Maple Dijon Salad Dressing is very versatile. It is perfect for any salad or bowl and makes a delicious marinade.
Homemade maple Dijon salad dressing and marinade is perfect for last-minute sides or for days where cooking is just not your priority.
It’s a really quick way to spruce up a plain salad and make you feel good about what you’re serving your family.
Its versatility also makes it worthwhile to make a bigger batch and keep it on hand for that little something extra on your side dish. Or use it to flavour your chicken or pork without any fuss.
The maple syrup makes this a toddler and kid favourite. You can make it as sweet or tart as you like to cater to all the tastes in your household.
Preparing Maple Dijon Dressing and Marinade
Ingredients
Olive Oil: I use olive oil for this recipe because of its mild flavour. Olive oil is the fat extracted from olives. The least processed is extra virgin olive oil, which I use in this recipe.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apple juice and is milder in taste than white vinegar. It adds acidity to this recipe.
Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is made from the sap of various maple trees. It contains manganese and vitamin B and is the perfect flavour and sweetness to balance the acidity of the apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard.
Dijon Mustard: Made from spicy brown and black mustard seed it is the perfect way to give any meal a little kick. It has a tangy sharp taste that some consider to be spicy.
How To Make Maple Dijon Salad Dressing and Marinade
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. The oil and mustard will separate. You know the dressing is mixed well once they are fully integrated.
Taste to ensure it suits your palette. If you prefer a sweeter dressing, a little more maple syrup. Be gentle, it’s more flavourful than you think.
If you prefer a more tart flavour add less maple syrup and/or more mustard. If you prefer an acidic flavour add more apple cider vinegar.
Substitutions
Apple Cider Vinegar: You can make this dressing with lemon instead of apple cider vinegar. Add more to taste if you find you’re not getting enough tartness from the same quantity.
Dijon Mustard: You can substitute yellow mustard for Dijon. Yellow mustard is slightly milder so you may need to adjust the quantity of maple syrup.
Maple Syrup: Lastly, you can substitute honey or agave for maple syrup. Depending on what kind of honey you use it may be sweeter than the maple syrup, so start with less and add to taste once all ingredients are mixed.
Serving
This is not just a salad dressing although I love this dressing on our simple spinach salad. You CAN serve it over your favourite salad, and you should, but don’t limit yourself.
This maple Dijon dressing is a fantastic way to easily add flavour
to plain rice, couscous or quinoa for your side dish or use it as a dressing in a power bowl.Using Maple Dijon Dressing as a Marinade
To use this maple Dijon dressing as a marinade, simply pour over a chicken breast or two chicken thighs and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
I doubled up the recipe in the picture below.
You can also freeze the chicken in the marinade for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and bake in the oven at 350°F for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
This time may vary depending on the cut, size and thickness of your chicken.
Storing Maple Dijon Dressing
Even though this recipe is very quick and easy to make, I do like to make extra, think four times the recipe, and keep it in a mason jar.
No matter how easy the marinade is to make, some days it’s just too much when you’re also chopping a bunch of veggies for a lunch salad.
When I have the dressing already made, I find that I am more likely to want to make the salad in the first place.
Check out some of our other popular dressings and marinades:
Maple Dijon Dressing and Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp maple syrup
- Pinch Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. It is mixed well when the oil and mustard are no longer separated.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp maple syrup, Pinch Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Serve on your favourite salads, use as a flavouring for rice, quinoa or couscous, or as a chicken marinade.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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