Creamy Southwest Dressing

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A rich, creamy Southwest dressing flavored with spices like chili and cumin powders, along with paprika and cayenne. It’s perfect for meats and pastas!

Today’s recipe is easy-peasy. Kim and I make a lot of our dressings and sauces at home. Typically, we use a mayonnaise base unless we’re making a vinaigrette, like our raspberry vinaigrette.

This Southwest dressing uses mayo and is seasoned with tons of Southwest spices. Think of dressing that’s flavored with a taco seasoning blend.

That pretty much sums up this offering. A creamy, smooth sauce flavored with chili powders and paprika.

While it might be a simple recipe, it has quite a few applications. Take a look at my tips section for a few ideas.

Close-up photo of the southwest dressing in a jar.

How to Make Southwest Dressing:

  1. First, gather all your ingredients. Measure out the spices and prep your lime juice.
  2. After that, toss everything together in a mixing bowl and grab a fork or a whisk.
  3. Last, use a little wrist action to blend all of the ingredients into a sauce. Meaning, stir it all together, (for those not familiar with kitchen lingo).
All of the ingredients have been added to a large glass bowl.

Creamy Southwest Dressing Tips:

  • What is Southwest sauce made of? That depends upon who’s making it. For example, many of the commercial or store bought varieties use water and oil as the base and then add similar spice combinations. On the other hand, I tend to use mayonnaise as the base ingredient, then add my lime juice and seasonings. Whether you prefer homemade with mayo or store bought, with oil, is up to you.
  • I see a lot of questions of Google concerning the calories in Southwest dressing. Once again, that varies based on the ingredients. Our dressing is around 65 calories for two tablespoons.
  • You can use this dressing as a dipping or finishing sauce or, for pasta salads, and sandwiches. Additionally, you could swap out the mayonnaise for olive oil and make it into a meat marinade for beef, chicken, or fish.
One final close-up photo of the southwest dressing in a jar.

Other salad dressing recipes you may love:

Close up view of southwest dressing in a glass jar.

Creamy Southwest Dressing

4.6 from 108 votes
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Author: Kimberly
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk to combine.
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
    2 teaspoons chili powder
    1 teaspoon garlic powder
    1 teaspoon onion powder
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/2 teaspoon dill
    1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Use immediately, or place the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Suggested Equipment

Notes

The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients and a serving size of two tablespoons. Actual calories will vary.
The Southwest dressing can be stored in your fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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4.55 from 108 votes (106 ratings without comment)

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11 Comments

  1. Hello, What is in your ingredient Chipotle Chili Powder, please? I am finding some online, but they differ in the ingredient list. Some are simply Chipotle Chili pepper; however, one from Target lists Sweet Chili Pepper, Chipotle Chili Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Oregano, Cumin, etc. . .

    Thanks for the info, and I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply

    1. Hi Teresa!

      Thank you for asking! When we first published this recipe in 2019, we were living in an area where Wal-Mart was the major retailer. I just double checked to verify, and they sell Great Value brand Chipotle Chili Pepper powder. It contains chipotle pepper and a preservative for anti-caking. I’m 100% confident that’s what we were using at the time. Now we use Badia and Spice Islands brands which also contain chipotle pepper and an anti-caking agent. They each have a slightly different flavor profile and heat level. Hope that helps! Have a fantastic afternoon! 🙂

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I added sour cream, honey and cilantro. Amazing dressing. I’m so glad i found it. Thank you!! It’s a keeper.

    Reply

    1. Thank you Kirstie! The extra ingredients sound like a great idea. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂

      Reply

  4. I have searched for a good Southwest Dressing for years and finally found it! My family approves of your recipes!! If I could give 10 ⭐️, I would. It is the absolute best.

    Reply