Chipotle Ranch Dressing is a creamy ranch made from mayonnaise and sour cream, blended with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, fresh lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley and dill. It comes out smoky and tangy with a little heat. It takes 5 minutes in a blender and makes about 1 1/2 cups, or 12 servings of 2 tablespoons.
How to make it: Put everything in a food processor or blender with 3 tablespoons of water and blend until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more water a little at a time until it pours, taste for salt, and serve it or chill it in a jar.
Why You’ll Love It
- 5 minutes: one blender, no cooking.
- Smoky with a little heat: the chipotles bring smoke, the lime keeps it bright.
- Your heat level: add the peppers one at a time until it’s where you want it.
- Goes on everything: salads, tacos, wings, fries and burgers.
Ingredient Notes
Mayonnaise and sour cream: 1/2 cup of each make the creamy base. Plain Greek yogurt can replace the sour cream.
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: 3 peppers from a can, for a medium kick. Start with fewer if you’re not sure.
Lime juice: 2 tablespoons, about 1 lime. It brightens the dressing and balances the smoke.
Seasonings: 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 3/4 teaspoon each of dried parsley and dried dill, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
Water: 3 to 6 tablespoons, added a little at a time to get a pourable dressing.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from a can; add one at a time to reach the heat you want)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 3/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3 to 6 tablespoons water (start with 3 and add more until the dressing pours but does not run thin)
How to Make Chipotle Ranch Dressing
1. Blend. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle peppers, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried dill, kosher salt and 3 tablespoons of the water to a food processor or blender. Blend until completely smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Adjust the thickness. Add more water, a little at a time, up to 6 tablespoons in all, until the dressing is pourable but not too thin. If it gets too thin, blend in an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise or sour cream. Taste and add more salt if you like.
3. Serve or store. Serve right away, or pour the dressing into a bottle or jar with a lid and refrigerate.
How Spicy Is It? Setting the Heat
Three chipotles give a noticeable, smoky kick. The heat is easy to steer:
- Add one pepper at a time. Blend with one chipotle, taste, then add the next.
- Give it 5 minutes. The heat builds as the dressing sits. One that tastes balanced right after blending can taste noticeably hotter a few minutes later, so rest it, then taste again on a piece of lettuce.
- Making it ahead? The flavor deepens and the heat keeps building in the refrigerator, so use a little less chipotle if you’re storing it.
- Extra mild: leave the peppers out and blend in 3 tablespoons of the adobo sauce instead. You keep the smoke without much heat.
- Hotter: add another pepper, or a dash of cayenne.
- No canned chipotles? Use chipotle powder or smoked paprika. Start with 1/2 teaspoon, taste and adjust.
Getting the Thickness Right
- Start with 3 tablespoons of water. Add more gradually, up to 6. It should pour off a spoon but not run like milk.
- Too thin? Blend in an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise or sour cream.
- It thickens in the refrigerator. Chilling about an hour helps the flavors blend and the dressing thicken. Stir in a splash of water before serving if it’s too stiff.
- For a smooth dressing: blend 1 to 2 minutes. Without a strong blender, chop the chipotles first so there are fewer small chunks.
- No blender? Mince the chipotles very finely, or use only the adobo sauce, and whisk everything together in a bowl.
Chipotle Ranch vs. Regular Ranch
Regular ranch is usually built on sour cream or buttermilk with herbs. Chipotle ranch keeps the creamy, herby base and adds chipotle peppers in adobo for smoke and a little heat, plus lime. It’s also different from southwest ranch, which leans Tex-Mex with salsa or dried spices like smoked paprika, cayenne or chili powder; chipotle ranch is bolder and smokier.
Variations
- Greek yogurt: use plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. A yogurt-heavy version with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar instead of lime also works.
- Cilantro: blend in a handful of packed fresh cilantro with the lime.
- Ranch seasoning: swap the herbs and spices for 1 1/2 tablespoons of store-bought ranch seasoning.
- From a ranch base: stir 1 or 2 finely minced chipotles and 2 to 3 tablespoons of adobo sauce into about 2 cups of buttermilk ranch.
- Chipotle paste: use about 2 teaspoons in place of the whole peppers.
Leftover chipotles: freeze the rest of the can in tablespoon portions on a parchment-lined tray, then bag them for a marinade or a pot of chili.
Storage
Refrigerator: Keep it in a sealed jar or bottle at 40°F or below and use it within 3 to 4 days. Stir in a little water if it thickens.
Serving as a dip: Don’t leave the bowl out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it’s above 90°F.
Freezer: Don’t freeze it. Mayonnaise and sour cream separate and look curdled after thawing.
What to Serve With It
Use it as a salad dressing, especially on a taco salad or a green salad with grilled chicken, or toss it through pasta salad. Drizzle it over beef nachos supreme, taco stuffed baked potatoes or cheese steak tacos with buffalo fries.
It’s also a dip for veggies, tortilla chips and baked zucchini fries, and a sauce for caramelized baked chicken wings, burgers and wraps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in chipotle ranch dressing?
Mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley and dill, salt and a little water.
How do I make it less spicy?
Use one chipotle, or leave the peppers out and blend in 3 tablespoons of adobo sauce instead.
Why did my dressing get spicier?
The heat builds as it sits. Taste it again after 5 minutes before adding more chipotle.
How long does it keep?
3 to 4 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze chipotle ranch?
No. The mayonnaise and sour cream separate after freezing.
Final Notes
Blend it smooth, set the heat one pepper at a time, and thin it with water until it pours. If you try the cilantro version, tell me in the comments how you liked it.
Chipotle Ranch Dressing
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from a can; add one at a time to reach the heat you want
- 2 tablespoons lime juice about 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 3/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 3 to 6 tablespoons water start with 3 and add more until the dressing pours but does not run thin
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle peppers, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried dill, kosher salt and 3 tablespoons of the water to a food processor or blender. Blend until completely smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add more water, a little at a time, up to 6 tablespoons in all, until the dressing is pourable but not too thin. If it gets too thin, blend in an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise or sour cream. Taste and add more salt if you like.
- Serve right away, or pour the dressing into a bottle or jar with a lid and refrigerate.
