French dressing was my all-time favorite salad dressing growing up. Whenever we had the opportunity to go to a restaurant, if there was a salad bar there, I always went for the French dressing. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to recreate this childhood favorite. This easy homemade dressing recipe is slightly tangy, slightly sweet, totally budget-friendly, and perfect with almost any salad recipe.
This classic American-style French dressing comes together with simple pantry staples like ketchup, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and a few dried spices. I love how easy it is to make at home and how it’s even easier to adjust. You can make it a little sweeter, a little more tangy, or tone down the paprika, depending on what you like. It’s so much more flexible than store-bought versions and much quicker to toss together than running to the store for a bottle!😁
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Gather all of your ingredients.
Make the dressing: Pour ⅓ cup ketchup, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, and ¼ tsp salt into a mixing bowl.
Whisk to combine. Now, slowly pour in ⅔ cup vegetable oil while continuously whisking until smooth and combined.
Serve: You can either serve this homemade French dressing recipe right away or store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
I know a lot of people find store-bought French salad dressings a little too sweet. One of the best things about making it at home is that you can adjust the sweetness to suit you. Feel free to reduce the sugar or add a little more if you like it sweeter. You can also swap the sugar for honey or agave. Add as much or as little as desired to taste, but keep in mind it might slightly change the flavor.
I’ve tried this homemade French dressing recipe on just about every salad you can think of, and it never lets me down. It’s perfect on a loaded taco salad with crunchy chips and seasoned meat and just as tasty on a wedge salad instead of the classic blue cheese dressing. I even love it on a Cobb salad! It gives the savory toppings a nice sweet and tangy contrast. Or when I’m just tossing together a last-minute fridge-cleanout side salad, this dressing pulls everything together. French dressing is my go-to salad dressing for a reason!
You can store this creamy French dressing recipe in the fridge for up to 5 days. I like to keep mine in a resealable glass bottle, but you can use any airtight container you have. Give it a good shake or whisk again before serving.
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