Greek Lemon Salad Dressing and Marinade

Why buy Greek salad dressing in a bottle when making your own at home is so much more delicious (and cheaper)!? With a few simple ingredients, and in a matter of minutes, you’ll have the perfect topping for innumerable delicious Greek-inspired dishes.

This bright, lemony dressing is perfect for drizzling on salad, broiled fish, roasted veggies, and more.

Or use it as a marinade for chicken or fish to give them that fantastic, classic Greek flavor that goes so well with so many dishes.

Ingredients

Just a handful of basic ingredients are all you need to whip up this versatile Greek dressing.

• Extra virgin olive oil. It seems this ingredient shines in almost every Mediterranean dish. Find good quality olive oil. Extra virgin is essential for the best flavor.
• Lemons. Use fresh lemons for the freshest, most citrusy flavor. They’re easy-squeezy and super handy to have around for all kinds of things. Plus you can use the zest to add more punch to your dressing. In a pinch, you can get away with using bottled lemon juice.
• Garlic. 1-2 cloves of garlic will do the trick in this recipe, but you can add more to your taste. I tend to add more garlic if I’m using this dressing as a marinade. When I’m in a hurry, I’ve been known to use precut minced garlic in a jar. My little secret.
• Oregano. Such a classic Greek flavor, oregano is a must. I always use dried oregano, and if it’s in season, I’ll add in some fresh oregano for extra flavor and as a garnish.
• Kosher salt. Kosher salt has coarser grains, which makes it ideal for seasoning meat. It also has a milder flavor, making it perfect for a salad dressing.
• Fresh ground black pepper. A few twists of the pepper grinder will give you plenty of punch. Much superior to fine-ground black pepper in every way.

How to make the dressing

Step 1 – Juice the lemons. I do this the simple, old-fashioned way with a lemon squeezer. You should get about 1/4 cup of lemon juice from 2 large lemons. Mince the garlic.

Step 2 – Add the lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Step 3 – While whisking the dressing, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, and continue whisking until it is emulsified. Some separation of the oil and settling of the garlic and oregano is to be expected. Mix or shake to recombine before pouring.

Make ahead and storage notes

Keep your Greek lemon dressing in an airtight container (a small glass jar is perfect) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

The olive oil may solidify slightly at a colder temperature. Let it warm up at room temperature for an hour to allow the oil to return to a liquid state.

Shake or stir to mix separated ingredients before using.

Variations

This dressing is the perfect starting point for other versions of Greek dressings to use on salads or as marinades.

Add balsamic vinegar and yogurt for Greek baked chicken thighs, or red wine vinegar for a souvlaki marinade.

Add lemon zest to make a delectable drizzle for broiled salmon.