Homemade Catalina Dressing
Catalina Dressing Recipe – This creamy salad dressing is a vibrant blend of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors that adds a burst of life to any salad or dish. It’s perfect drizzled over taco salads, avocados, or used as a dipping sauce for veggies!
Why We Love This Catalina Salad Dressing Recipe
Today I’m sharing an awesome crunchy salad I call the Ultimate Dorito Taco Salad Recipe tossed with Catalina dressing. But this post will focus on the salad dressing itself…
There is a bottled version of this dressing, and then there’s bold and zesty homemade dressing. I’m sure you can guess which one I suggest using.
This simple salad dressing recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make and is so much better than store-bought dressing. Plus you can adjust the salt, spice, and sweetness to taste to make it exactly how you like it.
Ingredients You Need
This recipe only takes 7 ingredients to make! And I bet you have most of them in your pantry right now. If not, get your shopping list ready. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Red Wine Vinegar – This offers a deep tangy taste to the recipe, that offers a better fuller flavor than using regular white wine vinegar.
- Ketchup – The perfect blend of tomatoes and sugar to make the base.
- Honey – Or use agave.
- Worcestershire Sauce – A salty savory condiment to add depth and intrigue.
- Smoked Paprika – Try turning up the heat by using hot smoked paprika.
- Onion Powder – Get a more concentrated onion flavor by using onion powder.
- Grapeseed Oil – Or any flavorless oil.
How To Make Homemade Catalina Dressing
- Pour the vinegar, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and onion powder in a blender. Cover and puree.
- With the blender running, open the vent in the lid and slowly drizzle the oil into the blender to emulsify. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate the salad dressing in an air-tight container for up to a month.
See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make Homemade Salad Dressing + VIDEO. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This homemade recipe is not only fantastic on taco salad, but it’s also great…
- Drizzled over avocado slices
- As a veggie dip
- Brushed over baked chicken
- And as a spicy soup stir-in
So try giving these recipes a go. You’ll be so glad you did!
Frequently Asked Questions
Since there are a lot of vinegar-based products in this homemade salad dressing recipe, it can last for quite a while in your fridge. One month to be exact! Make sure to place it in an airtight container before chilling.
If you don’t have (or can’t find) grapeseed oil just replace it with any other flavorless oil. Avocado oil is a great substitute.
Although these two salad dressings are very similar, the general consensus is that French Salad Dressing tends to have little (or even no) tomato products, whilst true Catalina always contains either ketchup or tomato paste. Therefore, Catalina usually has a stronger tangy-sweet flavor. The orange color in the French dressing often comes from ample use of paprika.
Looking for More Salad Dressing Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- The Best Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Grilled Romaine Salad + Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
- How To Make The Best Tzatziki Sauce
- Quinoa Salad Recipe with Green Chile Dressing
- Creamy Garlic Lime Vinaigrette
- Texas Pete Vinaigrette
- Paleo Ranch Dressing
- 3-Ingredient Almond Butter Balsamic Vinaigrette
- The Perfect Greek Salad
- Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing
- The Ultimate Wedge Salad
- Summer Cobb Salad
- Fruity Ambrosia Salad
- Fattoush Salad with Grilled Vegetables
- Roasted Beet Chickpea and Kale Salad
Homemade Catalina Dressing Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup honey, or agave
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Instructions
- Pour the vinegar, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and onion powder in a blender. Cover and puree.
- With the blender running, open the vent in the lid and slowly drizzle the oil into the blender to emulsify. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to a month.
Can balsamic vinegar be used in this recipe?
Hi Rick,
Sure! It will have less tang and more sweetness, but should be delicious. :)
I used avocado oil and reduced the amount of honey. I loved the flavors and used this in my taco salad and tacos! Definitely going to make it again!
Use Avocado oil, not the toxic refined oils which includes everything except Olive, Coconut and Avacodo oil.
Made this and it was very good. Ive and tangy, was perfect in my taco salad. For those who like me just have a little tiny individual style blender that you twist to blend. I got to the part about drizzling it in and it went oh shoot It worked for me with putting in half of the oil blending it and then adding the other half and blending it, and it emulsified just fine.