The invention relates to a preparation method of 2-hydroxy acid ester and belongs to the technical field of organic synthesis. According to the preparation method of 2-hydroxy acid ester, 2-hydroxy alkyl cyanogens is taken as a raw material to be added to a reaction solution formed by hydrogen chloride, alcohol and water, and after reaction, 2-hydroxy acid ester is obtained. According to the preparation method of 2-hydroxy acid ester, use of a large amount of nonpolar solvent is not needed, and a target product can be obtained by a one-pot method, thus lowering production cost, improving production efficiency and the purify of the target product, and having energy-saving and environment-friendly effects.