This Southwest Sauce & Dressing Recipe is easy to make, low-calorie, and full of flavor! Using simple ingredients like greek yogurt, a little mayo, lime juice, and spices from your cabinet you will have a wonderful Southwest Sauce to put on everything from salads, to quesadillas, to tacos, and more!
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Homemade Southwest Sauce
This is one of those recipes I honestly discovered on a whim. I was craving a southwest salad, but I wanted something light and healthy. Unsatisfied with some of the other dressing and sauce recipes I saw I went out to make my own healthy version.
Most sauces and dressings are bogged down with a ton of oil and/or mayo. I get it the fats are what makes things so good right. And not to say that there should be a balance, because I totally use some mayo in this recipe but just enough to give it that creaminess and flavor you want without sacrificing half the suggested daily calories on a sauce.
So I turned to one of my old faithful sub-ins for oil and mayo. Yogurt, specifically greek yogurt for this recipe.
Just like my Healthy Ranch Dip, the yogurt is amazing to lighten this Southwest Sauce up!
So along with the greek yogurt I added just a 1/4 cup of mayo and well as lime juice to get a great consistency. From there I added a bunch of spices, for the most part they should be spices that you have in your cabinet already!
I have found that one of the ways I am able to cook one meal for my whole family and us all be happy is to make sauces that satisfy different palates. Sauces, like this one that can create additions to flavor, like an addition of spice.
This Southwest Sauce definitely has a spicy punch to it so it is perfect for a meal where the adults want that spice but the kids do not! I can make a nice batch of mild tacos for us all to enjoy, whip this sauce up quickly and everyone is happy!
With this sauce I get spicy tacos I love and the kids get the mild tacos they love!
So What You Need & Ingredients for Healthy Southwest Sauce/Dressing
As far as special equipment goes this recipe doesn’t need any! As long as you have typical kitchen gear like a bowl, measuring spoons, and a whisk you are set!
Now here is what is in the sauce:
- greek yogurt
- mayonnaise
- lime juice
- chili powder
- chipotle chili powder
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- cumin
- dill
- smoked paprika
- salt
For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.
Most of these spices are common place, but just in case here are some links to some of the less used ones:
(P.S. The Chipotle Chili is the secret to my famous Crockpot Carnitas)
Once you have everything you simply mix everything together.
This Southwest Sauce can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge, one might even argue it is better after it has had a little time to sit!
So what to use this Southwest Sauce & Dressing for?
So many things!!!
Use it as a salad dressing! Or top any of your favorite foods!
It quickly became both my husband and I’s favorite condiment for quesadillas (a favorite lunch in our house).
Some of the recipes this might be especially good with are:
- Easy Crockpot Carnitas
- Red Lentil Tacos
- Skillet Taco Chicken
- Southwest Chicken Recipe
- Carnitas Quesadillas
- Black Bean Nachos Recipe
- One Pot Southwest Quinoa
- And Especially my Easy Chicken Tacos!
Greek Yogurt Southwest Sauce
Healthy Southwest Sauce/Dressing/Dip, made with a Greek Yogurt base, a hint of lime juice & mayo, and flavorful spices. Perfect for salads, tacos, veggies, quesadillas, and more!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dill
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine everything in a mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
For a more runny dressing, add more lime juice or water a tespoon at a time until you get the consistency you want.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
2 tablespoonsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 45Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 136mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
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Can you use light miracle whip? Or would that be gross?
That is a great question, to be honest I am not 100% how that would turn out. I think that if you are a big fan of miracle whip you would probably like it. I’m personally not a huge fan of it so I would use mayo if possible, If you are a fan of light miracle whip I would say it is worth a shot to make it. Sorry I am not a huge help on this one, it is so hard to tell without trying it myself.
You recommend real mayonnaise? I like real mayonnaise to.
Yeah I would use real mayonnaise
Added a 1/2 teaspoon of celery salt. Delicious.
This recipe is amazing. I did use plant based yogurt and mayo but tastes greats Thank you so much for this