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.
Once you make this zesty ranch 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. We love it on burgers, drizzled over tacos, or as a dipping sauce for fries and veggies.
Don’t miss some of my other homemade dressings like creamy southwest dressing, dill salad dressing, and creamy garlic dressing.
My Best Tips
The buttermilk is pretty important in this dressing, so I recommend not swapping it out. It’s what gives you that classic tangy flavor, and it has a thicker, creamier consistency than milk. Changing it will change the flavor and texture of the dressing.
If you absolutely have to substitute the buttermilk, use sour milk instead. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then fill with milk to just under ½ cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. You’ll likely use less sour milk than buttermilk.
You can always make it spicier, but you can’t take it out once you’ve added it. Go easy on the cayenne until you have to taste 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
The longest part of this recipe is measuring the ingredients. It should take 10 minutes tops or less if you’re quick!
- Add the mayo, buttermilk, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, chipotle powder, dill, paprika, and cayenne to a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Use it right away, or pop it in the fridge for about an hour so the flavors come together
We use this ranch as a dip, a spread, or as a dressing. Try it on a simple green salad, southwest chicken salad, cheese stuffed burgers, spicy chicken sandwiches, or shredded beef tacos. It’s also great with chicken tenders, fries, veggies, or onion rings.
Storing Leftover Dressing
Our spicy ranch dressing stays good in the fridge for 5 days. Make sure to keep it in a sealed container.
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
💌 Don’t forget to save this recipe!
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.
Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Buttermilk swap: Add 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then fill with milk to just under ½ cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Sour milk is thinner than real buttermilk, so start with ⅓ cup and add more only to thin out the dressing.
- Adjusting the heat: Use ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne for mild or the full ¼ teaspoon for more heat. Want it hotter? Add a few dashes of hot sauce after mixing.
- Controlling the thickness: The dressing thickens in the fridge. For a thicker dip/dressing, start with 2 tablespoons of milk. For a pourable salad dressing, use the full ¼ cup. Thin it out later by whisking in 1 tablespoon of milk at a time.
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! 🙂
OH, my husband loves ranch on everything. This will be perfect. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
oh, and I Love your photos.
I love Duke’s mayonnaise!! I try not to use it very often because it is indulgent, but it is so delicious. I’m in Oklahoma, where ranch is KING…I think this homemade version will be much better than the stuff in the stores