This Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe will enhance any salad it touches, and it's also a fantastic marinade for poultry. It's sweet, tart, packed with nutrients, and it's incredibly delicious!
Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (or dressing) is a win-win, delicious and good for you.
This vinaigrette is easy to make, and one of the things I love about it is that you vary the texture to your taste. I like it a bit chunky with small pieces of the berries, which become like an additional salad ingredient in and of themselves.
Whether it's smooth or slightly chunky, it clings to all of the salad ingredients making every bite scrumptious.
Jump to:
The Key Ingredients
- fresh blackberries - Blackberry season is generally late July to October with the peak being in August. Choose those that are a deep purple-black color, plump and shiny. Tip: You can make this with frozen blackberries when it's not blackberry season. Be sure they are thawed before you begin the recipe.
- balsamic vinegar - Use a good quality balsamic that you love. (Be sure not to use a glaze!)
- extra virgin olive oil - It's always important to use a good oil, and it's especially important in a vinaigrette or dressing, since it's typically served cold. Both Piro and Garcia de La Cruz are brands I like, but use what you love.
- Cayenne pepper - The cayenne gives the dressing the tiniest of kicks. It really enhances the overall flavor and adds interest to the recipe. (Note that it might taste like too much heat before you add the oil, but once the oil is blended in, it's perfect.)
How to Make it
- Rinse the berries lightly. If time permits let them air dry -- otherwise gently pat them with a paper towel. (They will likely stain your kitchen towels if they break.)
- Heat all of the ingredients together over low heat, just to dissolve the mustard, sugar and salt.
- Remove from the heat and use the back of a fork to macerate the blackberries against the inside of the pan. Tip: You can make this dressing as smooth or as chunky as you'd like, depending on how much pressure you use with the fork -- imagine you're mashing potatoes. For a super smooth texture, you can add this to a blender and purée.
- Gradually whisk in the oil until it's emulsified. Or, alternately, and my preferred way, add the blackberry mixture and the oil to a large jar with a tight fitting lid, and shake until blended. Tip: Make sure the jar holds at least 20 ounces, so the dressing doesn't fill it completely. There has to be room to shake it.
(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Variations
It's fun to try this with different berries and types of vinegar. Below are a few possible combinations to experiment with:
- blueberries & balsamic
- strawberries & white balsamic
- raspberries & red wine vinegar
Uses for Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Vinaigrette and Dressing. Of course it will enhance any salad it's added to.
- On toast. It's amazing drizzled over a layer of goat cheese on toasted rustic bread.
- Marinade for chicken. It's also delicious to marinate chicken in. We're talking, really, really delicious!
USING THE VINAIGRATTE FOR CHICKEN MARINADE: 1) Add about 1 cup of the vinaigrette to a large Ziploc bag with 1 ¼ pounds raw chicken -- any cut, on or off the bone. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. 2) Place the bag on a plate and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours. 3) Remove the chicken, let excess marinade drip off, season with salt and pepper, and cook any way you'd like (bake in the oven, sauté in a pan on the stove). Don't throw out the marinade! 4) While the chicken is cooking, add it to a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. (It's very important to bring it to a boil to kill of any bacteria from the raw chicken.) It will be on the oily side, but it's very easy to spoon out as much or as little of the oil as you'd like. 5) Drizzle this over the cooked chicken and serve.
And if you're looking for other recipes with blackberries, this Blackberry Butter Roasted Chicken is also incredible.
How long will it keep?
The vinaigrette should keep well for about 10 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. I don't recommend freezing the dressing, as the texture isn't as good once frozen and thawed.
Are blackberries good for you?
Yes they are!
- Blackberries are packed with vitamin C. One serving contains 100 grams!
- They're also packed with vitamin K, and are high in fiber and manganese.
- Blackberries also contain high levels of antioxidants, and are said to help with brain functioning.
More Must-Try Dressing and Vinaigrette Recipes
- Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
- Prickly Pear Vinaigrette
- Balsamic Cranberry Vinaigrette
- Creamy Avocado Dressing with Lime
- Creamy Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette
- Blood Orange Vinaigrette with Thyme
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup fresh blackberries, rinsed and dried
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add everything except the oil to a small saucepan and place it over low heat. Stirring it a bit, cook just to dissolve the sugar, salt and mustard. This should only take about 3 minutes, and it should be slightly warm.
- Remove the pan from the heat and use the back of a dinner or salad fork to macerate the blackberries. I like keeping them partially intact so there will be small pieces of berries in my salads.
- Gradually whisk in the oil and blend until it's completely emulsified. You can also combine the oil and the blackberry mixture in a large jar, one that can hold more than the dressing, so there will be room to shake it. Add everything to the jar, make sure the lid is very tight and then shake until it's blended well. If it's still warm, let it come to room temperature, or cool it in the refrigerator before using it on a salad.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Oh my goodness! What a delicious vinaigrette, perfect for all those summer salads! Love the tang in there from the vinegar and mustard and, of course, sweetness from those blackberries. This will be going on our menu in the months ahead 🙂
valentina
Yay! So happy you like this one. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
vickie deleruyelle
can you can this so you can have in winter months? if so how would I do that?
Thank you,
Vickie
valentina
Hi Vickie, Thanks for writing in. You can make this with frozen blackberries (organic, if possible), when it's not blackberry season. Be sure they are thawed before you begin the recipe. It's a great option for making it during the winter. I hope this helps. (I would not recommend freezing this vinaigrette as it won't thaw well.) Enjoy and thanks for checking out my recipes. 🙂 ~Valentina
Dianne Lloyd
This recipe sounds very delicious. How long will it keep in the refrigerator? Also, if serving at a dinner and one of your guests has diverticulitis, how can you make this without the seeds? Please let me know. I'm anxious to make this. Thank you!
valentina
Hi Dianne, thanks for writing in. This should keep about 10 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
The best way to remove the seeds in blackberries, is to press them through a fine mesh sieve. So instead of using a fork to macerate the blackberry mixture after you remove it from the stove, pour it into the sieve and use the back of a large spoon to help press it through. A mesh sieve should catch most of the seeds. I hope this helps! Enjoy and happy new year! 🙂 ~Valentina
Wanda Bonham
Valentina…can you strain the seeds from the Vinagrette?
Valentina
Hi Wanda, Thanks for writing in. Yes, to do this, before you add the oil, use a blender to smooth the mixture and then use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the seeds. If you don't want to use a blender, just macerate the blackberries with the back of the fork until you you no longer see lumps, then strain. Enjoy! :-)~ Valenitna
MzMoonpie
Used honey instead of sugar and it is yummy. Thank you!
Valentina
Fantastic! So happy you like it. 🙂 ~Valentina
Sarra
I just made this and added fresh mint leaves. It's a great recipe!
Valentina
Hi, Sarra. Adding the mint sounds lovely. So happy you liked it, and thanks for checking out and trying my recipes. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kevin Sweitzer
How do you marinate chicken with this vinaigrette?
Valentina
Hi, Kevin. Thanks for writing in. Add the vinaigrette to a large Ziploc bag and add the raw chicken -- any cut, on or off the bone. I would use about 1 cup to a pound of chicken (this will seem like a lot, but it'll ultimately be cooked and used as a sauce.) Seal the bag tightly, removing as much air as possible, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours. Remove the chicken, letting any excess marinade drip off, season with salt and pepper and cook any way you'd like (bake in the oven, sauté in a pan on the stove). Do not throw out the marinade! While the chicken is cooking, add it to a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken into a sauce. It's very important to bring it to a boil to kill of any bacteria from the raw chicken. Thanks for the great question! I'm going to be updating this post and adding additional information, including this, in the next few days. 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa
All I need is a spoon for this beautiful vinaigrette, Valentina! Don't judge me if I even drizzle it on vanilla ice cream. 😉
Valentina
Oooooh, I love the sound of a drizzle on ice cream. Excellent idea! Thanks, Marissa. 🙂 ~Valentina
Mimi Rippee
This sounds amazing!!!
chefmimiblog.com
Valentina
Thanks, Mimi. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Barb
Sounds delicious!
Valentina
Thank you! 🙂 ~Valentina
sherry
I love blackberries! and this sounds so good. I wonder if you could use frozen fruit as it is not berry season here?
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
David Scott Allen
Who doesn’t love blackberries? This dressing looks amazing and I can see so many ways to use it! I wish blackberries grew better in Arizona but at least I have some good organic options in our grocery stores. I can’t wait to try it!
Healthy World Cuisine
This blackberry balsamic vinegar is dreamy. Love the fresh berry season and can't picture a better way to enjoy it. It's lightly floral, sweet and savory and the perfect dressing to enjoy in the summer.