Store bought salad dressings and marinades are convenient but are often filled with low quality oils, preservatives, and sugars. Making a homemade salad dressing is incredibly easy and gives you control over what goes into the bottle. This dijon vinaigrette is a keto salad dressing and marinade that is clean, dairy free, and even vegan. Only 6 ingredients are needed to make this homemade salad dressing. Try it on your salads, chicken, or pork!
What is a Vinaigrette
Every salad dressing has the same components: fat, acid, sweetener, and something for flavor. Vinaigrettes are oil based dressings that are blended until smooth. Salad dressings that are creamy, like my zero carb ranch dressing, often use dairy or mayonnaise for their base. These bases also double as the fat for the dressing. The acid in vinaigrettes typically come by way of vinegars or citrus juice. Sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, dates, monkfruit, or fresh fruit can be used to balance the acidity in a clean manner. Lastly, things like garlic and fresh herbs are used for flavor. The ingredients are all blended together until the oil has emulsified.
What Kind of Oil is Best for this Keto Salad Dressing and Marinade
When you’re trying to eat a clean diet, some oils are better than others. It is best to avoid canola, safflower, soybean, and grapeseed oils as they provide zero nutritional value. These oils are inflammatory and, contrary to popular believe, not heart healthy! Here is a good article about good and bad oils. Instead, avocado oil, pure olive oil, and coconut oil are the best oils to consume regularly. For this keto salad dressing and marinade, avocado oil works best because it has the most mild flavor but is full of healthy fat! Olive oil may also be used but coconut oil is not advised (your dressing will taste like coconut).
Why Should You Make Homemade Salad Dressing
Most salad dressings at the grocery store are full of preservatives so they are more “shelf stable”. You may see sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate listed on the label. These are both preservatives that allow your dressing to stay fresh for up to 2 years! Gross! Store bought dressings almost always use the bad oils we already discussed above. Lastly, they are usually full of water because it is cheap. Suffice it to say, store bought salad dressings are junk.
On the flip side, premium brand store bought salad dressings are expensive. If you want a clean, preservative free, and organic salad dressing they come with a high price tag. One bottle of Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Dressing and Marinade is $6 at my grocery store. However, I can purchase the ingredients once to make multiple batches of homemade dressing. That assumes I have none of the ingredients on hand, which is rarely the case. It is much more cost effective to prepare your own salad dressings.
What Does this Keto Dijon Vinaigrette Taste Like
This vinaigrette is so good you could eat it by the spoon. This dressing is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy due to the vinegar and maple syrup. The dijon mustard makes the dressing creamy while also offering its characteristically savory flavor.
How To Use this Dijon Vinaigrette
This dijon vinaigrette may be used as a salad dressing or a marinade for chicken, pork, or seafood. Try it on chicken breasts, pork loin, or any white fish filets.
Can Yellow Mustard Be Used Instead of Dijon
Yellow mustard is not an appropriate substitute for this vinaigrette. Yellow mustard is great on a hot dog but it is not robust enough for this particular dressing. On the contrary, stone ground mustard may be used in place of the dijon mustard.

Dijon Vinaigrette (Keto Salad Dressing and Marinade)
This dijon vinaigrette is a keto salad dressing and marinade that is clean, dairy free, and even vegan. Try it on your salads, chicken, or pork!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (this is my favorite sugar free maple syrup)
- 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (a big handful)
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a tall glass jar. Use an immersion blender to blend together until the dressing is smooth and the oil completely emulsified. Alternatively, you may use a standard blender.
- Store in a jar with a lid in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Notes
Oil- avocado oil may be substituted with extra virgin olive oil.
Dijon mustard- subsitute with stone ground mustard if needed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 2 tablespoonsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 81Total Fat: 7.2gCarbohydrates: 6.6gNet Carbohydrates: 1gFiber: 5.6gProtein: 0.1g
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate.
Terry B
Thursday 7th of April 2022
A keto recipe (or carnivore or keto-carnivore) should contain *no* sweeteners of any kind, maple syrup or otherwise. This recipe clearly failed the test.
Ketoinpearls
Monday 3rd of October 2022
Hi Terry, I actually recommend sugar free mapple syrup in the recipe card
Zero Carb Keto Ranch Dressing Recipe | Keto In Pearls | Sauces, Marinades, Dressings
Wednesday 16th of March 2022
[…] you’re going to love this ranch dressing recipe! If you like vinaigrette dressings, try this Keto Dijon Vinaigrette […]
Garlic and Lemon Low Carb Salad Dressing | Keto In Pearls
Tuesday 13th of April 2021
[…] You may not be kissable after eating this garlic and herb salad dressing but you won’t mind because it is so delicious! This low carb salad dressing tastes like spring! It is light, fresh, and very garlicky. Lemon, garlic, and fresh parsley shine in this healthy salad dressing recipe. If you like vinaigrettes, you should also try my dijon vinaigrette. […]
Beth
Thursday 1st of April 2021
My husband and I really enjoyed this! Thank you l!