Chipotle Ranch Dressing Recipe
My chipotle ranch dressing is a 10 minute riff on homemade buttermilk ranch, stirred up with finely minced chipotles in adobo for a creamy base with real smoke and heat. Two ingredients, one bowl, and a flavor that walks the line between a Tex-Mex sauce and a steakhouse dip. This is the dressing I keep in a jar in the fridge year-round.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe for ranch, about 2 cups
- 1 finely minced chipotle pepper
- 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
Instructions
- Make the ranch dressing in a medium-sized bowl and briefly set it aside.
- Finely mince 1 to 2 chipotle peppers, depending on how much spice you like.
- Add the chipotle peppers and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the adobo sauce to the ranch.
- Mix well using a whisk.
Notes
The biggest mistake people make with chipotle ranch is judging the heat too early. Adobo carries way more punch than it seems, and a dressing that tastes balanced right after whisking can turn noticeably hotter after sitting for a few minutes as the smoky flavor develops. My best tip is to start with less chipotle than you think you need, let the dressing rest for five minutes, then taste it with a piece of romaine before deciding if it needs more.
Mince the peppers fine, do not blend them: A blender turns the chipotles into a paste and you lose the little flecks of pepper that make the dressing taste as homemade. A sharp knife and ten extra seconds is the way to do it.
Start with the peppers, finish with the adobo: Pepper for the smoke, adobo for the tang and color. If the dressing needs more depth I add adobo, not more peppers, so the heat does not climb past the smoke.
Use the leftover adobo: The rest of the can does not have to die in the fridge. I freeze the remaining peppers and sauce in tablespoon portions on a parchment-lined tray, bag them up, and pull one out the next time I make a marinade or a pot of chili.
Make-Ahead: I make this dressing up to three days ahead, and I actually prefer it after 24 hours in the fridge because the chipotle blooms further into the buttermilk and the heat settles in.
How to Store: I pour the dressing into a tight-lidded glass jar or squeeze bottle and refrigerate for up to 10 days. The base is buttermilk-based, so I do not push it past that.
How to Freeze: I skip the freezer.
Nutrition
Calories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 875mgPotassium: 31mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 22IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.2mg