Last Updated on June 17, 2025
Southwest Salad Dressing Recipe. Just like the former McDonald’s southwestern salad dressing, you can make it at home. It’s a tangy blend of spices combined to make a great Southwestern salad.
If you’re someone who loves Tex-Mex flavors and is always on the lookout for a perfect dressing to complement your salads, rice bowls, or grilled chicken, then you’re in luck!
Here is a unique recipe for homemade southwest salad dressing that’s easy to make, packed with fresh flavors, and uses real ingredients. And you can customize it according to your taste preferences and dietary needs.
Inspiration For Making Southwest Salad Dressing Recipe
McDonald’s restaurants used to have a Southwest Salad featuring Newman’s Own Southwest Dressing. It was my go-to lunch item to get from McDonald’s.
Newman’s Southwest dressing is unavailable in stores, but it is so darned good that I wanted to create a copycat recipe.
Why This Recipe Is A Winner
- This dressing hits all the right notes typical of Southwest, Tex-Mex, and spicy. The easy ingredients combine to make a delicious dressing.
- Making this dressing is so quick and easy using ingredients you probably have on hand.
- The flavor of the dressing is nearly identical to the original Newman’s Own from McDonald’s.
- Making your own dressing is more cost-effective in the long run, and you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Plus, it tastes as good or better than any store-bought dressing you can find!
Ingredients Needed To Make The Southwest Dressing
To duplicate the dressing recipe, I had to interpret the ingredient label from the McDonald’s dressing packet. After some vigorous testing, these are the ingredients needed for this recipe.
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Light Karo syrup
- Chili powder
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lime juice
- Ground cumin
- Dried cilantro
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Water for thinning
The exact amounts of the ingredients are in the recipe card.
Making The Southwest Dressing
Mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Then add water in small amounts to make the dressing pourable.
My recipe makes enough for 4 2-ounce servings, but if you enjoy this homemade southwest dressing recipe, feel free to double or triple the ingredients.
There is a slider in the recipe card to increase the number of servings up to 20 servings. That would give you the correct ingredients needed for 40 ounces of dressing.
It should be stored in the refrigerator for one or two weeks. Store it in a Mason jar with a tight-fitting lid or any suitable airtight container.
This photo is an actual Southwest Salad that McDonald’s used to sell.
McDonald’s Southwest Salad
McDonald’s no longer offers this salad, but if you were one of many who remember this spicy salad, then I hope you will try my Southwest Salad Dressing Recipe. You won’t be disappointed.
Here Are a Few More Homemade Dressing Recipes to Try:
- Homemade Blue Cheese Salad Dressing Recipe
- Restaurant Quality Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
- Homemade Russian Dressing
Southwest Salad Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 1/2 tbsp. light Karo syrup (agave or honey as substitutes)
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 4 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp cilantro, fresh and finely chopped
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp. water (or more to thin)
Salad
- Romaine lettuce
- cilantro
- red onion
- corn
- black beans
- grape tomatoes
- thin sliced carrot
- grated cheddar cheese
- Mrs. Cubbison's southwest flavor tortilla strips ,
Instructions
Dressing
- Whisk ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
- Place into an air-tight container and refrigerate to store.
Salad
- Assemble the salad to your liking and top with the dressing.
Notes
- The salad ingredient proportions are up to you. Corn and beans are a must. I added red onion because I like it. If you can't find the tortilla strips, (near salad croutons in the store), you could substitute spicy Dorito chips.
- This recipe makes 1 1/8 cups or approximately 4, 2 fl. oz. servings. To adjust the recipe to make a larger batch, click on the "4" in the servings in the header above and use the slider to increase the serving size.
- Substitute low-fat mayonnaise for full fat. Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Use honey or agave instead of Karo syrup.
- Nutrition information is for 1 serving of the salad dressing. Not the salad ingredients.
Nutrition
Terri
So yummy!!!!
Sandy Axelrod
Thanks for sharing another amazing and delicious recipe Joe!!! It’s great to see you in my inbox again. Hope the long gap was because you were doing something wonderful and fun with MJ!
Teresa
Excellent flavor, Joe. Thank you for all your experimenting and to your wife for her trips to the store. My hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed it. He was a little disappointed that I only made a small batch and that there was only enough for two salads. He told me, “You should make a jar of this!” 🙂 Thanks!
Joe
Hi Teresa,
Thank you for the nice comment. I know when I make it I make at least 4 times the recipe. I really should re-do this recipe post so there is a larger batch. So glad that you liked it.
Joe
Evelyn Cloud
I loved the McDonalds southwest salad and dressing. This recipe is dead on for the dressing. The salad is very straight forward…..but that dressing is amazing and worth the little bit of time to put it together. Way to go Joe I’m a fan forever.
Joe
Hi Evelyn.
Thank you for the kind comment. You just made my day!
Joe
Joan Fike
I loved it tasted just like McDonald’s
Joe
Thanks Joan!
Sandi
Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe — great job! I’ve looked online for it for years, as I love that dressing/salad, and yours is the first & only one that I could tell was close enough to make it. I lightened it up by using light mayo and fat-free Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream, and added quite a bit more liquid (water and a little extra lime juice) to thin it out since the yogurt is so thick. I also used honey in place of the corn syrup. It is very good! The only ingredient I haven’t been able to find in stock is ANY brand of southwest tortilla salad topping. Thanks again!
Joe
Hey Sandi,
Thank you for the nice comment. The variations you made are consistent with the seasonings of my recipe. And the dressing is thick so adding water and lime juice is perfect.
Joe
Sandi
This salad (due to your fabulous dressing recipe!) has become one of my go-to’s since finding it. I just made up my second batch of the lightened-up version. This time, I only used 1 t. cayenne so that my heat-averse hubby can enjoy it as well, as the last batch was too much for him to handle 😀 . Thank you so much, again for sharing!!!
Joe
Thank you Sandi. Comments like yours make my day.
Crabby
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I would also drive to McDonalds and get a salad just to get this southwest salad dressing! Because you couldn’t buy it! I was so excited to try your recipe, and you nailed it! I loved it. For my tastes, ext time, I will half the agave, and use chipotle instead of cayenne. Thank you so much for all the hard work to create this wonderful recipe!
Joe
Hi Crabby,
I’m really glad that you found my recipe. And I used to love those salads too. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Joe
Rhoda
This was exactly what I was looking for! Even though I had to tweak a little to make it vegan (darn allergies!), the flavors were still spot on. Thank you for a keeper Joe!
Joe
Hi Rhonda,
Thank you for the nice comment. I’m glad that you were able to make the recipe work for you,
Joe
Gail
Absolutely delicious. Fabulous flavor.
Joe
Hi Gail,
Thank you for the nice comment.
Joe
Amanda R.
Made it a couple times now, definitely a keeper. I make a salad with a hearty leaf like Romaine, black beans, roasted corn, shredded Parm, and whatever else sounds good. Sooo tasty. Bet this would punch up a sandwich, too, maybe leave out the thinning water. Imma try that next time.
Joe
Hi Amanda. Thanks for your comment and glad that you found my recipe.
Joe
John
Just made a batch to the southwest salads for lunches this week. I used semi dried cilantro and honey because that’s what I had on hand. Finished mixing it up, tasted it, and decided to make a double batch on the spot. Thanks for the recipe.
Joe
Hi John,
Happy that you found my website.
Glad that you like the southwest dressing recipe.
Thanks for the comment.
Joe
Brianne
I really wanted a southwest salad with our taco night but didn’t have any of our usual dressing left. This was so easy (had everything in the cupboard already) and delicious! We used light mayo and sour cream, and added corn, green onions, cilantro, and tex mex cheese to ours! Definitely keeping the dressing recipe on hand.
Joe
Hi Brianne,
I’m so glad that you found my website and recipe.
Thanks for the nice comment and glad you liked the recipe.
Joe
Ash
Hi! I’m very excited to try this out! Do you use fresh squeezed lime juice or bottled?
Joe
Hi Ash,
Thanks for asking. You can use either fresh or bottled and I really don’t think the flavor boost from fresh would be that noticeable. It would probably be just a bit brighter tasting though with fresh.
Joe
Dawn
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! I added a little extra karo, lime, acv and cumin (I like a lot of flavor). I’m making it again for lunch today!
Joe
Glad you like it Dawn.
Maya
Thank you for all your research. I made the dressing to go along with a homemade sw salad and they loved it. It was a win for dinner. Thank you
Joe
Thanks Maya.
Simone Grey
I’ve never tried the Southwest dressing but I didn’t have one from Panera that I enjoyed. Didn’t have the taco seasoning so I just used the basics, used some smoked paprika, minced garlic and whatever else I had on hand that I thought would work. The final result was good but I wanted it to have some heat so I added a couple splashes of habanero hot sauce, and it was amazing!
Mary Beth
Absolutely delicious! Adding this to my “regulars” as a go-to dressing for a quick and easy salad!
Vicki
I made this with yogurt instead of sour cream and substituted honey and it was amazing! Thanks so much for the great recipe! Kids loved it too.
Ashley van den Boogaard
Amazing! Exactly what I have been looking for. I like my taco salad dressing a little sweet and tangy and this was perfection!
Joe
Thank you Ashley.
Yuki
Hello, how long can this last in refrigerator after I make it? Thanks!
Joe
Yuki, it should be good for 2 or 3 weeks if it is kept in a tightly sealed container, but I’ll bet you would use it up before that time.
Grace
Turned out great! Also used as a dressing for pre-shredded, bagged coleslaw, and added beans, corn and cheese…. didn’t have lime juice, so subbed lemon juice, and that was fine too.
Joe
Thanks for the nice comment Grace.
May
I never have all the right ingredients, but still have to eat! I substituted plain greek yogurt for sour cream, jalapeño powder for cayenne, dried dill for cilantro. I’m not familiar with McCormick powder, so used my Spice House chili con carne spice. The dressing was great drizzled on steak & avocado salad, as well as nachos. Thank you for the recipe, and please forgive all the substitutions!
Joe
Hi May. In these trying times we have to improvise as best we can. Your combination sounds great. Thanks for coming to my site.
Jami
I only made the dressing but it was really good! Thanks!
Josie
Delicious dressing! I’ve never actually had Newman’s Own Southwest Dressing lol…but avocados are in season and a salad sounded really good, so here we are. I made a double batch just to make sure my husband and I had enough dressing for two big dinner salads. I used half the corn syrup and I think it’s sweet enough for me. Also only used half the cayenne pepper and it’s got a good kick but I wouldn’t want it spicier. Thanks for the recipe!
Mary
I am Canadian so there are no Southwest salads at Canadian McDonalds????????????????
I have made your dressing many times in many quantities and am asked to bring it to group events all the time. Thank you for doing all the experimenting! Not sure I would have that much patience!
Joe
Thanks Mary. I’m humbled by your comment.
Angie
I cannot thank you enough! For years I was so disappointed that I couldn’t actually buy this which is one of my all time favorite dressings. I just made it. PERFECT! Thank you so much kind sir!
Joe
Thanks Angie.
Alberta Corey
Delicious, and thanks for sharing. Easy to make and was spot on with the taste. This recipe is a keeper.
Joe
Thanks Alberta…glad you like it.
LaDonna
Wow you really did get that spice thing down. Brilliant recipe! Will use it often.
Joe
Thanks LaDonna!
Ed
Making it yourself you can tailor to your tastes. It is as good as Mr. Newman’s. I’m used agave, fresh cilantro and Kewpie mayonnaise. This recipe is a great discovery. Thanks for publishing it.
Joe
Thanks for finding my recipe Ed, and thanks for the nice comment. It’s very appreciated.
Denise
Thank you for all your hard work and sharing! This is delicious!
Joe
Thanks Denise!
Angie
I love the southwestern salad at McDonald’s. It’s the Only thing I eat from there. I hate that we can’t buy the dressing in the store.
Thanks for sharing. I do hate onions, so I’ll leave them out. ????
Joe
Hope you like the dressing Angie.
Lilia
I’ve never tasted Paul Newman’s but this was very good. I always regret adding sweetener to a recipe so I didn’t use it and it was fine. I subbed the sour cream for plain greek yogurt as that’s what I had on hand. I added a little bit of salt.
Dawn
Thank you! My 14 year old daughter loves this salad and knows I only make our salad dressings from scratch, so she searched and found this recipe. Big hit in our house. A keeper!
Joe
Thanks for the nice comment Dawn.
Christine Eastman
Just made your salad dressing. I didn’t have sour cream so i melted cream cheese in its stead. I used half fresh and half dried cilantro. It came out fantastic!! I love the Paul Newman’s now i can make it at home thanks to you!! It is delicious. Thanks again for your recipe.
Joe
Thanks for the comment Christine. Glad you like it.
Beth
I can’t wait to try this! I’m also wondering if you’ve attempted the other sauce that’s already in the salad before adding dressing. It’s kind of a clearish color. And the corn/bean mixture seems to have some kind of sauce with it too. All I know is that salad has SO MUCH FLAVOR. I’m going to start working on building this salad at home, for sure. Thank you!
Sandy H.
Thanks for making me a hero at dinner tonight! We loved this dressing. I topped the salad with cilantro lime marinated chicken. This is a real keeper! Thanks!
Joe
Thanks for the comment Sandy. Glad you liked it.
Jayme
Absolutely awesome recipe! Thanks!! I added a little bit of smoked paprika. Yum!!!!
Joe
Thanks Jayme. Glad you liked it.
Johnny
boiled eggs for your salad crumble the yolks for the dressing.
Joe
Hey Johnny…Egg whites would work in the salad and crushing the yolks into to dressing to thicken and intensify the flavor is a great idea. Thanks for the comment.
Wes
I multiplied the recipe by 10 then freeze it in double serving zip lock bags. The thawed dressing taste as good. Thaw overnight in the fresh food frig.
Joe
Great idea Wes. Thank you for the comment.
Carol
Thank you Joe. I too like this salad
Joe
Thanks Carol.
F. Neil O'Brien
Have you had a Spicy Southwest salad at Chick-Fil-A? If so, how does your recipe compare to their dressing?
Joe
Hi Neil, I’ve only been to a Chick-Fil-A once and haven’t had their southwest dressing. Sounds like you put me on a mission. Thanks for your comment.
liz
Delicious- I used one tsp agave syrup in place of corn syrup. Perfect balance of cool and hot. And I had all ingredients on hand! Thanks for the recipe, Joe.
Joe
Thanks Liz, super glad you liked the concoction..er..recipe.
Elizabeth
I lowered the fat in this by using fat free yogurt for sour cream, and reduced fat mayo. As long as you have a nice creamy base and add the chili powder and cumin, you can probably tweak the other flavorings.
I just ate my homemade salad for dinner and loved it. Thank you so much, Joe!
Joe
That’s a great way to get rid of a number of calories. Thanks Elizabeth for trying the recipe.
Linda
This is delicious! I skipped the corn syrup (and didn’t substitute it) as I live a low carb lifestyle. It is great to have a dressing that I can make without sugars that is wonderful!
Thanks so much for the great dressing!
Joe
Hi Linda. I’m glad you could make it work for you.
Linda
Thank you, Joe! I make this all the time now! Today, I thought I would try it with a bit of sweetness and I sprinkled a dash of Equal into the mix, to substitute for corn syrup. I love it both ways! It is a brilliant recipe. Thanks again!
Claudia Martin
I’m excited to try this Joe. I see it’s 122 calories per serving. Is a serving one tablespoon? Couldn’t find an indication of volume per serving in the nutrition facts. I count every calorie. Thank you so much.
Joe
Hi Claudia. One serving is half of the recipe or about 2 1/2 tablespoons of dressing. By using low fat ingredients it would be less. The mayo adds the most, so using a low fat mayo could reduce the calories significantly. I’ve never tried it with yogurt, but that may be something to try also. Hope you like the recipe.
Emily
Joe–this is great! Substituted ff miracle whip, light sour cream and honey, but was still SPOT ON. Dressed up our grilled blackened chicken salads quite nicely. Made for a great May dinner on the deck in MN. Should have known better and made a double or triple batch; will definitely do that next time. Thanks!
Joe
Thanks Emily…so glad you liked it. And Minnesota. I’ll be up there in about a month. Looking forward to lower temps and humidity.
Niki
Love this recipe spot on thank you so much, I’m from international falls mn and this salad is a big hit at our Mc Donalds and now I can save money and make my own. So thank you Joe!
Joe
Thanks Niki. I’m so glad you tried it and liked it. BTW, how’s the fishing this year? Wish I could get up there for a few days this summer.
Tori
Thank you so much for taking the time to create a copycat recipe! I get salads at a LOT of places and LOVE the Newman’s Southwest dressing. I was so disappointed when I looked for it online and couldn’t buy it. I’m so glad I found your site. I’m definitely going to make your version!
Joe
Thanks for the comment Tori…I hope you like it.
Elizabeth Farley
Love McDonalds Southwest Salad!! I too have looked for that signature dressing with no luck!
Your recipe is great!!
Thanks so much!!
Joe
Thanks Elizabeth for your nice comment. Much appreciated. Glad you like it.
Dena
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Bought the ingredients this weekend and made it yesterday. I increased the measurement 6 x because my daughter and granddaughter loves the Southwestern salad as well. It came out perfect now I have nice size jar to last for a few day. But what’s even better I can make this anytime I have all the ingredients. Thanks so much.
Joe
Thanks Dena. I’m so glad everyone likes it.
Natalie
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this! It is absolutely delicious! I have been substituting honey for the corn syrup and didn’t bother with the cilantro powder (forgot to purchase initially). But I have been eating this about 4-5 times a week for lunch for the past three weeks. Thank you!
Joe
I’m really glad you like it Natalie.
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me
I LOVE that salad! This dressing looks spot on! Pinned and am totally gonna give it a try!
Joe
Thanks Heather. It is a tasty dressing.
Beth
I have been trying to find a way to get the original since I tried it. Thanks for the recipe.
L. Jackson
Awesome, just as good as the dressing from McDonald’s!! Thank you!
Alesha from Alaska
Ohh my gosh I loved the southwest salad when I first tried it , it’s like a burrito in a salad and I love the little spice to it! I tried searching everywhere for the dressing to make a cheaper Salad at home cause I was wanting it everyday! And then I also got food poisoning from a salad at mcdonalds my doctor said someone who made it didn’t wash there hands!! Gross! I’m sooo happy I came across your website! This is so perfect! Taste amazing just as the southwest from McDonald’s!! Thank you so much for sharing! I’ll Be enjoying this salad forever it never gets old to me!
Joe
Thanks Alesha…glad you like it.
Alesha
Thanks for sharing joe!
Dorothy J Patton
You are 100% right about this McDonald’s southwest salad. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I made the salad at home also but I couldn’t get that dressing! I googled it in and clicked on an ebay link. They were selling 10 pouches (just like the ones you get from McDonald’s) for 25.00. I kept searching and found your site. I am definitely going to try to make it. I already have all of the salad ingredients at home. Just needed that dressing! You are a life saver. Thanks so much!!!!!!!! I will return to rate your recipe. 🙂
Joe
Hi Dorothy. Thanks for the comment. I think you’ll like the dressing recipe.
Erin
How much will you charge me to make some and ship to florida?? 🙂 Been looking for this dressing everywhere.
Joe
Ha Ha Erin…Are you near Dunedin? That’s where I live. You can make this!
Kiki
Delicious. Must try!!
Joe
Thanks Kiki. It’s a really good dressing.
Carrie
I second Kelsey – everything is available in my pantry and easy to whip up.
This dressing is delightful! I’ve also been adding tomato paste to mine. I noticed the paste flavor in my first serving, but not any subsequent servings. 2 Tbsp of tomato paste is a whole vegetable serving and now I don’t have to eat raw tomatoes. Score for me!
Thanks!
Joe
I’ll bet tomato paste adds a great flavor to the dressing. I’ve never thought of that. Thanks Carrie. I’m going to try that right now!
Kelsey
This salad dressing is amazing! What I love about it is that I always have the ingredients for it and I can throw it together when i’m not necessarily feeling any of my other dressings. I used it this week in my mason jar salads and turned them into southwest cobb salads! Thank you for the recipe!
Joe
Yum. That sounds fantastic Kelsey!
Lisa @ The Merry Momma
Mmmm, sounds delicious! I wasn’t sure about this because of the Karo syrup, but I’ve gotten some good ideas for substitutes from the comments, so now I’m ready to try it! Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Joe
Hey Lisa…I know what you mean about the corn syrup. I never use it but when I was recreating this dressing, it seemed right at the time. Like you say, there are some good ideas for substitutes in the comments. Thanks for visiting!
Karen
Yayyyy…a great southwest salad dressing that I need to try!!! Love the southwest salad from McDonalds!!! Bookmarking this right this minute. Thank you.
Joe
Thanks for the comment Karen…hope you like it!
philip
They use to sell this in bottles. I still have one since I love the dressing. I will certainly try your recipe.
Cindy
I loved this dressing. I used leftover fajitas ingredients and added it all to a salad, was a delicious fajita salad..Will be making it again. Thanks.
Joe
Thanks for the nice comment Cindy…glad you like the recipe.
V
I tried this after trying two other recipes with no success. This recipe was perfect for a blackened shrimp salad recipe I also copycatted from a restaurant I went to. The dressing went great with my salad. Thank you for the recipe.
Joe
Thanks for the comment…I agree it is pretty dang good!
mykal
Just made this one. Great recipe!! thank you!
Joe
Thanks for the nice comment Mykal.
Kevin Large
Made your dressing for my salad today with the exception of honey for corn syrup and it tastes just like the Newman dressing, Now I’m sitin on the beach enjoying my salad an a ( plastic) glass of wine. Life is good, thanks Joe! ?⛱?
Joe
Sounds fantastic Kevin…even the wine out of a plastic glass! Beach time is the best. Glad you liked the Newman’s copycat recipe.
James Poulnott
Love this recipe. I used agave nectar in place of the corn syrup. And I use it as a Cole slaw dressing as well. Delicious!!!!!!!
Joe
Thanks James,
Agave is a perfect substitute for corn syrup. Glad you like my recipe!
Brittany
So excited to try this recipe! Is Karo the same as maple syrup? Thanks for posting 🙂
Joe
Hi Brittany,
You could substitute maple syrup for the Karo syrup,(corn syrup), but it may impart a slightly different flavor. It will probably be unnoticeable since it’s only 2 teaspoons.
Hope you like the dressing!
Theresa
Actually, I had one of these salads today from Mcdonalds and it was delish. However it has spring mix greens including spinach… no iceberg that I seen at all. I prefer spring mix anyways because it’s better for you.
Angie
Joe,
I think you miss spoke when you said the dressing is dang good. I found the dressing to be exceptional and I used it all on one salad.YUMMY 🙂
Joe
Thanks Angie. I think a double batch is in order!
Ray
Hi Joe! I made this recipe and it’s absolutely delicious and reminds me of the Mcdonald’s Southwest! Being a pregnant woman and living away from all my favorite fast food has been tough lol. Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m making it for my family for the second night in a row:)
Joe
Thanks for the nice comment Ray. Enjoy!
Trish
Just made this and it is awesome! It’s the closest to the real thing I’ve tasted!
Thank You for sharing your recipe!
Joe
Thank you for the nice comment Trish…very glad that you liked it!
Rané and Jesse
Dear Joe and MaryJo,
I made your copycat recipe for the Southwest dressing. All I can say is wow, this is GREAT! While on the road, if my husband and I have to eat fast food in an emergency we usually stop at McDonalds, Wendy’s or Burger King for salads. We absolutely love your recipe. I will be making a quadruple batch today as I’m an everyday salad eater! Thank you so much for posting this!
Joe
Thanks for your nice comment. Glad you like it!
Tarne Short
Joe,
Just made your recipe tonight!! Tastes delicious and we love it!! Thank you for sharing!! McDonald’s Southwest salads is my favorite when we’re road tripping as well. Finally a great copycat recipe????.
Joe
Thanks Tarne! Very happy that you liked it.
Tiffany
Do you think if I use the reduced fat Mayo and sour cream this recipe will still work the same? Thanks! I’ve been dying for a Southwest dressing!!
Joe
Hi Tiffany,
I think that would be fine. Most of the flavor is in the spices anyway. The recipe makes a nice, tangy southwest flavor.
Tiffany
Thank you!! I’m going to try it out! I can’t wait!!
Anonymous
Is cider vinegar the same as Apple cider vinegar? Lol
Joe
Yes…it’s the same thing.
Steph
I will try yours and I like that your recipe is less carbs than Newmans.
Kyle G
I love your recipe! We used the olive oil mayo and added a little more lime juice. Yum
Joe
Thanks Kyle. Glad you like it. Hmmm. I’ll have to try the olive oil style mayo and a little more lime. Thanks, Joe
Lee
Your version seems 2 have a lot more fat grams than I remember on the pkg of dressing from McDonald’s. What brand of mayo did u use n your version? Also, your nutritional information didn’t include your serving size. Thx 4 recipe…can’t wait 2 try it! Those salads r my goto fav 2!
Joe
Hey Lee…Thanks for your comment. I use Hellmann’s mayo and yes, when I ran this through my nutrition calculator it came up about 4 grams more fat than the original. Calories are the same, mine has less sodium. I just made a double recipe and got 9 tablespoons or 4 1/2 fluid ounces, generally enough for 4 salads. Hope you like it! Joe
Donna Jitchotvisut
Joe and Mary Jo,
There was a woman back in the ’80s that did the same thing – figuring out how to make copy-cat recipes of popular fast food restaurant dishes and some popular prepared foods that are sold in big grocery stores. Check out Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Fast Food Recipes Secrets. The copy I have was published in September of 1988. These recipes really come close – especially the one for the White Castle Sliders and the one for the Sara Lee Butter Streusel coffee cake. Of course, she couldn’t use the actual names of the dishes she was offering the copy-cat recipes for because of possible legal problems but it doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to identify them. I don’t know if this book is still available – you might have to go to eBay if it is out of print. (I copied your recipe for Southwest Dressing and will be making it.) Thanks for sharing!
Joe
Thanks for the insight Donna. Creating copycat recipes is hard since the originals are so good! Newman’s Own Southwest is a favorite of mine. This copy recipe is close. Glad you are going to give it a try.
MaryJo
Yummy!