Spicy Ranch Dressing
This spicy dressing is creamy, tangy, and has just the right amount of kick. It’s made with mayo, buttermilk, and a little milk for a creamy, smooth texture. It’s loaded with dill, garlic, and a little heat from cayenne and chipotle.
Easy Homemade Spicy Ranch Dressing
Once you make this from-scratch dressing, you’ll never go back to the bottled stuff. Our homemade version is thick, rich, and packed with dill, garlic, and a little heat from chipotle powder, cayenne, and smoked paprika.
You only need a few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes. That’s it! It’s great for salads, sandwiches, wraps, and dipping. Use it on burgers, drizzle it over tacos, or serve it with fries and veggies.
A quick tip before you start to make it
The buttermilk does a lot of the work, so I recommend not swapping it out. It’s what gives you that classic tangy flavor. And go easy on the cayenne at first. You can always make it spicier, but you can’t take it out once you’ve added it. The longer this dressing sits, the better it tastes. If you have time, let it sit in the fridge for a while so the flavors can meld.
How to make spicy ranch dressing
Whisk: Add the mayo, buttermilk, milk, and all the seasonings to a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
Chill: Use it right away, or pop it in the fridge for about an hour so the flavors come together
Serve: Use it as a dip, a spread, or as a dressing. Try it on a simple green salad, chicken salad, bacon cheddar stuffed burgers, spicy chicken sandwiches, or shredded beef tacos. It’s also great with chicken tenders, fries, veggies, or onion rings.
Don’t miss some of my other homemade dressings like creamy southwest dressing, dill salad dressing, and creamy garlic dressing.
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons milk, up to ¼ cup (use more for a thinner consistency)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, optional
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Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl, and whisk to combine.1 cup mayonnaise½ cup buttermilk2 tablespoons milk1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder¾ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon chipotle powder½ teaspoon dried dill¼ teaspoon smoked paprika⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Use immediately on your favorite salad, with cheese fries, on a burger, or sandwich. Optional: Let it sit in the fridge for an hour so the flavors can meld.
I have made this dressing twice and it’s very good!! I added sriracha instead of cayenne because it’s what I had on hand, both times came out great!
Thank you Cynthia! I’ve never tried using sriracha in the dressing. It sounds like a great idea. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe! Have a lovely day 🙂
How long does this last?
Good Morning Elyssa, as per the post, it will last 4-5 days in your fridge. Have a nice day 🙂
In the West, California, I have never seen Dukes. I like Best Foods.
Hi Robin!
I think Duke’s may be regional. We haven’t tried Best Foods brand. Hellmans is another good alternative. Thanks so much for the comment! Have a wonderful evening! 🙂