Chipotle Salad Dressing will transform any salad, wrap, sandwich, raw or roasted veggies, etc. into the tastiest bite of your dreams! Its creamy, smoky, zesty heat can be blended together in minutes with ZERO chopping and stores for up to one week. This Chipotle Ranch is easy to customize by making more or less spicy, more or less tangy, with store-bought ranch packet or DIY seasonings, and can even be made vegan!

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showing how to serve chipotle dressing by pouring over a salad

Creamy Ranch Chipotle Dressing Recipe

TASTES LIKE A MILLION BUCKS. Its creamy, spicy heat spiked with zesty cilantro and lime transforms everything it touches into the best ever.
CUSTOMIZABLE. Adjust the heat, tanginess, consistency and more.
QUICK AND EASY. Blend the ingredients together in minutes with ZERO chopping!
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS. Keep some canned or frozen chipotle peppers and you can whip it up at a moment’s notice!

how spicy is chipotle Dressing?

This Chipotle Dressing is meant to have a kick, but it’s easy to adjust to taste. Just like jalapeños, chipotle peppers in adobo will vary in spiciness, so you may need to adjust the amount you use each time. Here’s the general breakdown:

Mild-medium: three chipotle peppers
Medium-spicy: four chipotle peppers
Spicy: five or more chipotle peppers

Start with less chipotle peppers, blend the ingredients together, then add another 1/2-1 pepper and blend again if it’s not spicy enough.

serving chipotle salad dressing recipe in a glass bottle

Chipotle Salad Dressing Ingredients

The ingredients for this Chipotle Dressing are easy to find and easy to keep stocked. Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll need (full recipe measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: These are sold in cans near the chopped green chilies and jarred salsas, in the international aisle or in the Latin aisle. If you don’t see them, make sure to ask, or you can purchase them on Amazon HERE. You will need 3-5 chipotle peppers depending on how spicy you want the dressing, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce.
Greek yogurt: Plain nonfat works great, or a higher fat content.
Mayonnaise: Please use real mayo and not Miracle Whip. Mayonnaise adds delectable richness, makes the dressing extra creamy and binds all of the ingredients together. If you’re opposed to using mayo, swap it out for additional Greek yogurt.
Lime juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice is best but you may use bottled. The acidity cuts through the richness of the Chipotle Dressing without making it overly tangy or tart.
Cilantro: Adds a zippy, tangy, zesty pop. Measure the cilantro before chopping by pushing the leaves (and attached stems) into the measuring cup until firmly packed and then add to the blender. Of course, you can use more or less to taste.
Garlic: Fresh garlic adds that punchy garlic flavor. Use two peeled cloves or substitute with ½ teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch.
Ranch Seasonings: Use one pre-made packet or your own mix of dried parsley, dried chives, dried dill, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Spices: Smoked paprika, ground cumin, onion powder and salt round out the complex flavor profile.
Milk: Add milk as needed to reach desired consistency.

What Are Chipotle Peppers in Adobo?

Chipotle peppers are made from jalapenos that are ripened on the vine from green to red, smoke-dried, rehydrated, then either ground or preserved in adobo sauce. They are prized for their intense zesty, smoky, slightly sweet heat. Chipotle pepper comes from the Nahuatl word chilpoctli meaning “smoked chili.”

Chipotle peppers in adobo refers to chipotle peppers marinated in a rich and ridiculously flavorful, velvety, earthy, tangy-sweet, spicy adobo sauce sold together in 7 or 12 oz. cans. They are a versatile pantry staple worthy of keeping stocked!

The adobo sauce is a spicy, sweet and tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ground ancho and guajillo chiles, and various spices such as paprika, oregano, cumin and cinnamon which all enhance the taste of the chipotle peppers.

showing what chipotles in adobo look like with a can to make chipotle dressing

Chipotle Dressing Recipe Substitutions and Variations

This Chipotle Ranch Dressing is easy to adjust to meet dietary needs and personal preferences. Here are a few options:

Yogurt substitute: Use sour cream instead.
Mayonnaise substitute: Use sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Make it dairy-free: Substitute the Greek yogurt with cashew sour cream.
Make it vegan: Substitute the sour cream with cashew sour cream and the mayonnaise for vegan mayonnaise.
Pantry friendly: Skip the cilantro, use garlic powder and use frozen fresh lime juice or bottled.
Add cotija: Try adding Cotija for a salty, cheesy kick. This cheese is known as “Mexican Parmesan” because it is wonderfully salty, hard, and crumbly. It is traditionally found with the specialty cheeses and should be readily available.
Add diced green chilies: Add 2-4 tablespoons canned diced green chilies. The chilies work with the lime juice to add a depth of tanginess.
Add tomatillos: Add 1-2 tomatillos for bright tanginess. Remove the outer husks, wash and dry the tomatillos then roughly chop before adding to the blender.

Can I Substitute Chipotle Powder for Chipotle Peppers in Adobo?

You may substitute ground chipotle chili (chipotle powder/ground chipotle pepper) for chipotle chiles in adobo if you are in a bind, but it is not ideal. Chipotle peppers in adobo are extra fabulous because they are marinated in the fiery adobo sauce which makes them much more flavorful.

how to Substitute Chipotle Powder for Chipotle PepperS

One chipotle pepper is equivalent to ½ teaspoon of chipotle powder, so I recommend starting with 1 ½ teaspoons and adding more to taste after it is all blended together. If you are wary about heat, start with less – you can always add spice but it’s hard to take away!

How to make Chipotle Ranch

Are you ready to see just how easy this Chipotle Ranch Dressing is to make? It’s made in three easy steps (full measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):

Step 1: Combine ingredients. Add the ingredients to a high powered blender.

Step 2: Process until smooth. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.

Step 3: Adjust to taste. This is YOUR Chipotle Ranch, make it how you like it! See suggestions below.

showing the ingredients for chipotle ranch dressing by adding them to the blender

TIPS FOR making Chipotle Dressing Recipe

Making Chipotle Ranch Dressing from scratch means you can make it perfect for YOU! Here’s how to adjust to taste:

Want it spicier? Add ½ to 1 whole additional chipotle pepper or chipotle powder in ¼ teaspoon increments after the dressing is processed.
Want it thinner? Add milk or water in 1 tablespoon increments.
Want it tangier? Add additional lime juice, 1 teaspoon at a time.
Want it zestier? Add additional cilantro.
Want it less spicy and creamier? Add additional mayonnaise or yogurt and/or use less chipotle peppers.

Ways to use Chipotle Dressing

This Chipotle Sauce recipe makes everything better! Add it to your favorite Mexican dishes, salads, wraps, etc. Here are a few ideas:

As a dressing: Drizzle it over any salad like Southwest Salad or Mexican Salad, or over chicken wraps, burgers or sandwiches.
As a veggie dip: Serve with raw veggies or roasted veggies like roasted potatoes, roasted cauliflower, roasted broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts etc.
Appetizers dip: Dunk you favorites like taquitos, flautas, fries, sweet potato fries, zucchini fries, etc.
Main dish dip: Elevate grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, pork, fish sticks, chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, etc.
Breakfast foods: It makes chorizo eggs, chilaquiles, breakfast tacos, breakfast taquitos, breakfast enchiladas, huevos rancheros, migas etc., or spice up traditional breakfast foods like scrambled eggs, omelettes, frittatas, quiche, etc.
Burritos: Add it to any burrito fillings instead of sour cream and/or dunk the burritos in the sauce. Try it with wet burritos, California burritos, smothered Chicken burritos or ground beef, bean and cheese Burritos – and drool.
Tacos: Swap your plain sour cream or avocado crema for Chipotle Dressing to marry all of the ingredients together with a bang! Try it with carne asada street tacos, easy shredded chicken tacos, ground beef tacos, ground turkey tacos, shrimp tacos, Baja fish tacos, blackened fish tacos and tacos al pastor.
Fajitas: Add it to chicken fajitas, steak fajitas, pork fajitas, shrimp fajitas and salmon fajitas to bring all the flavors together.
Burrito Bowls: fajita burrito bowls, shrimp burrito bowls, chicken burrito bowls, Barbacoa taco bowls, with the textural rice, juicy protein, crunchy lettuce and Chipotle Ranch Dressing just get me.

showing how to serve chipotle ranch by drizzling over a salad

How to store Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Transfer Chipotle Dressing to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The dressing will thicken as it sits, so you may need to thin it with a splash of milk or water when ready to use.

Can I Freeze Chipotle Ranch REcipe?

Yes, you may freeze Chipotle Ranch Dressing but be prepared for it to separate a bit when thawed. Pulse it a few times in your blender to help make it smooth again along with a tablespoon or so of mayonnaise. The frozen dressing will separate more if use low-fat or nonfat ingredients.

up close of a spoonful of chipotle dressing recipe showing the blended ingredients

Looking for more Dressing Recipes?

Cilantro Lime Dressing
Italian Dressing
Avocado Ranch Dressing
Caesar Dressing
Ranch Dressing
Blue Cheese Dressing
Thai Peanut Dressing

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Total Time: 10

Prep Time: 10

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Ingredients

1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 cup real mayonnaise
1/3 cup packed cilantro
3-5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from above can
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix (1 oz. packet) – see DIY in notes
1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, ground cumin
1/4 cup milk, plus more as needed

Instructions

Blend: Add the ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth, scraping sides down as needed. Start with less chipotle peppers, blend, then add another 1/2-1 pepper and blend again if it's not spicy enough.
Adjust to taste: add additional lime, salt, etc. For thinner, add milk or water 1 tablespoon at a time.
Chill before serving. The dressing will thicken in the refrigerator so you may need to whisk in some milk before serving.

Notes

DIY ranch seasoning:

2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoons dried chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
½ teaspoon onion powder

Spice Level

Mild-medium: three chipotle peppers
Medium-spicy: four chipotle peppers
Spicy: five or more chipotle peppers

Storage

Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. The dressing will thicken upon standing, so stir in a little milk or water to reach desired consistency.

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Chipotle Salad Dressing Recipe

PIN THIS RECIPE TO SAVE FOR LATER

Creamy Ranch Chipotle Dressing Recipe

how spicy is chipotle Dressing?