A delicious copycat recipe of the much-loved Olive Garden Italian Dressing is so simple to make! This recipe is less salty than the bottled version, contains no preservatives, and is fresh and flavorful with a touch of creaminess.
I love making things in my own kitchen that are just like store-bought items, but way better! This Olive Garden salad dressing is my newest obsession, and I know that you are going to love it too.
Use this signature dressing to make my Olive Garden Chicken Pasta or a replica of the famous Olive Garden Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Save Money: Bottled salad dressing can be expensive. You can easily make your own for much less money.
- It’s Healthier: By making your own dressings from scratch, you can avoid all of the preservatives and additives that are in processed salad dressing. This recipe has less sodium than most store-bought versions too, and you can adjust things if needed to suit your tastes or dietary needs.
- Perfect Copycat: Put this Olive Garden Salad dressing on some fresh greens and it will be like you’re sitting in the restaurant. Add some homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks and a bowl of Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup for a real Olive Garden experience at home!
Ingredients in Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Italian Dressing Mix – Use a packet of dry dressing mix, or make your own! I highly suggest using my easy Italian Dressing Mix recipe so that you can control the ingredients and sodium.
- Italian Seasoning – This blend of dried herbs is one of my favorites. Generally a blend of oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary. My homemade Italian Seasoning blend also includes a bit of garlic.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil gives this dressing the most amazing mouthfeel, and adds rich flavor.
- Vinegar – I use regular distilled white vinegar in this dressing recipe. You can use other types, such as white wine vinegar, but it will change the flavor quite a bit if you do.
- Water – This helps to dissolve the dressing mix ingredients.
- Mayonnaise – While this isn’t a creamy dressing recipe like Ranch dressing, a small amount of mayo gives just a bit of creaminess and thickness.
Tip!
Try not to make any substitutions while making this recipe. Every ingredient is important to getting the Olive Garden Italian flavor just right.
How to Make Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- Mix: Add all of the ingredients to a bowl, and whisk together until well combined.
- Adjust: Taste the dressing and add salt if needed.
- Store or Enjoy: Use your dressing right away, or transfer the dressing to a bottle and store it in the refrigerator. Stored properly, this salad dressing will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks.
Other Homemade Salad Dressings to Make
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Caesar Dressing
- Asian Salad Dressing
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Raspberry Vinaigrette
FAQs
You should end up with about 10 ounces of Olive Garden Italian Dressing from this recipe.
Everything in this recipe is low carb except for the Italian dressing packet seasoning which does have sugar in it. If you make your own Italian dressing mix, you can omit the sugar or replace it with a low-carb sweetener instead.
Yes, you do need to store this dressing in the fridge, due to the mayonnaise in it. Even without mayo, dressings will always stay fresh longer if stored in the fridge.
Pin this recipe! I know you’re going to be looking for the recipe later when the first bottle is empty and your family is asking for more.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 x 0.7 ounce (20g) Italian dressing mix packet or use homemade mix (that’s 2 tbsp + 1 tsp)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ cup (180ml) extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (60ml) distilled vinegar
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl, and whisk together until well combined.
- Taste the dressing and add salt if needed.
- Use your dressing right away, or transfer the dressing to a bottle and store it in the refrigerator. Stored properly, this salad dressing will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks.
Notes:
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Floyde Dehanne says
Did you know OG ALREADY sells bottled version of their dressing in ZESTY, ORIGINAL AND LIGHT versions of its Italian dressing
Julie says
Hello, In the first 2 ingredients you state 1 Italian dry dressing mix and 2nd you list 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Can you buy a small container of Italian seasonings? I would think the dry dressing mix would be enough. No?
1 x 0.7 ounce (20g) Italian dressing dry mix packet or use homemade mix (that’s 2 tbsp + 1 tsp)
▢½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Thank you kindly
Lindsay says
Hi Julie! The extra dried Italian seasonings are what makes this recipe extra flavorful and so similar to the Olive Garden recipe.
Courtnie says
I have, what may be a dumb question. I’m making this dressing so I can add it to the “Olive Garden Chicken Pasta”. My question is… can I substitute the distilled vinegar with red wine vinegar? 😬 It’s the only ingredient I’m missing!
Thanks!
Diana says
I guess that you can but the flavor will be a little different and the color too. Or use apple cider vinegar if you have it.
P says
I’m wondering…
Am I overlooking reviews?
I can’t seem to find them.