Homemade Catalina Dressing
Updated Jun 23, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This is a delicious copycat version of Catalina salad dressing that is so much better than store-bought! It’s quick and easy to prepare using ingredients you already have on hand. Use this easy Catalina dressing recipe on salads, chicken, and more.
Copycat Catalina Salad Dressing
Fun fact: My 5-year-old daughter used to call me Catalina… my name is Katerina. 😆 It’s the first thing that comes to mind whenever I make this copycat Catalina dressing recipe. The second thing, of course, is how utterly easy and delicious this sweet-tangy homemade dressing is! Full of flavor, light, and simple to make, Catalina salad dressing takes minutes and tastes just as good, if not better, than store-bought.
Aside from drizzling this dressing over salads and steamed broccoli, or using it as a dip for fresh veggies, I’m finding so many more delicious ways to use Catalina dressing. We can’t get enough of Catalina chicken lately, and this works PERFECTLY as an alternative to bottled dressing in that recipe.
I love knowing exactly what goes into my homemade salad dressings. In fact, I’ve mostly stopped buying dressing from the store, and continue to make my favorites in my own kitchen, from homemade ranch to Italian dressing. I hope you love this homemade Catalina dressing as much as I do!
What You’ll Need to Make Catalina Dressing
You’ll find the full dressing recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Vegetable Oil – Canola oil is also okay to use, as is olive oil.
- Red Wine Vinegar – For a true copycat, stick with red wine vinegar, but you can also try this recipe with white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or distilled white vinegar.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Adds depth and umami richness that complements the sweetness of the dressing.
- Ketchup – A classic ingredient in Catalina dressing. It adds sweet-tangy flavor and contributes to the dressing’s signature, vibrant red color.
- Sugar – Any kind will work. Feel free to use honey instead, if you’d like.
- Seasonings – Sweet or smoked paprika, onion powder, plus salt and pepper.
How to Use Catalina Dressing
- As a salad dressing: The sweet flavors in Catalina dressing pair nicely with this farro salad with arugula and apples, or try it on a spicy Tex-Mex chicken salad or Southwestern salad.
- Chicken: This dressing doubles as a delicious marinade and cooking sauce for pan-seared chicken or grilled chicken thighs.
- Dip: Serve homemade Catalina dressing with fresh crudités like carrot and celery sticks, bell peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower florets for an easy appetizer.
- As a drizzle: Serve this as a dip or drizzle with air fryer broccoli, air fryer zucchini fritters, or broccoli fritters. It’s also great drizzled over a BBQ chicken pizza!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Catalina Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder, (you can also use dried minced onions)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix the wet ingredients. Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce in a jar with a lid; close the jar with the cap and shake it until everything is well combined.
- Add seasonings. Add the paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the jar; close it again and shake it until everything is thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust accordingly.
- Chill. Refrigerate until needed. Keeps well for 7 to 10 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Homemade Catalina Dressing
Making Catalina dressing is a lot quicker than making a trip to the store to buy it. That’s for sure. Did I mention that it’s also super delicious? Here’s how easy it is:
- Mix the wet ingredients. Combine vegetable oil, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup in a jar with a lid or a bottle with a cap; seal the jar with the lid and shake until well combined.
- Add seasonings. Add paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper; close it again and shake it until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Chill or use right away. You can use your Catalina salad dressing right away, or refrigerate it in an airtight container until you need it. It stays fresh for 7 to 10 days in the fridge.
How much salt and pepper would you recommend to start with?
Hi!
Always start with a small amount, then taste, and add more if needed. So, try 1/8 teaspoon to start with, then adjust to your taste.
I found this recipe intriguing, despite the abundance of meaningless advertising between each paragraph. One such ad promised that I could download a game, in the format of a puzzle app, and then play, meet people from around the world, engage in meaningful conversations, and ultimately have…
I have to make a buck somehow, Todd. Takes a lot of time, resources, and money to create these recipes. But, you can always just skip ALL the “meaningless advertising” by clicking on the “JUMP TO RECIPE” button at the very top of the post, located right under the title of the recipe.
P.S. You’re welcome for the FREE recipes.
Haters gonna hate. Shake it off. Your site and recipes are fabulous and the low carb ones are helping me lose weight so I can feel confident enough to meet people through your ads and have engaging adventures. 😘
Love this salad dressing….
Thank YOU! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This recipe says there are 16 servings and the Nutritional Information says that a serving is 2 tablespoons, for 36 calories. Based on the ingredients, this is not possible. The ingredients don’t even add up to 1 full cup, which would be 16 tablespoons. If there are 16 2-tablespoon servings in this recipe, that’s 32 tablespoons. Do the math! So what exactly is the nutritional value and serving size of this recipe?
Loved it!
What Can I Substitute for red wine vinegar
You can use lemon juice or lime juice, as well as white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
This is a must-make! Adding this to my list!
I haven’t had this in forever — we usually make ranch. Can’t wait to try it!!
My next salad just got better! love that bottle too!
Any suggestions for a substitute for the Worcestershire sauce? Or would it still be just as good if left out.