Green Chile Ranch – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Creamy ranch dressing with a bit of heat and plenty of green chile flavor has become a family favorite over the past couple of years.

Ranch dressing is delicious on salads and as a dip for fresh vegetables. We love dipping pizza in ranch and these spicy chicken bites are awesome with a side of green chile ranch too.

Dion’s Green Chile Ranch

If you grew up in the 505 or have ever lived in NM, you likely understand the near-obsession we all have with Dion’s Pizza. It truly is the best pizza, sandwiches, and salads you can buy.

When we were driving through Albuquerque a few years ago, we stopped (as we always do) for sandwiches, pizza and a bottle of Dion’s fantastic ranch dressing. When the cashier asked if we wanted regular ranch or green chile ranch, I can pretty much guarantee that my jaw dropped.

I immediately told her I’d like a bottle of each. About 3 minutes later, I was dipping a slice of pizza into the green chile ranch and wondering how I’d survived so long without it. (Hyperbole? You bet.)

Anyways, living thousands of miles from the nearest Dion’s restaurant meant that as soon as we were home again, I needed to figure out exactly how to recreate that dressing. I’ll admit it wasn’t quite as simple as I thought it might be, and it did require a special ingredient before I nailed the dressing to my own satisfaction.

Speaking of weird ingredients, did you know you can buy green chile powder?? I had no clue and let me tell you, it’s pretty amazing. It’s a more intense green chile taste with all the green chile flavor and heat we love so much.

I started with the base recipe for the ranch dressing everyone loves so much. Then started adding green chile (and the above-mentioned green chile powder) until the flavor was just right.

Just to be extra clear, you need “green chile powder” not “green chile seasoning.” One is pure dried green chile turned into powder and the other will have all sorts of different spices added to it.

Want a little more heat? Add more green chile or a bit of cayenne. You really can’t go wrong when playing with homemade salad dressing recipes. It’s so much fun to make them your own.

Want your dressing to be extra smooth? Puree the green chiles or skip them and increase the green chile powder. My family enjoyed the texture of the dressing with the finely chopped chile in it. Feel free to change it up to suit your own tastes.

Green Chile Ranch Dressing

You’ll need the following ingredients for this recipe:

I frequently swap plain white vinegar for the fresh lemon juice in this recipe whenever I don’t happen to have a lemon on hand. Both acids work beautifully to provide the perfect amount of tang in the dressing.

Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, and milk until smooth. Add the chopped green chile, green chile powder, dill, parsley, chives, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Add the lemon and stir again. Taste and adjust seasonings and lemon as needed. Pour into a jar and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This dressing will keep nicely in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Ranch Dressing Recipes

Classic ranch salad dressing and ranch dip have permanent homes in our refrigerator. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh herbs on hand, try making the dressing with a bit of extra pepper and fresh dill.

During the summer, I like to make the ranch dip with fresh herbs whenever possible. Here’s a handy cooking tip when working with fresh herbs: anytime you’re substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs in recipes, you’ll want to triple the suggested amounts.

Try Chipotle Ranch or Spicy BBQ Ranch for a bit of smoky heat next time. Southwest Ranch Dipping Sauce and this copycat recipe for Popeye’s Blackened Ranch are two of my kids’ favorites for dipping vegetables and chicken tenders.