Jalapeño Ranch
Spicy Jalapeño Ranch is the perfect salad dressing or dip for chicken nuggets or wings. Be warned though, it will go fast!
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Jalapeño Ranch Recipe
It probably comes from enjoying cooking, but I love a good cooking challenge. Usually I think something will be complicated to make, but it turns out to be super easy.
Growing up, I was never really a condiment kind of person. But as I've started making my own sauces and dressings, I've really been able to branch out.
The challenge of making homemade sauces like enchilada sauce and ranch dressing is so much fun. It's great to teach yourself something new!
I've been dying to remake this Jalapeño Ranch sauce I made a few years ago so I could share it with you. This spicy sauce is perfectly spicy and flavorful and you're going to want to put it on everything.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Jalapeño Ranch is going to be your new favorite sauce!
- It's got all the coolness you love about ranch with a hint of heat from spicy jalapeños.
- You can make it as spicy as you want! It's all about how you prep the peppers.
- It's the perfect dipping sauce or dressing for everything from nuggets to nachos to tostadas.
Ingredients
This homemade spicy ranch is so simple! You only need a few ingredients. The fresher the better, and it will taste so much better than a store-bought dressing or sauce!
- buttermilk
- mayonnaise (I prefer light mayo)
- jalapeños, ribbed and seeded
- fresh garlic
- cilantro
- lime
Substitutions & variations
Try one of these variations on this recipe:
Spicier ranch: Don't discard all the seeds and leave the ribs on. The spice in a pepper lives in the seeds and the veins that hold them in.
Milder ranch: Cut the peppers carefully and discard the seeds. Be sure to scrape out the ribs inside to avoid extra spiciness. Or just keep a little bit of these spicy elements in, but don't use them all to retain a little heat.
Thicker or thinner: Thicken it with a little more mayonnaise or even some sour cream. If you need it in a drizzling consistency, you may want to add more buttermilk.
Cilant-no? If you're a cilantro hater, you can cut it! I get it.
Extra jalapeño? Try this zhug recipe - a Yemenite Hot Sauce with similar ingredients but dairy free and almost a pesto like consistency.
How to Make Jalapeño Ranch
You won't believe how easy this sauce is!
You're going to get out your food processor or blender and throw all the ingredients in.
Pulse the mixture in short bursts until combined. The mixture should be smooth with no chunks remaining.
Use it right away or put it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it. It will last for about 1 week in the fridge — if you don't eat it all before then!
Tips for Success
- Pulse the mixture in your blender or food processor. This method lets you keep tabs on the texture without accidentally over-blending it. It's okay for some texture to remain, but you don't want any chunks remaining.
- Use more seeds for spicier ranch or less seeds for milder. Be sure to remove the ribs as well, as those can carry spice too.
- For a thicker sauce, add a little more mayonnaise or sour cream. For drizzling consistency, you may want to add more buttermilk to thin it out.
FAQ
You can make your own buttermilk by combining a scant cup of regular milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the reaction can take place, then it's ready to use as you would buttermilk.
Homemade dressings should be stored in the fridge and used within a week of creation. If they contain dairy, like buttermilk, then they won't freeze well.
What to Serve with Jalapeño Ranch
You can use any kind of wings but recently we tried it with my honey sriracha wings and while that may seem like a lot of spicy, it's really the perfect amount of spicy!
Spoon it over potato chip nachos covered in Traeger pulled pork. or use it as a crema over veggie fajitas.
It's great as a dipping sauce for veggies, wings or even homemade pizza. We love it with pepperoni bread too!
More game day recipes
- Chicken Swiss Dip
- Slow Cooker Apple Cider Chicken Sliders
- Baked Brie Crescent Bites
- Corn Dip
- Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Pumpkin Pulled Pork Bowls
- Apple Pie Twists
Jalapeño Ranch
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup light mayonnaise
- 1-2 medium jalapeño peppers ribbed and seeded
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bunch cilantro
- ½ medium lime juiced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Pulse for 30 seconds until combined.
- Store in a food-safe, airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within one week.
Nutrition
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I can't wait to try this!
That sounds like something I could make!! And I'm no pro chef at all 🙂 Can't wait to give it a try!
It would be the great recipe for my weekend. Thanks.
I love spicy sauces and your jalapeno ranch dipping sauce it the perfect game day sauce! I've got to make this one!
I love that you can definitely get the flavor of jalapenos without having the spiciness, but I'm all for spicy! 🙂
I'm not a condiment person either, but this looks great! My husband would LOVE it (he loves anything with jalapenos!) #client
I was really surprised that I liked the dish as much as I did! Thanks Sarah!
UMMMM are you kidding me with this?! This looks so incredible.
Hahaha! No, I'm not kidding! You need to make some 🙂
Nice job! I just might have to steal this idea for the big party at my church!
It's such an easy recipe- you could definitely make a big batch of it!
This dip looks great! I wish I could eat it, but it's totally not #whole30 approved with that buttermilk...haha but maybe once feb 17 rolls around! 🙂
Hey it's February, getting close 😉 I hope you like it! It's so yummy. You could dip some veggies in it instead of wings to be a liiittle healthier 🙂
Lime with the wings sound amazing. Will definitely try this dipping sauce next time we have wings.
Absolutely! It's perfect sports game food!
We're not big into pro sports at our house, but we're definitely into wings and awesome dipping sauces. Thanks for sharing, Madison! 🙂
Hey, whatever works 😉 I hope y'all like!
This looks and sounds so yummy! My husband would adore it if I made this for him!
I hope you'll try it! It's so good 🙂
can't wait to try this? looks amazing. thank you for sharing!!
Thanks Nelle!
Lime and ranch together make a surefire great combination. I am a wing lover so this is something I am definitely interested in.
Yay! I hope you like it 🙂
I LOVE spicy foods, jalape?os included. This dip looks easy enough to make! I will definitely be pinning this for future reference :]
It's so so easy! 🙂
Yummmmm! I love wings, and this dip looks like it would be perfect!
I do too! I never used to be a big fan but these are so good!
Andrew loves getting wings for game day, and I have been wanting to try making some homemade sauces. This one sounds perfect! I can't wait to try it.
I never thought to make homemade sauces until recently so I've been trying my hand at them too 🙂
This looks SO yummy! I'm going to have to try it!
I hope you like it! 🙂