Creamy Southwest Salad Dressing, Sauce & Dip

One Recipe, Three Luscious Options

This delectable Southwest Salad Dressing is creamy, savory and spicy. The heat-balancing tang comes from lime juice. It’s a silky, peppery and utterly craveable Southwestern Salad Dressing recipe you’ll make over and over again!

Ready for the big BONUS? This luscious Southwest Dressing doubles (or triples?) as a mouthwatering Southwest Sauce or a delectable Southwest Dip, too. The flavor and versatility are simply unmatched.

If you haven’t tried making homemade dressing before, you really need to go for it this summer. They’re so easy and affordable. Plus, with homemade dressing, you control all the ingredients.

My creamy Southwestern Salad Dressing whisks together in 2 minutes and requires only four simple ingredients. You’re gonna love it!

Southwest Salad Dressing is boldly flavored, gluten-free AND dairy-free salad dressing. This silky, creamy salad dressing has no added sugar and no nuts.

The heat is from smoky chipotle chili powder, and it’s complemented by smoked paprika, cumin and Mexican oregano. It’s a delectable Southwest Sauce, dip or dressing option for those who need to be careful about food allergies.

Southwest Sauce

As a Southwestern Sauce, this creamy Southwest Dressing recipe is fantastic to drizzle over a Rice Bowl with Southwest Chicken and your favorite Southwestern veggies and ingredients. But it can be so much more versatile than that.

Brush this easy homemade dressing/ Southwest Sauce onto chicken or pork chops before grilling. Use it as the liquid portion of a dredging station when breading chicken or fish.

You won’t believe the incredible flavor it adds to meat when used as a marinade. And, oh my gracious! Use it to top your best, juicy grilled burger, and you’ll never go back. It’s scrumptious!

You can drizzle it on scrambled eggs. And we love it stirred into the dressing for Southwest Pasta Salad! Honestly, it’s pretty much perfect in ANY Southwest Salad!

It’s also a fabulous topper for salmon or halibut, just like this luscious Vegan Tartar Sauce from Broke Bank Vegan.

Southwest Dip

Southwest Dip/ Southwest Salad Dressing is creamy, spicy and delicious when used for dunking and dipping, too. Try it with your favorite homemade chicken nuggets recipe.

It also is fantastic for dipping home fries and sweet potato fries. So good!

Dip cauliflower florets, celery sticks or carrots into it for a cool, crunchy and flavor-packed afternoon snack. Delish!

The exciting thing is that they, Southwest Salad Dressing, Southwest Sauce and Southwest Dip, are all the same thing! Your mind will be blown at all the bold, flavor-packed possibilities!

FAQ’s About Southwest Salad Dressing

The Science of Adding Oil to Mayo

Did you know that the more oil you incorporate into mayonnaise, the thicker it becomes? The result is an even more silky and luscious thickened mayo. My mind was kind of blown when I learned that. The oil continues to emulsify with the egg in your mayonnaise. To a point.

It IS possible to add too much oil to the mayo or to the Southwest Salad Dressing, sauce or dip that you’re making with it. If you do, it can result in a broken sauce.

The term broken, in regards to mayonnaise, sauces or other emulsifications, means that whatever you’re creating has separated back into liquids and fats. It has lost its silky emulsified and homogeneous texture.

Eggs have surfactants. Surfactants are molecules that have a water soluble end and an oil soluble end. That’s why we’re able to mix and unify eggs, oil and a liquid like lime juice or vinegar to create mayonnaise. It’s just important not to add more than either end is able to absorb.

I have tested this Southwest Salad Dressing recipe half a dozen times before sharing it with you. And, one of them was an utter failure. lol So, I can now say I am confident in the ratios I’ve established for this recipe.

Follow the mixing procedure, as I describe it, and you will achieve thick, creamy Southwest Dip, salad dressing or Sauce every single time.

Ingredients

• Mayonnaise – Salad dressing (Miracle Whip, Spin Blend, etc. DO NOT work in this recipe.)
• Avocado Oil
• Southwest Seasoning (contains the chipotle chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and herbs that create the best flavor.)
• Lime Juice
• Water
• Salt and Pepper, to taste (Taste first. Southwest seasoning has salt in it.)

Choosing the Right Mayonnaise

As I mentioned, salad dressings like Miracle Whip do not work in this recipe. The added sugars alter the flavor dramatically. And, texturally, the Southwest Salad Dressing never gets to the same level of creamy thickness.

You need to start with a true mayonnaise. That’s usually just eggs, oil, an acidic liquid and some salt. Commercial brands may have a few other ingredients. But, those are the essentials.

Choose the mayonnaise that you like best to make your Southwest Salad Dressing. I prefer my Homemade mayonnaise, which uses avocado oil. Or, I buy avocado oil mayonnaise made with avocado oil, only.

Check the ingredient labels on whichever you choose. Many brands say avocado mayonnaise on the front and then the ingredient list shows only a small amount of avocado oil with a larger component of less healthy oils. They work in your homemade dressing, but why pay for something special, when it isn’t?

Regular mayonnaise brands will also work with my Southwest Salad Dressing recipe. Just watch out for the salad dressings that add sugars.

Why Avocado Oil?

Avocado oil is the predominant oil used in my kitchen. And yes. It’s more expensive than canola, corn or vegetable oil. However, for me, the benefits outweigh the extra cost. I save money in so many other places in the kitchen, that when it comes to oils, I choose the best available to me.

Avocado oil is a neutral flavor oil. That means whatever recipe I use it in, it will not overpower or alter the flavor of the other ingredients.

Avocado has one of the highest smoke points of any cooking oil. That makes it safer for frying and for high temperature baking.

Avocado oil is almost 70% monounsaturated fat, in particular, oleic acid. Oleic acid is an omega-9 fatty acid. It’s believed to improve the health of skin, hair, eyes, teeth and gums. Oleic acid may also help reduce the risk of heart disease. Reducing inflammation and helping nutrients be absorbed by the body are other benefits of eating avocado oil.

It makes health and flavor sense to use avocado oil in my creamy Southwest Salad Dressing recipe. The neutral flavor lets the warm Southwestern flavors shine while providing a number of important health benefits.

What Is Southwestern Seasoning

My Homemade Southwest Seasoning is a blend of spices and herbs that are commonly used in Southwest cooking. It has no added sugars or fillers and it is gluten free. It contains Chipotle Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika , Ground Cumin, Garlic Powder, Dried Oregano, Kosher Salt, Coriander, Onion Powder and Ground Black Pepper.

Commercial brands may contain different ingredients, have a different flavor profile and different heat level. I highly recommend my homemade Southwest Seasoning, but choose the Southwest Seasoning blend your family enjoys most.

How to Make Southwest Salad Dressing

1. Place the mayo, Southwest seasoning, and lime juice in a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Add 1/4 cup of the avocado oil and whisk until fully combined.
3. Add 1/4 cup more and again, whisk until fully combined.
4. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of avocado oil.  Whisk hard until it is fully combined and emulsified into the spicy mayo mixture.
5. The Southwestern Dip should be silky smooth and fairly thick.  Absolutely perfect for dipping and dunking.  This consistency also works fabulously as a luscious dairy free Southwestern Sauce for casseroles and pasta salads.  Use it to top your favorite burgers and sandwiches, too.
6. To transform the dip into a delectable Southwest Salad Dressing, add 3 Tablespoons of water and whisk vigorously to combine.  This will thin the southwestern salad dressing to a pourable or drizzling consistency.  It should be similar to the consistency of Ranch Dressing.  You can add more water if you prefer your dressing thinner.
7. Taste the dip to see if it needs additional salt and pepper. The Southwest seasoning has salt in it, so be sure you check the flavor, before adding any extra.

The Recipe

More Delicious Condiments, Dips and Sauces

Are you looking for another spicy, creamy dip and sauce? My friends, Mandy and Jane, over at Splash of Taste, have a killer Indian Raita recipe to share. Yogurt, Indian spices, cucumber and mint combine to make a delish sauce you’ll want with all your favorite Indian dishes. And, for a tasty afternoon snack, try it shmeared on a yummy piece of naan or for dipping your favorite chips .

And you will swoon for Sherry’s Bacon Aioloi! It’s fabulous on your favorite burgers or for dipping Sweet Potato Fries.