Sweet and Sour Dressing Recipe for Salads

on Feb 13, 2013

4.83 from 34 votes

Sweet and Sour Dressing is a great choice for simple salads, and it’s really easy to make. This salad dressing recipe can be used on any salad to add a tangy-yet-sweet twist!

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Sweet and Sour Dressing

Every good salad needs a good salad dressing. When I fix my favorite Strawberry Salad, I always use this Sweet and Sour Dressing recipe to go with it!

When you see the ingredients all together, it looks like an odd mix: orange juice, vinegar, sugar, mustard, onion flakes…but trust me, once everything is combined into this dressing, the flavor is amazing.

It’s tangy, sweet, and sour, and it complements most salads beautifully. It’s a great dressing where you need a kick of flavor, and it mixes so well with fruitier salads too!

Assembled ingredients for Sweet and Sour Dressing

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Pouring Sweet and Sour Dressing over a salad

Pouring homemade Sweet and Sour Dressing over a bowl of greens

Easy Salad Dressing Recipe

Sweet and Sour are opposing flavors– too much of one simply overpowers the other– but when the right combination is achieved, the result is divine.

This recipe is a mix of interesting flavors and the end result is a happy dance on your tongue. I love this type of dressing, and I have many variations.

If you’re looking for more of a poppyseed dressing, you simply need to add 1 T. poppyseeds. Easy and delicious!

Image of a simple salad tossed with dressing.

Why you’ll love this Sweet and Sour Dressing Recipe:

Variety: Sweet and Sour Dressing adds another option besides Italian and Ranch.
Flavor: If you’re going to make a salad, you might as well pack in as much flavor as you can. And this dressing does it with style.
Reputation: Before long, you’ll be known for your delicious and creative homemade dressing!

How to Make Sweet and Sour Salad Dressing

This is such an easy salad dressing recipe, and you can prepare and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Stir all together all the ingredients except the oil.
Place in a food processor or blender and blend for about one minute.
Slowly drizzle in the oil so it emulsifies.
Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge.
Stir or shake before serving.

Image of a glass jar filled with Sweet and Sour Dressing.

My favorite salad to serve with this dressing is with our Strawberry Poppyseed Salad, sugared almonds, and homemade croutons! It’s just perfect!

More favorite salad dressings:

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

Filed under: Dressings + Sauces, Pantry Staples, Salad

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.