House Italian Dressing Recipe

I want this Italian dressing recipe to make you forget about buying store bought Italian dressing ever again. It’s an incredibly simple recipe to whip up whenever you need it and you can keep a batch in the fridge for a few weeks. 

Scratch recipes are sort of my thing. Since I started Smells Like Home in 2007 – yes, I’m considered to be a Granny Food Blogger! – I’ve been committed to making as many recipes from scratch as possible. 

This includes recipes for things many folks buy regularly in the grocery store. I call these recipes Homemade Switches.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve got almost 2 decades worth of scratch recipes under my belt on the site but it should come as no surprise that there are dozens and dozens of more recipes that I want to share here.

Take for instance, this House Italian Dressing recipe. It’s always going to be a recipe that comes in handy when I need Italian dressing for a house salad, chicken marinade, or an Italian pasta salad.

So to me, it’s easier and more space-effective to make a batch of this Italian vinaigrette when I need it, rather than keep a store-bought bottle in the fridge for what could be a year. 

In that year, I may need that dressing only a handful times and yet it always takes up space on my fridge door. That makes no sense to me!

Without giving too much away yet, I know you’re going to love this dressing recipe. Keep reading to see what’s so great about it and why you’re never going to want to buy Italian dressing from the store again.

What’s So Great About This House Italian Dressing Recipe?

Want to know why this is THE BEST Italian dressing out there? Here are just a few of the reasons:

• Uses basic dried herbs and spices found in most kitchens
• Zesty flavor that gives your salads a punch of 
• Easily adaptable so you can use a variety of dried herbs and spices
• Versatile dressing can be used on green salads, house salads, pasta salads, and as a marinade for protein like chicken, pork, and shrimp
• Make ahead Italian dressing recipe keeps in the fridge for weeks

Ingredients You’ll Need 

Here’s the basic shopping list for this Italian dressing mix recipe. This is a two-part recipe: the seasoning mix ingredients and the dressing ingredients.

Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the full printable Ingredients list for this great recipe!

For the Italian Seasoning Mix:

• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Dried parsley
• Dried rosemary
• Dried thyme
• Red pepper flakes
• Garlic powder
• Marjoram
• Onion powder

For the dressing:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Canola or vegetable oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Italian seasoning mix: Use the homemade dressing mix from above or a store bought packet
• Granulated sugar
• Kosher salt

How to Make Homemade Italian Dressing

Here are the easy instructions for how to make this incredible homemade house Italian dressing recipe. Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the full set of Instructions! 

STEP 1: Mix all of the seasoning mix ingredients together in a bowl or mason jar. 

STEP 2: Measure out the dressing ingredients into a glass measuring cup. Whisk vigorously until the dressing emulsifies (thickens).

How to Use the Dressing

Obviously, you can use your dressing as a classic Italian salad dressing. Just load your house salad up with all of your favorite ingredients and drizzle this dressing on top!

Other ways to use the dressing are as a marinade for chicken, pork, or shrimp, or as an Italian pasta salad dressing.

FAQs on Italian Salad Dressing

1. Can the salad dressing be made ahead? Definitely! You can make the dressing up to 2 weeks before you need it. 
2. How many servings does the recipe make? This recipe makes a little less than 1 cup of dressing.
3. Can the recipe be doubled or tripled? Sure! Simply double or triple all of the ingredients and store the dressing in a larger container than a single recipe.
4. Can I use different herbs and spices? I created this recipe with the herbs and spices listed in the Italian seasoning mix ingredients list so I recommend you use those ingredients to make the best dressing. 
5. How long will the dressing last for? Up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Our Forever Favorite Salad Dressing Recipes

I’ve been making homemade dressing of all sorts for many, many years  and these 5 are a few of our all-time favorites:

• Herby Ranch Dressing
• Blue Cheese Dressing
• Chipotle Vinaigrette
• Lemon Vinaigrette
• Sweet Chili Salad Dressing