This Jalapeno Ranch Dressing is completely ADDICTING! Perfect to drizzle over a salad or dip chips in, the flavor is so delicious you just can’t get enough.
With flavors of Ranch, jalapeno, lime, cilantro and buttermilk, you have the perfect combination of creamy, savory, fresh, tangy, and that kick from the jalapeño!
Jalapeño Ranch- In the blender!
This recipe is one I have been making for over 10 years! It has the perfect balance of tanginess, creaminess and of course a little kick. As a self proclaimed Ranch Dressing connoisseur, I am going to tell you, this is absolutely one of the BEST!
The flavors are similar to those you will find in the jalapeño ranch or sometimes called cilantro or tomatillo ranch at restaurants like Cafe Rio, Costa Vida, or my favorite Mexican restaurant, Chuy’s.
This stuff is almost too easy to make since it only takes about 5 minutes from start to finish. Basically, you just throw it all in a blender or food processor and let it run.
The result is pure, delicious, jalapeño ranch dressing. Stuff so good it might should just come with a warning label that it is hard to stop eating!
Recipe Tips
This dressing couldn’t be easier to make! I am going to walk through a few tips on ingredients and method to help you get the absolute best and tastiest jalapeño ranch dressing.
Find the FULL recipe card at the bottom of this post. If you have additional questions, make sure to leave me a note in the comments.
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise
- Ranch mix- I use Hidden Valley almost always in this recipe, however you can also use this homemade ranch mix as well for a gluten free version.
- Sour cream – You can substitute greek yogurt with good results
- Buttermilk
- Salsa Verde- I have used many different brands with great results. Pace, Herdez, and Old El Paso are all regulars!
- Jarred jalapenos- sliced or diced works!
- Lime juice- Use fresh lime juice!!
- Cilantro- Wash well! You can use the leaves and stems. No need to separate, they both have equal flavor!
Method
Making the jalapeño ranch dressing is just a dump and spin!
You can use a blender or food processor to make it. I have used both and really choose based on what is easiest at the moment. My blender is easier to clean so it usually gets picked, but both work equally well!
Once you dump all of the ingredients in, you want to turn the blender or food processor on to it’s high setting that will blend everything as small as possible to make a really smooth dressing. On my blender this is called liquify.
Let it spin until it is well blended then stop. Pour the dressing to an airtight container and serve immediately, but I prefer to pop it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors really meld. You can keep it for up to a week.
The dressing will thicken a bit as it refrigerates.
How to adjust the spiciness
The heat of this dressing will really depend on how spicy the jalapeños you use are. Generally speaking, using the 1/4 cup the recipe calls for gives you a kick without burning your mouth off.
If you want more heat in the Jalapeño ranch (Chuy’s tends to be pretty spicy!) then you can add up to an additional 1/2 cup. I find that 1/2 cup (total) of jalapeños is pretty spicy, and using 3/4 cup (total) makes it really spicy.
I would advise starting with the recipe as written. You can taste it after blending and then add more and continue to blend if needed.
What to serve with Jalapeño Ranch
Jalapeño Ranch makes a great dressing, dip, or drizzle and will compliment tons of food options. I will give you some of our favorites for each below, but if you have something I missed, let me know in the comments so I can give it a try.
As a Dressing
- Taco salad
- Southwest salad
- Vegetarian salad with black beans and corn
- “Cafe Rio” style salad with pulled pork or chicken
- Fajita Salad – My personal favorite! Try my steak fajitas or chicken fajita marinade for this!
- Mix with coleslaw mix and cilantro for a slaw
As a Dip
- Tortilla chips
- Potato chips
- Veggies – carrots, celery, bell peppers, etc
- Tortillas
As a Drizzle
- On tacos- great on these chicken tacos or ground turkey tacos
- On chicken fajitas, pork fajitas or these sheet pan fajitas
- Over nachos – try my crockpot chicken nachos or carnitas nachos
- Quesadillas – these ground beef quesadillas are incredible
- Burritos
- Loaded Cheeseburger Bowls
If there is a Mexican flair to your recipe, you really can’t go wrong adding some Jalapeño ranch as a dressing, dip or drizzle!
Dietary Considerations
This dressing meets many dietary needs and can be modified for others. Make sure you ALWAYS check the package on store bought ingredients to ensure each specific brand meets any requirements.
- Gluten free- This recipe can be made gluten free with gluten free ranch seasoning mix. Some Hidden Valley are marked gluten free. You can also use this homemade ranch seasoning to ensure a gluten free seasoning mix.
- Egg free- This recipe can be made egg free by using vegan mayonnaise
- Nut free- This recipe is naturally nut free
- Low carb/ keto- This dressing is naturally low at 1g net carbs per serving and friendly for the Keto diet.
More DELICIOUS Homemade Dressings
If you love this Jalapeño Ranch Dressing recipe, I hope you will take a minute to bookmark a few more of our delicious dressings.
- Homemade Buttermilk Ranch– Restaurant style!
- The BEST Balsamic Dressing
- Quick Lemon Vinaigrette
- Red Wine Vinaigrette
Jalapeño Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp ranch seasoning
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup salsa verde, (prepared)
- 1/4 cup jarred jalapeños with juice
- 1 lime, juice of
- 1 bunch cilantro, (about 1-1.5 cup)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Use highest setting (liquify) to combine until dressing is smooth.
- Chill for 30 min before serving. Keeps in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
- Spiciness — Increase the spiciness of the Jalapeño Ranch by adding in additional jalapeños a little bit at a time. You can add up to 3/4 cup total of jalapeños to the recipe which gives you an extra spicy dressing.
- If the dressing is too spicy you can reduce the amount of jalapeños or just use the jalapeño juice to flavor the dressing.
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