Homemade Catalina Dressing
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 9, 2025 Catalina Dressing Recipe – This creamy salad dressing is a vibrant blend of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors that adds a burst of life to any salad or dish. It’s perfect drizzled over taco salads, avocados, or used as a dipping sauce for veggies!
Why We Love This Catalina Salad Dressing Recipe
Today I’m sharing an awesome crunchy salad I call the Ultimate Dorito Taco Salad Recipe tossed with Catalina dressing. But this post will focus on the salad dressing itself…
There is a bottled version of this dressing, and then there’s bold and zesty homemade dressing. I’m sure you can guess which one I suggest using.
Like my Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing, this simple salad dressing recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make and is so much better than store-bought dressing. Plus you can adjust the salt, spice, and sweetness to taste to make it exactly how you like it.
Ingredients You Need
This recipe only takes 7 ingredients to make! And I bet you have most of them in your pantry right now. If not, get your shopping list ready. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Red Wine Vinegar – This offers a deep tangy taste to the recipe, that offers a better fuller flavor than using regular white wine vinegar.
- Ketchup – The perfect blend of tomatoes and sugar to make the base.
- Honey – Or use agave.
- Worcestershire Sauce – A salty savory condiment to add depth and intrigue.
- Smoked Paprika – Try turning up the heat by using hot smoked paprika.
- Onion Powder – Get a more concentrated onion flavor by using onion powder.
- Grapeseed Oil – Or any flavorless oil.
How To Make Homemade Catalina Dressing
- Pour the vinegar, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and onion powder in a blender. Cover and puree.
- With the blender running, open the vent in the lid and slowly drizzle the oil into the blender to emulsify. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate the salad dressing in an air-tight container for up to a month.
See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make Homemade Salad Dressing + VIDEO. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This homemade recipe is not only fantastic on taco salad, but it’s also great…
- Drizzled over avocado slices
- As a veggie dip
- Brushed over baked chicken
- And as a spicy soup stir-in
So try giving these recipes a go. You’ll be so glad you did!
Frequently Asked Questions
Since there are a lot of vinegar-based products in this homemade salad dressing recipe, it can last for quite a while in your fridge. One month to be exact! Make sure to place it in an airtight container before chilling.
If you don’t have (or can’t find) grapeseed oil just replace it with any other flavorless oil. Avocado oil is a great substitute.
Although these two salad dressings are very similar, the general consensus is that French Salad Dressing tends to have little (or even no) tomato products, whilst true Catalina always contains either ketchup or tomato paste. Therefore, Catalina usually has a stronger tangy-sweet flavor. The orange color in the French dressing often comes from ample use of paprika.
Looking for More Salad Dressing Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- The Best Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Grilled Romaine Salad + Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
- How To Make The Best Tzatziki Sauce
- Creamy Garlic Lime Vinaigrette
- Texas Pete Vinaigrette
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- The Perfect Greek Salad
- Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing
- The Ultimate Wedge Salad
- Creamy Tahini Dressing
- Fruity Ambrosia Salad
Homemade Catalina Dressing Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup honey, or agave
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Instructions
- Pour the vinegar, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and onion powder in a blender. Cover and puree.
- With the blender running, open the vent in the lid and slowly drizzle the oil into the blender to emulsify. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to a month.
Oh my gosh! This is delicious, easy to make and much cheaper than buying bottled salad dressing. I didn’t have red wine vinegar so I used white wine and rice vinegar. Also didn’t have grape seed oil so I used EVOO. Allergic to honey so I used 3T brown sugar. Turned out great! I have made a few vinaigrettes, but never a full on salad dressing before. I may never buy salad dressing again….
I love this dressing recipe so much! it pairs so well with my taco salad that I make!
Very good recipe! I’m very sensitive to the smoke flavor in paprika, so I did half regular and half smoked. So much tastier than the bottled stuff.
Great flavor. Loved this recipe.
Very delicious. Subbed apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar because I didn’t have any of the latter. I thought it was perfect. Very easy & well-written directions.
Very smooth I added a tiny more honey but great taste
flavorful and very satisfactory, especially when you consider I cannot get the original in this part of the world (Viet Nam).
Would’ve been perfect with regular paprika but the smoked paprika made it taste essentially like barbeque sauce, not even close to true Catalina dressing.
Great flavor. Love that this recipe used honey instead of sugar. I made this dressing for taco salads and the combination of flavors was fantastic.
If I can’t find grapeseed oil, what would be a good substitute?
Hi Loretta,
Any time of flavorless oil will work. :)
Very nice, I especially loved the tang and smokiness. Will make again. I added a little extra honey to bring out the sweetness.
I don’t think I’d even ever had Catalina dressing, and definitely not if there were other options, but I was making taco salad and came across this recipe. It was so good! Definitely a keeper!
I’m sure this would be fantastic drizzled over tacos!!