Sweet, tangy and perfectly balanced, this is the honey mustard dressing you’ll want on everything.
If you’re looking for a homemade dressing that makes salads genuinely exciting, this Easy Honey Mustard Dressing is it. Sweet, tangy and savoury, it comes together in minutes using simple pantry ingredients. We’ve been making it on repeat and enjoying it on salads three to four nights a week during summer, especially alongside steak or roasted chicken. It’s one of those dressings that never lasts long in the fridge.
This honey mustard dressing has the perfect balance of sweet honey, tangy mustard and a savoury hit from soy sauce, which gives it a little extra depth compared to classic versions. The olive oil rounds everything out into a smooth, pourable dressing that coats leaves beautifully instead of sliding straight off. It works just as well on a simple garden salad as it does drizzled over chicken salads, grain bowls or roasted veggie salads. Once you have a jar in the fridge, you’ll find yourself reaching for it all week.
Why You’ll Love This Dressing
• Quick and easy to make: Just add everything to a jar and shake. It’s ready in minutes with no fancy equipment needed.
• Perfect balance of flavours: Sweet, tangy and savoury all at once, with honey and mustard doing the heavy lifting and soy sauce adding extra depth.
• Made from pantry staples: No hard-to-find ingredients here. You likely have everything you need already.
• Versatile and goes with everything: Beautiful on leafy salads, but also great with chicken salads, grain bowls, roasted vegetables or as a drizzle over grilled meats.
• Great for meal prep: It keeps well in the fridge, so you can make a batch and enjoy flavour-packed salads all week.
• Better than store-bought: Fresh, homemade and free from unnecessary additives, plus you can tweak it exactly to your taste.
Ingredients
Olive oil: Olive oil gives this dressing a smooth texture and mellow flavour. Use a good-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste. If you prefer a lighter flavour, a mild olive oil or even avocado oil works well.
White balsamic vinegar: White balsamic adds gentle sweetness and acidity without darkening the dressing. If you don’t have it, you can substitute apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Honey: Honey brings natural sweetness and balances the tangy mustard and vinegar. You can adjust the amount to taste. Maple syrup can be used as a substitute.
Soy sauce: Soy sauce adds a savoury depth that makes this dressing a little special. It doesn’t taste “Asian,” it just rounds out the flavours. Use regular or light soy sauce. For a gluten-free option, use tamari.
Dijon mustard: Dijon gives the dressing its classic honey mustard flavour and helps emulsify everything.
Wholegrain mustard: Adds texture and pops of mustard flavour. If you don’t have it, you can simply use extra Dijon instead.
Salt and pepper: Season to taste. Depending on your soy sauce, you may not need much salt, if any at all (I don’t add it).
Expert Tips
Shake well before each use: The oil and vinegar naturally separate as it sits. A quick shake brings it back to a smooth, glossy dressing.
Taste and adjust: Everyone’s sweet spot is different. Prefer it tangier? Add a splash more vinegar. Like it sweeter? A little extra honey does the trick.
Use a large enough jar: A jar with extra space makes shaking easier and helps everything emulsify properly.
Let it sit for 10–15 minutes before serving: If you have time, this allows the flavours to meld together beautifully.
Don’t skip the soy sauce: It might sound unexpected, but it adds savoury depth and balance without making the dressing taste salty or Asian-inspired.
Serving Suggestions
This honey mustard dressing is incredibly versatile and works with more than just leafy salads.
• Drizzled over a simple garden or green salad
• Served alongside steak or roasted chicken (a favourite in our house)
• Tossed through chicken salads or grain bowls
• Over roasted vegetable salads
• As a light drizzle over grilled meats or veggies
Storage
Store the dressing in a sealed jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
The olive oil may thicken slightly when chilled. This is completely normal. Just let the dressing sit at room temperature for a few minutes and give it a good shake before using.
Once you have a jar of this in the fridge, salads get a whole lot more exciting. If you make it, pop a comment below and tell me what you paired it with.
More Recipes You May Like:
- 5-Minute Bruschetta Bowl (with Balsamic Pearls!)
- Fattoush Salad with Crispy Pita and Sumac Dressing
- Easy Rocket & Parmesan Salad
- Crispy Chicken Schnitzel with Panko and Seeds
Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
Equipment
- Clean jar OR other air-tight container (at least 2 ½ cups capacity)
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup white balsamic vinegar (see notes)
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste (optional – you may not need the salt)
Instructions
Make dressing
- Place all ingredients into a screw-top jar (at least 2 ½ cups capacity) and shake until throughly combined. Alternately, place all ingredients into a bowl and whisk until combined. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks and use as required.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. -
White balsamic substitute
Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can be used instead. -
Adjust sweetness
Start with the listed honey amount, then adjust to taste if you prefer a sweeter dressing. -
Soy sauce tip
Soy sauce adds savoury balance and depth. For gluten-free, use tamari. Taste before adding any salt, you may not need it. -
Storage
The dressing may thicken in the fridge due to the olive oil. Let it sit at room temp for a few minutes and shake well before using.
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