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By Taryn Solie Updated
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This honey orange vinaigrette is a sweet and tangy dressing that’s incredibly easy to make. It’s the perfect way to add a burst of flavor to a green salad or a coleslaw, plus it only requires 6 ingredients. With a Cara Cara orange, dijon mustard, and just a little bit of honey (plus some oil, salt, and vinegar) you can have this simple dressing made in no time.
If you’re craving a different but still simple salad dressing, this orange vinaigrette is it.
First let me say – I never used to make my own salad dressings.
But a lot of dressings either have ingredients I didn’t like or cost way more than I wanted to pay. And I only needed a little at a time!
So I started making my own versions. I started with a healthy coleslaw dressing, then went on to a creamy dijon dressing.
I also made some other bright, citrusy dressings for my spring green salad and my grilled shrimp avocado corn salad too.
If you can relate at all, then you’re going to love this recipe.
It only has 6 ingredients and is sweet without being syrupy. Plus it adds just a bit of tangy citrus flavor to whatever you use it on.
Read on to see how easily it comes together!
Orange dressing ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Cara Cara orange – this recipe specifies a Cara Cara orange as they are known for being sweeter than your typical navel orange. You want a sweeter orange for this dressing as it impacts the flavor. If you use a navel or other type of orange you will have to up the amount of honey you use.
- Apple cider vinegar – as this is a fruit-based vinaigrette I like using apple cider vinegar for it. Other vinegars you could use are champagne vinegar or white balsamic vinegar.
- Honey – you only need a little, but it helps sweeten the dressing just a bit more. Any kind of plain honey is fine – use what you have.
- Dijon mustard – the mustard adds a little tang and savoriness to the dressing, as well as acting as an emulsifier, encouraging the oil and vinegar to stay together.
- Oil – you want a mild oil here so it doesn’t overpower the flavor of the orange. I like to use avocado oil but if you prefer the taste of a good olive oil you can use that.
- Kosher salt – this recipe specifically uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you’re using another brand of salt, use this conversion chart from Epicurious to determine how much salt to use.
How long does orange vinaigrette last?
This orange vinaigrette dressing will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container.
While typical vinaigrettes (without fresh juice) will last up to 2 weeks, the orange juice in this dressing shortens that time as it causes the dressing to oxidize (and go rancid) faster.
Making an orange vinaigrette dressing
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
This recipe is seriously easy – it just has 3 basic steps.
1. Zest and juice the orange
Tips for zesting an orange
- Don’t cut the orange before you zest it. A full orange is going to be easier to handle than half an orange, and you won’t have to worry about juice squeezing out when you zest it.
- A microplane is going to give you the best results as it’s easiest to handle and has very small holes. If you don’t have a microplane, use the side of a box grater with the smallest holes.
- Rest the microplane on the rim of a medium to large bowl that’s on a flat surface. This will help stabilize microplane and make it easier to apply pressure on the orange.
- Start out pressing the orange very lightly onto the microplane so you only get the zest and not the pith (the whiteish part between the zest and the flesh). If you need to you can always go back over parts of the orange, but you can’t go back and pick pith out of parts you’ve already zested!
- Short movements are best when zesting. Since an orange is round, the longer your zesting movements the more adjustments you’ll have to make. This can lead to over-zesting and getting the pith in the zest. Do short swipes of the orange and rotate the orange slightly after every one or two swipes.
2. Pour the ingredients into a jar
3. Shake until well combined then use or store.
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6-Ingredient Honey Orange Vinaigrette
This honey orange vinaigrette is a sweet and tangy dressing that's incredibly easy to make. It's the perfect way to add a burst of flavor to a green salad or a coleslaw, plus it only requires 6 ingredients. With a Cara Cara orange, dijon mustard, and just a little bit of honey (plus some oil, salt, and vinegar) you can have this simple dressing made in no time.
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Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: #dressing
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 1 cup
Author: Taryn Solie
Equipment
A 16 oz mason jar with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 Cara Cara orange small- to medium-sized (or about 4 tbsp fresh orange juice plus zest)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 6 tbsp mild oil like avocado oil
- 2 tbsp honey more if you like your dressing sweeter
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2.5 tsp dijon mustard
Instructions
First zest the orange. Take out a microplane or other zester, as well as a medium bowl. If using a microplane, place it against the rim of the bowl. Zest the orange by rubbing it against the microplane in short swipes, scraping just the vibrant orange skin off into the bowl and not the lighter pith underneath. You may need to wipe the zest off the bottom of the microplane with your finger to get it all off.
Once the zest is off, use a sharp knife and cutting board to cut the orange in half or in quarters, depending on how big your juicer is. Juice the orange into the same bowl as the zest.
Take out a 16 ounce mason jar and measuring spoons and add the apple cider vinegar, oil, kosher salt, and dijon mustard into it. If your honey is very fluid go ahead and add it to the jar as well. If not, put it in a small microwavable bowl and warm it for about 10 seconds, then add it into the mason jar.
Pour the juice and zest into the jar, add the lid, then shake vigorously to combine all of the ingredients together. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 8 ounces of dressing. You only need half the amount (4 ounces) to use it in my purple slaw recipe.
- This recipe specifically calls for a Cara Cara orange as they are one of the sweetest oranges. If using a different type of orange, like a navel, you will need to add more honey to the dressing to sweeten it.
More Salads
- 15-Minute Raw Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Feta
- Fresh Cabbage Coleslaw with Raisins
- 5-Ingredient Lightly-Dressed Coleslaw for Pulled Pork
