The Zesty Salad Dressing You Need To Start Putting On Your Tacos

You probably know Catalina as the bright, reddish-orange dressing from the Kraft company. It's a common topping on taco salads (especially if it's the most popular dressing in your state), but it actually works quite well on regular tacos too. Its key taste is that familiar sweet plus tangy profile, built on a base of vinegar, oil, sugar, and tomato (usually ketchup in homemade versions and tomato puree in the bottled stuff). The use of paprika, dried onion, and dried garlic adds to the zestiness of the dressing. This whole combination makes it taste quite different from your everyday salsa or hot sauce, giving tacos a new personality.

The sweet notes of the tomato blend well with common taco spices, such as chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Texture-wise, Catalina dressing flows smoothly, so it coats veggies and meats easily. Though related to French dressing, it is typically runnier and has a stronger tomato flavor. The thinner consistency of Catalina does affect how it works with different taco shells. Soft corn tortillas can get soggy fairly quickly if they sit with the dressing, but firmer flour tortillas handle it much better. The same is true for tortilla chips and controversial hard-shell tacos, which is why you see Catalina in so many taco salad recipes. A lot of the appeal comes from the smooth and bright dressing against the salt and crunch of the shell. Putting Catalina on a taco adds a sweet-sharp layer, helping balance out savory, salty, and spicy notes and creating a full flavor.

Adding Catalina to tacos brings an acidity and sweetness that cuts through dense and savory fillings, like seasoned ground beef, oven-cooked steak, ground turkey, shredded pork, or pulled chicken. With beef, it counters the meat's richness with the sugary and vinegar undertones. With shredded chicken, which sometimes needs a little help in the flavor department, Catalina adds moisture and a bright flavor to help boost the poultry's taste. Its sharpness can liven up fish or shrimp tacos, almost like lemon or lime. It works well with blackened fish, too, as the sweet flavors and zest meld with the deep smokiness of the taco.

Homemade vegetarian tacos using black beans, pinto beans, or roasted vegetables are also good candidates for Catalina. The dressing adds even more moisture, and the sweetness goes well with the earthiness of beans or caramelized roasted veggies. The acidity of the dressing works well with typical toppings like shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheeses, avocados, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes. While there is a very light bite in the dressing, it also softens the spiciness from jalapeños with its sugary sweet undertones.