Chipotle Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Sure, ranch dressing is a crowd-pleaser, but that’s just because the crowd hasn’t tried chipotle buttermilk ranch dressing—its spicier, southwestern cousin. Dreamed up by our own culinary producer, Josh Rink, the kicky dressing starts with a classic ranch base. The combo of mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk is rich and tangy, which keeps the dressing from feeling too heavy. Stir in salsa and spices until the dressing has just a touch of smoky spice and a ton of herbaceousness. Pour it over crunchy green salads studded with carrots, tomatoes and bacon, or serve as a sandwich spread or dip.

Don’t be nervous about making homemade salad dressing; it’s so easy. Just pour the ingredients into a jar, whisk them, then chill the dressing. Homemade ranch has a fresh, bright flavor and none of the gunky fillers or preservatives of bottled dressings.

Ingredients for Chipotle Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

• Buttermilk: Creamy, sour buttermilk gives plain ranch dressing its distinctive tangy taste. It’s very thin and makes the dressing easy to pour, but the thicker ingredients will shore it up.
• Mayonnaise: A dollop of homemade or store-bought mayo goes a long way in thickening the dressing. It’s also a wonder for emulsifying and binding ingredients together.
• Sour cream: Yep, even more tang coming your way. Sour cream delivers a third source of acidity in addition to its incomparable richness.
• Chipotle salsa or a canned chipotle in adobo sauce: Depending on your grocery store, it may be easy to find canned chipotle chiles. Chop the chiles finely and add as much or as little of the sauce as you like—it may be spicy. Alternatively, pick up a jar of chipotle salsa and save the rest of it for tacos, scrambled eggs or nachos.
• Herbs: Stick to the classic ranch herbs, including dried chives and dill weed. Then add earthy oregano for that signature southwestern feel.
• Spices: Here’s where the Tex-Mex flavor really comes in. In addition to salt and pepper, you’ll add smoky chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder and onion powder.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the dressing

Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl.

Whisk the ingredients until the dressing is well-combined.

Editor’s Tip: You could also add all the ingredients to a large jar and shake to mix the dressing.

Step 2: Chill the dressing

Refrigerate the dressing, covered, until you’re ready to serve it.

Editor’s Tip: While you can enjoy the dressing immediately, we like to make it a little ahead of time. That way the flavors have time to develop.

Chipotle Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Variations

• Lighten up: You can swap low-fat sour cream, mayo and/or buttermilk for the full-fat ingredients without missing the extra creaminess.
• Skip the buttermilk: Don’t have buttermilk in the fridge? You can make a quick buttermilk substitute using milk and vinegar or yogurt.
• Adjust the spices: The best part of making homemade dressing is the possibility of tinkering with the flavors. If you don’t love an ingredient in the recipe, cut it. Go ahead and amp up the spice with a dash of cayenne pepper, pepper flakes or hot sauce. Lean harder into the Mexican-style flavors by adding a shake of taco seasoning mix. Replace the dill with minced cilantro. You get the idea.

How to Store Chipotle Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Keep chipotle ranch dressing in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to one week. The dressing may separate as it sits; just give it a shake before using it.

Chipotle Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Tips

How else can you use buttermilk ranch dressing?

Spicy ranch is versatile, and you can use it anywhere you’d use classic ranch. The dressing makes a great dip for veggies, Buffalo chicken wings, pizza and even breadsticks or chips. Slather it onto a sandwich, whether it’s packed with humble deli meat or fancy fried chicken. Dollop spicy ranch over baked potatoes or sweet potatoes for an easy side with a ton of flavor. Spoon it onto a ground beef or fish taco for a twist that will cool off the hottest salsas. Or, add a spoonful to a bowl of chili to lend it bright, tangy creaminess.

Obviously, this spicy ranch dressing also tastes delicious on salads. Crispy green leaves of all sorts are even more delightful when tossed with the creamy dressing, as are veggies like peppers, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, broccoli and so on. Add grilled chicken or shrimp, and you’ve got a restaurant-worthy main-course salad for lunch or dinner.