Homemade Greek dressing
- Preparation 5 min
- Servings 1 cup (250 ml)
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🫒 Five ingredients, one Mason jar, ten seconds of shaking
A real homemade Greek dressing takes five basic ingredients and a Mason jar. Nothing more, nothing less. Extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, finely chopped garlic and dried oregano. You put it all in the jar, shake like crazy for 15 seconds and it’s ready. It’s the kind of recipe you make once and wonder why you were buying this at the grocery store.
💪 A recipe that holds up for two weeks
My homemade Greek dressing keeps for one to two weeks in the fridge in its Mason jar. You shake before each use to re-emulsify and you’re good to go. No preservatives, no hidden sugar, just real quality ingredients. The Dijon mustard I add helps hold the emulsion longer and gives a little punch in the background that elevates everything.
🔥 Much more than a salad dressing
This is where it gets interesting: this homemade Greek dressing isn’t just for salads. Pour it on chicken or shrimp 30 minutes before grilling and you have an incredible marinade. It works miracles on a simple lettuce salad with cucumber and tomatoes, on BBQ grilled vegetables, or even as a dip for pita bread. It’s the kind of condiment we keep permanently in the fridge, like my tzatziki mint sauce. Essential for entertaining friends or for summer dinners on the weekend.
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🫒 Choose a good extra-virgin olive oil
It’s the main ingredient. Don’t skimp on it. A cheap oil will give you a flat and bitter dressing. Go for a cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, ideally Greek or Mediterranean.
🍋 Fresh lemon mandatory, never bottled
Bottled lemon doesn’t have the same punch or freshness. Squeeze half a lemon just before making the dressing. The difference is huge.
🧄 Garlic, chop it very fine
If your garlic pieces are too big, it stings in your mouth. A garlic press or Microplane grater does perfect work to release the oils without leaving aggressive bites.
🌿 Dried oregano, not fresh
For a truly authentic Greek dressing, dried oregano gives the best result. It develops its aromas in the oil. Greek oregano if you can find it, otherwise Italian works fine.
🫙 The Mason jar is the secret
You make your dressing, store it and serve it in the same container. Before each use, shake vigorously for 5 seconds to re-emulsify and it’s perfect. Convenient format, zero dishes.
🍗 Use it as a marinade
Pour some on chicken, shrimp or even pork 30 minutes to 2 hours before grilling. The acidity from the vinegar and lemon tenderizes, while the oregano and garlic flavor the meat deeply.
✅ What to use my homemade Greek dressing with?
This dressing is so versatile you’ll put it on everything. Obviously it’s perfect on a simple lettuce salad with cucumber and tomatoes, but also try it as a marinade for my Souvlaki pork kebabs or to add some zing to my Greek sausages with feta, sundried tomatoes and black olives. You can also drizzle it over my Lemony orzo salad with feta & chickpeas before serving, or make it an instant dip for my homemade Pita chips. One recipe, a thousand uses.
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Greek dressing (≈ 250 ml)
- ¾ cup (180 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
- Juice of half a lemon (about 2 tbsp / 30 ml)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) dried oregano
- 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- ¼ tsp (1 ml) freshly ground black pepper
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Preparation
- Put all ingredients in a 500 ml Mason jar.
- Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds, until the dressing is well emulsified.
- Taste and adjust salt, pepper or lemon as needed.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge. Always shake before each use, as oil and vinegar separate naturally.
One to two weeks easily, in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Always shake the Mason jar well before each use to re-emulsify the oil and vinegar that separate naturally.
Absolutely. Pour it on chicken, shrimp or pork 30 minutes to 2 hours before cooking. The acidity from the vinegar and lemon tenderizes the protein while the garlic and oregano flavor it deeply.
White wine vinegar works very well as a replacement and gives almost identical results. Avoid balsamic vinegar which completely changes the flavor profile and makes the dressing heavier.
For an authentic Greek dressing, we always use dried oregano: it develops its aromas better in contact with oil. Fresh oregano loses its flavor in the cold of the fridge and works better in hot dishes.
It’s normal and inevitable. Oil and vinegar don’t mix permanently. The Dijon mustard helps stabilize the emulsion longer, but you need to shake the Mason jar for 5 seconds before each use. That’s the principle of homemade dressing without stabilizing agents.
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