment.
It’s delicious on salads and also makes a fantastic dip for veggies, chicken tenders, or fried shrimp. Otherwise, grill up a few chicken breasts, serve them on a bed of basmati, then drizzle this deliciousness right on top.
Get the Recipe: Ambitious Kitchen
Blue Cheese Dressing

Blue cheese dressing is one of those things people either love or hate. If you’re in the former camp, then this chunky salad dressing recipe is a must-try!
After you make a batch, you’ll never go back to the bottle. It has that restaurant quality you just can’t pass up. It also makes a fantastic dipping sauce for wings, nuggets, and other finger foods. This one requires a few more ingredients than a lot of the other dressings on our list, but the results are so worth it!
Get the Recipe: Garlic and Zest
Now that we’ve inspired you to make tasty salad dressings from scratch, you can pitch all those old crusty bottles of the store-bought stuff you have in the fridge. When’s the last time you checked the expiration dates on those anyway?