Catalina Dressing

At a glance

What stands out: The reliable blend of tangy and sweet, this from-scratch Catalina dressing is great on tossed green salads, taco salads, and more! It’s straightforward to mix your own.

How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: immersion blender (handheld) or small blender
Servings: makes 1 cup

We recently compiled an entire list of from-scratch salad dressing recipes, and we already have one to add to that list! And this is a good one. It’s a take on the popular Catalina dressing, which is a variety of French dressing.

DIY Catalina Dressing

A versatile salad dressing. Catalina dressing is sweet but tangy, zesty, and so popular. You’ll find that it’s reliable for almost any type of green salad. It’s commonly used as the dressing for taco salads, and also works well for this southwestern BBQ chicken salad. You could easily substitute Catalina dressing for the vinaigrette in this house salad, if you prefer.

Better than store-bought. We tested our from-scratch version side-by-side with a popular brand of Catalina dressing. After a few tweaks, we think that our dressing tastes better than commercial brands. We love that it doesn’t have any artificial ingredients. Our from-scratch dressing is a little lighter in color but we were shocked to discover red and blue dye on the list of ingredients in our store-bought bottle, along with a few other questionable additives.

Straightforward to mix. From-scratch dressings are straightforward to mix. Instead of shaking the ingredients up in a jar like we usually do with a vinaigrette, we create an emulsion by using our hand blender (aka immersion blender). You could also use a traditional blender, which would work especially well if you wanted to make a double batch.

Bill Said:

“This was absolutely the standby dressing we have ever tasted! Our family told us they never want to see bottled salad dressing ever again as they ALL LOVED IT! Can’t wait to try your other dressings!”

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What goes in

• Ketchup: The base of Catalina dressing is ketchup which gives it the signature bright reddish-orange color. We usually look for a brand without high fructose corn syrup.
• Red wine vinegar: This flavorful vinegar gives the dressing a nice tangy flavor. It isn’t as acidic-tasting as regular white vinegar can be. Our second choice would probably be apple cider vinegar.
• Sugar: Purchased Catalina dressing is fairly sweet, in fact, the first ingredient listed is sugar. To imitate the flavor of store-bought, we add a quarter-cup of sugar. It gives the dressing a sweet and tangy profile. The amount of sugar added can certainly be adjusted according to taste.
• Seasoning: Ground paprika adds a subtle flavor and enhances the color of the dressing. For savory flavor, we add onion powder and garlic powder. Don’t substitute onion or garlic salt because they will make your dressing much too salty.
• Olive oil: You can use any oil that isn’t strongly flavored. We use a light olive oil, but grapeseed, canola, avocado, or vegetable oil would be fine too.

How it comes together

Add ingredients to blender container. Measure out the ketchup, vinegar, sugar, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder, and add them to the container that comes with your immersion blender. Blend until smooth.

Slowly add oil. Slowly add the oil while you’re blending. This is easier to do if you are using a regular blender. We've found that with our immersion blender, it’s okay to add the oil all at once, and blend well. The dressing should be emulsified, that is, the oil should be completely blended into the other ingredients. The dressing should look somewhat creamy and thickened, without any separation of oil and the other ingredients (refer to the photos below).

Refrigerate. Transfer the dressing into a smaller container with a lid. It can be served immediately, or chilled until you’re ready to use it.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: From-scratch Catalina dressing should be refrigerated promptly in an airtight container or small jar with a lid. It will keep for up to two weeks. Shake well before serving.

• Yield: 8
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Total: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup ketchup
• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (see note)
• ¾ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ cup olive oil (avocado, grapeseed, or canola oil would work well, too)

Method

1. Combine ketchup, vinegar, sugar, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small blender, or a container that works with a handheld blender (stick or immersion blender).
2. Blend until combined.
3. With the blender on, drizzle in the olive oil until the oil is completely blended into the dressing. If you're using a handheld blender, add the oil all at once and blend until smooth and emulsified.
4. Use immediately or refrigerate in a covered container.

Notes

Sweetener: You could substitute the same amount of honey for the granulated sugar, if you prefer. We tested it both ways and the dressing made with honey tasted slightly less sweet and less like store-bought dressing. The amount of sugar or honey can be adjusted to your personal preference.

Storage: Recipe makes about 1 cup. Refrigerate Catalina dressing in an airtight container or small jar. It will keep for up to 2 weeks. Shake well before serving.