This Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette is light, flavorful, and it takes just 5 minutes to make! It has lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice, fresh oregano, and lemon zest. It's such a delicious dressing for more than just salads and great for meal prep!
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Why You'll Love This Oregano Vinaigrette
Better than store-bought - Vinaigrettes are so easy to make at home, and the flavor is 100x better! What really makes it is fresh lemon juice and the fresh oregano. Bottled vinaigrettes often have fillers or preservatives as well, and when you make yours at home, you know exactly what's inside!
Quick and simple - The recipe has 8 ingredients (including salt and pepper), and it takes only 5 minutes to make! It’s a great dressing to whip up last-minute because you likely already have everything and just need to get some oregano!
Versatile and great for meal prep - You’ll be surprised by all the ways you can use this vinaigrette besides just in salads! It’s great on roasted veggies, drizzled over bruschetta, roasted veggies, salmon, shrimp, or even used as a marinade! It keeps really well, and it’s easy to double, so it’s ideal for meal prep!
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil - Use your favorite olive oil, my new favorite for dressings is Graza's "Tony's Really Good Olive Oil" or the Graza Drizzle Olive Oil, but any you have will work!
- Lemon juice and lemon zest - Since you'll need both the zest and the juice, I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than the bottled stuff for the best flavor. Use wax-free organic lemons for zesting whenever possible.
- Oregano - While you can use both fresh and dried oregano here, I recommend fresh oregano, especially in the summer when it's readily available. It adds freshness and a nicer flavor.
- Garlic - The recipe has 1 clove of garlic, and while I don't find the flavor very strong or pungent, if you don't like raw garlic in your dressings, you can always swap it for garlic powder.
- Honey - A little bit of sweetener balances out the olive oil and lemon juice. It also helps emulsify the vinaigrette. You can use any liquid sweetener.
- Dijon mustard - Dijon adds a little bit of heat and a touch of creaminess that also helps everything mix better. You could also use a different specialty mustard if you have any. Anything with garlic or herbs, or even a spicy one, would be great!
- Black pepper and sea salt - Use sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, not table salt, where possible. I also recommend freshly ground black pepper for the best flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
- Dried oregano - If you don't have fresh oregano, you can use dried. It gives it a slightly different flavor, but it works just as well. The flavor is more concentrated in dried herbs, so I recommend only adding 2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons. I also recommend letting the vinaigrette sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using, so it has time to get infused with the flavor from the dried oregano (this isn't needed when you use fresh herbs).
- Blend the vinaigrette - I did this with my Lemon Basil Vinaigrette, and it turns it vibrant green and so silky smooth! Blending it makes the oregano flavor even stronger, and it helps to emulsify the vinaigrette if you're afraid it might separate.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Into a medium bowl, add chopped oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, grated garlic or garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Whisk until well combined.
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- Slowly stream in the olive oil while continuing to whisk until emulsified. If you add all the oil at once, you risk the vinaigrette separating.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Tips & Tricks!
- Add the olive oil gradually - If you add the olive oil all at once, it will be much harder to properly mix it with the other ingredients, and the vinaigrette will most likely separate in the fridge. While you can fix that by shaking your jar, it just won't have that silky smooth texture you're looking for. Stream your olive oil in slowly while whisking constantly. (Slower than the photo above. I was pouring the oil with one hand and holding a heavy camera in the other, and did it too fast, ops!)
- Mayonnaise - If you tried everything and your vinaigrette just won't emulsify, add ½-1 teaspoon of mayonnaise! I know it sounds weird, but it doesn't change how it looks or tastes. It just helps mix everything together and prevents it from separating.
- An option to blend it - If you want a completely smooth vinaigrette without the small pieces of chopped oregano, blend it using an immersion blender! Follow the same steps, blend everything but the oil first, and then stream in the oil while continuing to blend.
How to Use It
- Salads - The most obvious way to use the vinaigrette is in various salads. It goes with practically any salad greens and any combination of flavors, but I really like it in Mediterranean salads or anything with feta, olives, or sun-dried tomatoes. Try it in this Mediterranean Salmon Salad, this Greek Cucumber Salad, or this Cucumber Couscous Salad!
- Roasted vegetables - You can either roast your vegetables with this vinaigrette or just drizzle them with it after roasting. I recommend drizzling them while they’re still sizzling hot right out of the oven or off the grill because they’ll absorb more of the flavor that way. It's delicious on boiled or roasted potatoes!
- Marinating meats and fish - Use it for marinating meats before grilling or roasting. It’s perfect for chicken, shrimp, salmon, or any white fish as well. If you don’t want to cook with extra virgin olive oil, you can swap it for one that can handle high heat or switch to avocado oil (or do half and half). You can also use it as a base for my Marinated Mozzarella Balls or my Marinated Olives and Feta.
- A dip or to drizzle over food - Add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to it and use it as a dip for bread, or you can drizzle it over crostini, bruschetta, roasted salmon, grilled shrimp, or anything else! Try it on this Whipped Goat Cheese Crostini with Roasted Grapes!
- Turn it into a chimichurri - You can add more herbs, some red wine vinegar, and turn it into a chimichurri! Take a look at my Cilantro Chimichurri or my classic Chimichurri Sauce.
Storing
Refrigerator: Store the vinaigrette in an airtight container or a jar with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to 5 days. If the vinaigrette separates, just shake the jar vigorously before using.
Freezer: It's usually not recommended to freeze a vinaigrette, but I've tested it, and the results were pretty good! It will need to be shaken up or whisked again once defrosted, but freezing it is a great way to avoid food waste when needed.
FAQs
Yes, but leave out the oregano and stir it in at the end when the vinaigrette is already emulsified. If you want it to be completely smooth with no bits of oregano, add it right away.
More Easy Vinaigrettes
I have a few different vinaigrette recipes, all very similar to this one, just with different herbs or slightly different measurements. If you like this one, I'm sure you're gonna like the ones below as well! To see all the latest ones and more, head over to Dips and Dressings!
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Have you tried this Oregano Lemon Vinaigrette? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette
This Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette is light, flavorful, and it takes just 5 minutes to make! It has lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice, fresh oregano, and lemon zest. It's such a delicious dressing for a variety of salads and great for meal prep!
- Total Time5 minutes
- Yield4-6 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, grated (or ¼ tsp garlic powder)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Into a medium bowl, add fresh oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, grated garlic or garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Whisk until well combined.
- Slowly stream in the olive oil while continuing to whisk until emulsified. If you add all the oil at once, you risk the vinaigrette separating.
- Once emulsified, whisk in the finely chopped fresh oregano.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Storing: Store the vinaigrette in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also store it in the freezer, but the texture won’t be the same after defrosting (the vinaigrette will likely separate).
Mayo: If your vinaigrette won’t emulsify, add ½ teaspoon of mayonnaise. It works as an emulsifier and helps to make it creamy. Add more as needed until smooth.
The recipe makes enough for 6 if you use 2 tablespoon per person or for 4 if you use 3 tablespoon per person.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Category: Dressing
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
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