Name: Orange Vinaigrette
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: ½ navel orange (juice and zest); ¼ cup olive oil; 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 1 teaspoon honey; 1 teaspoon minced ginger; ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (plus more to taste)

Jump to Recipe

Tangy sweet Orange Vinaigrette is the perfect compliment to berry salads and grain bowls. Made with simple ingredients and whipped up in just 5 minutes, this easy dressing recipe will take a basic salad to the next level.

Orange vinaigrette poured over a bulgur salad.

Table of Contents

Easy Orange Vinaigrette

Growing up as a midwestern kid, I had a ranch-only palate for the first 20 years of my life. As an adult, I slowly began expanding my tastes, cautiously experimenting with new combinations of salads and dressings.

When I first tried the sweet lemon dressing on this Strawberry Spinach Salad, I swear my taste-buds SUNG. It was sweet and tangy and tasted so fresh. It made it easy to gobble up a whole bowl of spinach (another idea that would have horrified my kid-self).

A good vinaigrette can take a ho-hum grain bowl or mediocre salad and give it life. This Orange Vinaigrette, made with balsamic vinegar and fresh orange juice, certainly has that power. Here’s why you’ll love it:

It’s easy to make. Combine the ingredients, give them a shake, and you’re done!
The tangy, juicy sweet flavor of fresh oranges compliments many dishes, including salads, bowls, and even chicken and pork!
It uses common ingredients you likely already have on hand.

Key Ingredients

Ginger root, honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and a sliced orange.

Oranges– This recipe uses both orange juice and zest. I usually use navel oranges, but Cara Cara oranges are also lovely.
Balsamic vinegar– Golden or regular balsamic vinegar work well here. White wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar both work as well, but you’ll likely need to increase the honey a bit if you use them.
Olive oil– Choose an extra virgin olive oil that’s not too robust or peppery. I find a lighter tasting olive oil lets the orange flavor shine.
Honey– Just a hint of honey balances out the acidity of the juice and vinegar. You can increase or decrease this to your tastes, or use sugar instead.
Ginger– Is this a necessity? No, but it does add a really nice depth of flavor of this vinaigrette.
Salt– No vinaigrette is complete without a little salt, and that includes sweet vinaigrette too! Add a few pinches of salt and taste, then continue adding until it tastes great.

How to Make Orange Vinaigrette

Add all of the ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid. Seal and shake vigorously until the oil and vinegar are well combined. Alternatively, place all the ingredients in a measuring cup and whisk until well combined.

Orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, ginger, and salt in a glass measuring cup with a whisk.

Whisked up orange vinaigrette in a glass measuring cup.

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

Orange dressing keeps well in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. You will need to let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes and re-shake to combine before serving.

How to Use Orange Dressing

We made this dressing specifically for this Bulgur Salad, but it’s great on so many different dishes.

Try it in all sorts of salads, particularly those that include fruit, like this Summer Berry Salad or this Strawberry Avocado Salad.

Orange dressing is also excellent with Asian flavors. Try it on this Asian sesame chicken salad!

You can also drizzle it over baked salmon, chicken, or pork.

Spoon scooping orange vinaigrette out of a glass jar.

Variations + Substitutions

I tested this recipe both with and without the addition of dijon mustard and slightly preferred it without. That said, you can absolutely add some if you’d like.
If you’re serving this over chicken or salmon, I recommend adding some red pepper flake for a little kick. Try it in this Asian Salmon Salad.
As mentioned above, you can substitute the balsamic vinegar for white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, but you might need to adjust the sweetener.
If you prefer, substitute the honey for granulated sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup.

Glass mason jar with orange vinaigrette.

More Homemade Dressings