Sweet BBQ Salad Dressing

At a glance

What stands out: Sweet and tangy, BBQ salad dressing is straightforward to mix! Use your favorite barbecue sauce to make your own zesty dressing.

How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: small bowl
Servings: 4

Don’t you love barbecue sauce? Sweet, tangy, tomatoey, with or without a little heat, it’s kind of irresistible. Like ketchup, only way better. We often make our own BBQ sauce but there’s always a bottle of our favorite brand in the fridge, too.

And it seems like people are fiercely loyal to their own favorite brand. If you want a good conversation starter, just throw the question out there, “What’s your favorite barbecue sauce?” we're sure you’ll have a lively discussion.

Our mom and we recently were making a summer lettuce salad for a family party and we wanted to try a dressing made with barbecue sauce. This recipe is what we came up with and we think you’re going to love it! We sure did, and there weren’t any leftovers, either.

sweet barbecue dressing

So straightforward to mix. Like most from-scratch salad dressings, this sweet barbecue dressing is a cinch to make. You can easily mix it up in five minutes. We like to use a jar with a tight fitting lid but a small bowl and a whisk work just fine, too.

Starring your favorite BBQ sauce. The secret to this memorable salad dressing is simply a few tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce, whatever you like best. The BBQ sauce is combined with freshly squeezed lime juice, Greek yogurt, a tablespoon of olive oil, brown sugar, and a little salt and pepper.

Reliable for summer salads. We like this dressing on a lettuce salad with fresh corn kernels, shredded kohlrabi or jicama, thinly sliced red onions, and juicy tomatoes. From-scratch croutons are a must! Add grilled BBQ chicken to your plate for the reliable summer dinner. Be sure to try this southwestern BBQ chicken salad (it’s our latest favorite!).

Ways to change it

• Skip the yogurt. You can replace the yogurt with mayonnaise, if you like.
• Make a vinaigrette. Another option is to make a dressing that isn’t creamy but is more of a vinaigrette. Skip the yogurt and increase the amount of olive oil to 2 tablespoons.
• Ramp up the heat. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. If you want to lean into the smoky flavor, add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.
• Try BBQ ranch dressing. This is a somewhat different but straightforward alternative. Mix your favorite barbecue sauce with bottled ranch dressing, or use our from-scratch ranch dressing recipe, replacing the yogurt with BBQ sauce.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftover dressing in a tightly covered container or jar for up to a week in the refrigerator. Shake well before serving.

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (or mayonnaise)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed is best)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

1. In a small bowl, or jar, combine dressing ingredients. Mix well. We use a small whisk to blend the yogurt into the dressing until it's smooth.
2. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.

Notes

Flavor adjustments: If you enjoy a spicy BBQ dressing, add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, to taste. For a more smoky flavor, add a ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika. If your BBQ sauce leans toward the sweet side, skip the added brown sugar.

Make it a vinaigrette: Skip the yogurt or mayonnaise, and add an extra tablespoon of olive oil instead.

Storage: Refrigerate the dressing in a covered container for up to a week.

Increase the yield: This recipe makes enough for 4 side salads, a little more than 2 tablespoons per serving. If you’d like to use the dressing for main course salads, double the recipe (hit the 2X button and the recipe will automatically adjust).