Creamy, smoky and with some subtle heat, this homemade Southwest Dressing is so flavorful and will elevate your salad to the next level. Chipotles in adobo and fresh lime juice blended with spices and honey in a creamy luscious dressing. Makes 1-1/3 cups in seconds.

Homemade Southwest Dressing Recipe on a salad

Please tell me you’ve had McDonald’s southwest chicken salad? Normally I wouldn’t order a salad from a fast-food place (Panera Bread being the exception) because I swear the lettuce tastes weird and all you get is those hard, white lettuce core pieces. But I was plesantly surprised when I ordered this one night when we were headed to Haileigh’s softball game and had to eat on the go.

The salad itself was delicious, but the Newman’s Own Southwest dressing is gold!

Homemade Southwest Dressing Recipe

I’ve scoured my local grocery stores and even searched online and cannot find a retailer. McDonald’s seems to be the only place that has this dressing. How can this be? But you know me, and I never back down from a challenge, so I tried my best to recreate it.

dressing ingredients in blender

To Make This Homemade Southwest Dressing You Will Need:

  • mayonnaise
  • sour cream
  • honey
  • lime
  • chipotles [in adobo]
  • adobo sauce
  • apple cider vinegar
  • adobo seasoning
  • ground cumin
  • dried cilantro
  • paprika
  • teaspoon annatto (for color, but optional)
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper
  • cayenne pepper

ingredients in blender 2

 

Add everything in to a blender. That’s 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon honey, juice of 1 lime, 1 to 2 chipotles [in adobo] plus 1 to 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons each of adobo seasoning, ground cumin and dried cilantro, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon annatto (for color, but optional), salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon) and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

blended dressing

dressing in blender

Flip the switch and puree until smooth and creamy. If you need to, thinning with a little bit of water at a time until you reach a desired consistency.

Homemade Southwest Dressing Recipe

Pour the dressing into a jar or glass bottle with a tight fitting lid and before using, refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours but overnight is best!

For more recipes, check out my post of 50+ homemade salad dressings and vinaigrette options!

Homemade Southwest Dressing Recipe

Enjoy! And if you give this Southwest Dressing recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

Homemade Southwest Dressing Recipe

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Yield: 10 servings

Southwest Dressing

Creamy, smoky and with some heat, this homemade Southwest Dressing is so flavorful and will elevate your salad to the next level. Chipotles in adobo and fresh lime juice blended with spices and honey in a creamy luscious dressing. Makes 1-1/3 cups in seconds.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon honey, up to 2 tablespoons
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 chipotles [in adobo], or more to taste, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons adobo seasoning, (see notes)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon annatto, for color (optional)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more or less to taste
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste

Instructions 

  • Add all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a glass jar or bottle and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours but overnight is best!
  • Should keep for a week or so in the fridge.

Notes

**I have a homemade adobo seasoning recipe that I use that is from my cookbook (available on Amazon) but you can use store bought if you wish. Just check to see if there's salt in the recipe and adjust this recipe to fit.
Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 101kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 212mg, Potassium: 37mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 164IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg

Homemade Southwest Dressing Recipe