Recipe for Jalapeno Ranch Dressing at Life's Ambrosia

I don’t usually like to mess with classics. Especially recipes that are as classic and as popular as ranch dressing. With that said, I just couldn’t help myself the other night when I was making a salad to go along with my tacos. I wanted something creamy so I was going to whip up some ranch dressing but I wanted something with a kick so I decided to throw a jalapeno into the mix. The finished product was this Jalapeno Ranch dressing that proved that sometimes change can be quite delicious.

For those of you that shy away from jalapenos, fear not, this dressing is not overly spicy. Although I wanted something that had a bit of a kick, I didn’t want the spice to dominate the entire dressing. So instead of just tossing the whole jalapeno in, I decided to remove all of the seeds. By doing this, I removed quite a bit of the spiciness yet kept a little heat and a whole lotta fresh jalapeno flavor.

Makes 1/2 cup

You will need:

1 jalapeno, seeded
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
kosher salt

In a food processor, place jalapenos and garlic, turn on processor and process until the jalapenos and garlic are minced fine. About 15 seconds.
Remove food processor lid and add in mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, dill, garlic powder, and pepper. Turn on the food processor and process just until combined.
Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt. Chill for 30 minutes. Stir once more and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve.

Like my creamy ranch dip, this is super easy to make. Aside from the fresh dill you probably have everything that you need on hand. If you can’t find fresh dill, substitute 1 teaspoon of dried dill. Enjoy!

Like this recipe? Recommend it to your friends!

Responses to "Jalapeno Ranch Dressing"

“
Homemade dressing is so much better than store bought. Love this one!
”

- Maria

“
That looks really good. Would be worth a try with a nice spice kick to it. I will make it like that next time for sure.
”

- Maunika

“
I can’t wait to try this one! I love jalapenos and of course never thought to putting them IN the dressing. As my boyfriend says, everything tastes better with ranch :) Thanks for the post!
”

- Jenn

“
YUM! I have a bunch of frozen peppers in my freezer, will definitely try this!
”

- Wendy

“
I love ranch dressing and I love it even more with jalapeno peppers in it!
”

- Jessie

“
Oooh…I’m going to have to try this!
”

- Chasing the Moon

“
Sounds good love ranch dressing. Do you think adding a hint of cilantro would be to much?
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- Diane

“
I love your recipes and your blog. When I look in the old foodgawker archives and spot your name I dive into the recipe. Truly refreshing.
Compliment: I love the fact that you follow the rule of placing the ingredients list in the order of use in the directions (as they SHOULD be).
Complaint: From a totally anal recipe and cooking buff, the T in Tablespoon should be capitalized to further differentiate it from teaspoon. In the old days we only used the T or t in recipes and everyone knew what was meant. But hey, perfection in a recipe isn’t a substitute for the end result…and those are always perfection!
”

- oz

“
Thanks everyone for your comments! For those of you that try it I hope you enjoy it! Diane- I think a hint of chopped cilantro would actually be a lovely addition. I’ll have to try it next time.
Oz- I’m so happy to hear that you like the blog so much! I wondered about that Tablespoon thing. Whenever I just write the T’s i always distinguish between Tablespoon and teaspoon with a T or t. I didn’t realize that it was also for spelling it out. Thanks for the tip. :)
”

- Deseree

“
That dressing looks so good. What is so great about it is that you dont see that dressing on the shelves at the grocery store!! We all love jalapenos at our house, I will definitely make this!
”

- BJ