Citrus Salad Dressing

This zingy citrus salad dressing whisks up in minutes using fresh orange and lemon juice. It’s a bright lemon orange vinaigrette that makes any salad taste incredible.

Looking for a tangy salad dressing to liven up your greens? This zingy citrus salad dressing is where it’s at! It’s got both fresh lemon and orange juice, and it’s perfectly balanced.

I originally made this dressing as part of a fennel orange salad, and it was so refreshing I couldn’t stop eating it! This vinaigrette works in the winter during citrus season, and as a light healthy dressing for summer salads. It’s a favorite in our house and I hope it will be in yours too!

5 Star Reader Reviews

“I’ve been making this dressing exactly as the recipe calls for it to be done for years. It’s quick, easy, delicious, and versatile.” -Lindsey

“Very delicious, and easy, quick to make! Thank you!” -Linelle

Ingredients You’ll Need

This citrus salad dressing is a simple vinaigrette that uses orange and lemon juice in place of vinegar. Here’s what you’ll need:

Orange juice and zest: Use fresh squeezed orange juice, plus the zest of half the orange. The zest is what makes the flavor really pop!
Lemon juice: Adding fresh lemon juice makes for a super tangy dressing.
Dijon mustard: Mustard adds a savory note and also helps emulsify the dressing so it stays creamy.
Maple syrup: This balances the acidity; you can also use honey or agave syrup.
Olive oil: This is my favorite heart-healthy oil for salad dressings.

How To Make Citrus Salad Dressing

This fresh and healthy citrus salad dressing comes together in a flash! The only main task is juicing the lemon and orange, then whisking together the dressing. Here are a few tips for this simple vinaigrette:

Use a juicer. While you can juice citrus without it, I always use my trusty juicer for citrus to quickly juice it and keep the seeds out. (Anytime I try it with my hands, I get seeds in whatever I’m making!) Here’s the juicer I use: it works great!
For zesting: a microplane or grater. I add the zest of ½ orange to this dressing to make it pop. I use a microplane to make quick work of zesting. If you don’t have one, use a grater. Smaller zesters that are more like bar tools don’t work as well here. Here’s more on How to Zest an Orange.
Add the olive oil gradually to make a creamy emulsion. Add the olive oil gradually, tablespoon by tablespoon. Whisk until it combines, then add another. This is the key to getting a creamy emulsified salad dressing.

Variations To Try

Here are a few ways to add different flavors to this dressing:

Add garlic: Add half a grated small garlic clove for a more savory dressing.
Stir in shallot or herbs: A teaspoon of minced shallot or chopped chives to add subtle onion notes.
Change the citrus: Blood orange, grapefruit, or lime juice also can work for parts of the juice.
Swap the sweetener. As I noted above, honey or agave syrup both work in place of maple syrup.

Ways to Serve This Citrus Salad Dressing

This citrus salad dressing goes well on lots of different types of salads! It would also make a great flavoring for green beans or broccoli as a side dish. Here are our favorite ways to serve it:

Fennel orange salad. This fennel orange salad accentuates the orange in our fennel orange salad perfectly.
Kale salad. It would be perfect on this BEST Kale Salad — add it to taste.
Arugula salad. Brighten up this Easy Arugula Salad with citrus vinaigrette (to taste).
Vegetables. This Best Steamed Broccoli or Steamed Green Beans would also be fantastic tossed with a little citrus salad dressing before sprinkling with feta cheese.
Grain bowls: Drizzle it over an easy grain bowl or Mediterranean bowl.
Chicken and seafood: Spoon it over grilled chicken, baked salmon, or grilled shrimp.

Storage and Make Ahead Tips

You can store this dressing refrigerated for up to 1 week. Olive oil firms up when it’s cold, so bring it to room temperature before serving and then give it a quick shake or whisk.

Dietary Notes

This recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.