Jalapeno Ranch Dressing or Dip
Toss a big salad with this jalapeno ranch dressing and it will go fast! It's easy to make and stays fresh in the fridge for a week or more! It's also great as a spicy ranch dipping sauce for wings or veggies.
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Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
Growing up, I was never really a condiment kind of person. But as I've started making my own dressings, sauces, and marinades, I've enjoyed branching out with recipes like this fun twist on a classic ranch dressing.
One of my favorite things about cooking is the challenge that comes with it. I love recipes that deliver on flavor without needing a ton of complicated ingredients or techniques to make.
This spicy ranch does just that! You don't need anything fancy to make it, but you'll want to put it on everything. It's got all the coolness you love about ranch with a kick from the peppers.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
It's super quick to make in a blender, so you can have a fresh batch on hand any time!
Spicy homemade ranch is versatile! You can keep it thick to use as a dipping sauce or thin it out to use as a salad dressing.
It's customizable, too! Make it as spicy or mild as you want! It's all about how you prep the peppers.
Ingredients
You only need a few basic ingredients to make this recipe, and you should be able to find them at any local grocery store.
A combination of buttermilk and mayonnaise give this ranch a creamy consistency. You can always play around with the proportions to make it thicker or thinner.
To make a buttermilk substitute, combine a cup of regular milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes and the milk will start to curdle from the acid. That's when it's ready to use.
Jalapeno puts the spice in spicy ranch! You have options depending on just how spicy you want the ranch to be. Scrape out the seeds and ribs to avoid extra spiciness. Or just keep a little bit of these spicy elements in, but don't use them all to retain some heat.
I love how fresh cilantro tastes with the jalapeño and lime, but if you're a cilantro hater, you can leave it out, or substitute with flat leaf parsley.
How to Make Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️
Jump to Recipe
- Toss all of the ingredients into your blender or a food processor. Start with the liquids to prevent the peppers from jamming the blades.
- Pulse the mixture until it is smooth with no chunks. Use it right away or let it chill in the fridge.
Madison's Tips for Success:
I've tested this recipe and have successfully made it many times. Use these tips to ensure that it turns out perfectly for you, too!
- Blend the mixture in short bursts so you can 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 of chiles or cilantro.
- For a spicier flavor, leave the seeds and membrane intact.
- For a thicker dip, add a little more mayonnaise or sour cream. For drizzling consistency, you may want to add more buttermilk to thin it out.
How to Store Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
In a covered jar or container, the condiment will keep in the fridge for about a week. Because of the dairy and fresh jalapeño and cilantro, you want to use it up pretty quick. But, it's so good that it would be surprising if it even lasts a week!
Favorite Ways to Use It
The jalapeno ranch dip is really good with raw veggies, chicken wings, or even as a sauce for homemade pizza. My family loves it with pepperoni bread too!
If you thin it out with buttermilk, it's the perfect consistency to drizzle over potato chip nachos covered in Traeger pulled pork. Or use it as a crema over veggie fajitas!
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review below!
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Jalapeno Ranch Dressing or Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup light mayonnaise
- 1-2 medium jalapeno peppers seeds and membranes removed
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bunch cilantro
- ½ medium lime juiced
Instructions
- Add ¼ cup buttermilk, ½ cup light mayonnaise, 1-2 medium jalapeno peppers, 1 clove garlic, 1 bunch cilantro, and juice from ½ medium lime to a food processor or blender. Pulse for 30 seconds until well combined.
- Store in a food-safe, airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within one week.
Notes
- Blend the mixture in short bursts so you can 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 of chiles or cilantro.
- For a spicier flavor, leave the seeds and membrane intact.
- To thin the consistency, add more milk. For a thick dip, add extra mayo.
Nutrition
Other Dressing Recipes
I'll teach you how to make simple from-scratch recipes, like seasonings, sauces, dinners and even desserts, that make cooking from home less overwhelming and more enjoyable.
My recipes have been featured on publications like South Your Mouth, Fun.com, Her Campus, Mental Floss, and the TastingTable.
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! 🙂