Southwest Dressing Recipe

Post updated April, 11, 2019

This is my take on Newman’s Own Southwest Dressing Recipe. Just like McDonald’s southwest salad dressing you can make at home.

On our way back to Minnesota from Florida, MaryJo and I make some quick stops for lunch.  My favorite quick stop is McDonald’s to get a Southwest salad with grilled chicken.  McDonald’s is at every other interchange and you know what you are getting when you buy there.

I don’t know if you are familiar with this, but it is a big salad with greens, cilantro, corn, black beans, grated cheddar cheese, topped with spicy tortilla chips with a packet of Newman’s Own Southwest Restaurant Dressing.  It is a really delicious, low-calorie lunch which really hits the spot.  

Thing is, Newman’s Own Southwest Dressing is not sold in stores.  Bummer!  The Southwest Dressing Recipe is a total secret and you can’t buy it.

Developing the Southwest Salad Dressing Recipe

While we were at one of the McDonald stops I told MaryJo that I should try to duplicate the recipe for the Southwest Dressing, so I took a picture of the ingredient label.  Logical first step.

There were things like corn syrup solids, corn vinegar, cornstarch, whey, and sour cream powder.  Curious ingredients.  I’m sure that if you are Paul Newman you could call up friends and have this stuff delivered to your front step!  No problem.

Well, I am Joe and not Paul and have no idea what this stuff is.  So I experiment.

One of the ingredients is egg yolks mixed with soybean oil and cider vinegar.  The egg yolks make the oil and vinegar mix together to make an emulsion that will not separate, (the old oil and water thing).  Well, I throw this together and added the spices I thought were in the dressing and made a pretty good likeness to the original, (not really).  Then I make another blend.  Not quite right.

By then I’m thinking that if I come up with a copycat recipe, it would contain uncooked eggs.  That could mean…Salmonella city!

I went back to the store and bought pasteurized eggs.  Turns out they are hard to separate, yolks and whites, but I got the job done.  I then tried another spice blend and I was not close again.

Use Mayonnaise!

MaryJo sensed my frustration and suggested that I use already processed oil, water, and eggs which makes…Mayonnaise.  I thought. okay, I give up. Bring on the Hellman’s.

So, with a new sense of purpose and determination, I tried at least 5 more spice blends which required MaryJo to go to the store once and for me to go to the store once more, for spices that we would try and to get more sour cream since I used all that we had.

Finally, I found a blend of spices that worked and my Southwestern Dressing Recipe is pretty close to Paul’s.  He must have spent a lot of time perfecting these recipes!  His is exceptional but mine is dang good.

You can’t buy his dressing except at McDonald’s, or you can make your own which is nearly as good.  My recipe makes enough for two salads, but if you enjoy this southwest dressing recipe, feel free to double or triple the ingredients.  It should store in the refrigerator for two or three weeks.

(This recipe post has been updated on December 9, 2021, and McDonald’s has discontinued making the Southwest salad. They also stopped selling salads in 2020 presumably because they were not that popular. According to McDonald’s.com, they have Chicken Caesar Salad, Garden Salad, and Garden Salad with Crispy Chicken. According to my local restaurant, they don’t offer salads anymore).

Try it.  You won’t be disappointed.

Hey. Did you make this recipe? Let me know how you liked it in the comments below. Take a photo of your creation and post it on your Instagram…tag @joeshealthymeals  so I can take a look.

And here are a few more tasty recipes to try:

• Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad
• Caramelized Onion Crostini with Mushrooms
• Jalapeno Potatoes au Gratin
• Make-ahead Mashed Potatoes
• Smoked Salmon Appetizer with Arugula

Southwest Dressing Recipe

Tangy Southwest dressing just like Newman's Own from McDonald's. Not available in stores...make your own!

4.69 from 66 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad dressing

Cuisine: American

Keyword: McDonald's southwest dressing, Newman's Own southwest dressing, southwest dressing recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2 - 1 1/4 fl. oz. servings

Calories: 122kcal

Author: Joe Boyle

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tsp light Karo syrup (agave or honey as substitutes)
• 1 tsp water (or more to thin)
• 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried cilantro
• 1 tsp McCormick hot mexican style chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin

Salad

• iceburg lettuce
• cilantro
• red onion
• corn
• black beans
• grape tomatoes
• thin sliced carrot
• grated cheddar cheese
• Mrs. Cubbison's southwest flavor tortilla strips ,

Instructions

• Whisk ingredients in a medium sized bowl
• Refrigerate to store

Notes

1. 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.
2. This recipe makes 4 1/2 tbsp or approximately 2,  1 1/4 fl. oz. servings.
3. To adjust the recipe to make a larger batch, click on the "2" in the servings in the header above and use the slider to increase the serving size.

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcal

If you liked the Southwest dressing recipe, maybe you would like my Strawberry Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing