Name: Sweet BBQ Salad Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce; 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt ((or mayonnaise)); 2 tablespoons lime juice ((freshly squeezed is best)); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Sweet and tangy, BBQ salad dressing is easy to make! Use your favorite barbecue sauce to make your own zesty dressing.

How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: small bowl
Servings: 4

Glass bottle full of light orange salad dressing. A half a lime is in the foreground.

Don’t you love barbecue sauce? Sweet, tangy, tomatoey, with or without a little heat, it’s kind of irresistible. Like ketchup, only way better. I often make my own BBQ sauce but there’s always a bottle of my favorite brand in the fridge, too.

And it seems like people are fiercely loyal to their own favorite brand. If you want a good conversation starter, just throw the question out there, “What’s your favorite barbecue sauce?” I’m sure you’ll have a lively discussion.

My mom and I recently were making a summer lettuce salad for a family party and we wanted to try a dressing made with barbecue sauce. This recipe is what we came up with and I think you’re going to love it! We sure did, and there weren’t any leftovers, either.

Small glass bottle of sweet bbq salad dressing on a wooden cutting board.

sweet barbecue dressing

So easy to make. Like most homemade salad dressings, this sweet barbecue dressing is a cinch to make. You can easily mix it up in five minutes. I like to use a jar with a tight fitting lid but a small bowl and a whisk work just fine, too.

Starring your favorite BBQ sauce. The secret to this amazing salad dressing is simply a few tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce, whatever you like best. The BBQ sauce is combined with freshly squeezed lime juice, Greek yogurt, a tablespoon of olive oil, brown sugar, and a little salt and pepper.

Perfect for summer salads. We like this dressing on a lettuce salad with fresh corn kernels, shredded kohlrabi or jicama, thinly sliced red onions, and juicy tomatoes. Homemade croutons are a must! Add grilled BBQ chicken to your plate for the perfect summer dinner. Be sure to try this southwestern BBQ chicken salad (it’s my latest favorite!).

Recipe Variations

Skip the yogurt. You can replace the yogurt with mayonnaise, if you like.
Make a vinaigrette. Another option is to make a dressing that isn’t creamy but is more of a vinaigrette. Skip the yogurt and increase the amount of olive oil to 2 tablespoons.
Ramp up the heat. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. If you want to lean into the smoky flavor, add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.
Try BBQ ranch dressing. This is a somewhat different but really easy alternative. Mix your favorite barbecue sauce with bottled ranch dressing, or use my homemade ranch dressing recipe, replacing the yogurt with BBQ sauce.

Storage

Refrigerate: Store leftover dressing in a tightly covered container or jar for up to a week in the refrigerator. Shake well before serving.

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