Spicy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing is a creamy sauce that goes perfectly with salads, tacos and even a veggie dip!
Spicy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing has been one of my favorite dressings for YEARS!
I was first introduced to this creamy goodness back when I was first married and living in Southern Utah. There is a restaurant in my hometown of St. George, Utah called Cafe Rio and it’s now gaining more and more popularity around the southwest. I know they have chains all over Utah, Arizona and I think even some in Idaho and California.
This dressing is their iconic salad dressing. It’s so good that there are several knock off recipes all over the internet!
I’m pretty sure this is the BEST recipe out there though. It’s creamy and slightly spicy (just enough to keep you coming back for more). If you’re not a fan of spice, you can definitely leave the jalapeno out.
I originally posted this recipe back in July of 2010, but the photos were needing an update, so I went ahead and did that. It’s always nice to revisit the archives and give them a facelift. Especially when they’re delicious recipes like this one (which I make constantly anyway).
Here are some of my favorite ways to use this Spicy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing:
- Drizzle it over your salad
- Top your Sweet Pulled Pork Tacos with it
- Dip a cheese quesadilla in it
- Use this dressing in place of ranch dip
Either way you use it, you’ll be hooked. The dressing can last for a while in the fridge, but I’ve never had it stick around long enough.
Don’t be surprised if this Spicy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing becomes your new favorite dressing.
I know you’re going to love it as much as we do!
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Spicy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 packet traditional ranch dressing mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup mayo
- 3 to matillos, chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
- 2 green onions
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 jalapeno, remove seeds if you prefer less spice
- 1 lime, juice of
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
- Dressing lasts 2 weeks in fridge, when sealed tight. Enjoy!
Nutrition
This dressing is DELICIOUS. I have made it several times over the last year.
Recently, I’ve been trying to stay away from dairy for health reasons, but I was missing this dressing! So for anyone interested in an insanely delicious and creamy vegan version of this, I highly recommend substituting two ripe avocados for the buttermilk and mayo and then adding water/lime until you get the right consistency.
It is SOOOO good you won’t even miss the buttermilk and mayo (not to mention it cuts down a ton on the calories!)
This recipe is perfect either way . Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoy the dressing and thanks for the dairy free idea! Sounds fantastic!
I HATE cilantro. I’m one of the unfortunate people who tastes soap when it hits her tongue. My normal substitution is always fresh parsley. Thoughts? Would it still be good?
Oh darn! I haven’t tried this recipe with parsley in it’s place, but I imagine it would work, while also altering the taste of the dressing. If you’re a fan of parsley, I say go for it!
Be careful, this stuff is addicting! It’s that good.
SERIOUSLY!! It’s so good we can’t get enough of it!
Have you tried using Greek yogurt? I’m looking to try to make it healthier.
Greek yogurt would make a great substitution!
What brand of Ranch mix do you recommend?
Shawn, I used a whole avocado to thicken. It worked beautifully.
Hi Shawn. Just made the tomatillo dressing. Question? The flavor is great, but I want it to be a thicker consistency. What would you suggest adding to it to make it thicker, without taking away from the flavor. Many Thanks. Debbie
You’ll want to make sure you’re using all full-fat ingredients for the thickest dressing possible. You can try adding in extra ranch dressing mix to thicken it up if you’ve already blended. Hope this helps!
I love all of of the things and receipes but I find that when I print recipes a line or so goes onto a second page and this to me is a waste of paper an d therefore trees. please use one and a half spacing then most will fit on one page. Thanks
Thank you for letting me know Jeni! I definitely want to make sure we aren’t wasting paper, so I’ll see if there is anything I can do to shorten the recipes to just one page.
Loved the flavor of this dressing but disappointed in how runny it is, anyway to thicken?
Make sure you’re using the full fat buttermilk. You could also try adding another half packet of ranch mix to thicken it up. Also, your tomatillos could be on the larger side, creating more liquid in the dressing. Cut back to 2 or 2 1/2 tomatillos.
Can this be canned for future use.