Blog - Cooking On The Ranch

Rancho De Chimayo Spicy Ranch Dressing

October 25, 2017 By Lea Ann Brown 36 Comments

Traditional Buttermilk Ranch Dressing gets a spicy kick using New Mexico Red Chile Powder. Your salad greens never had it so good. Kick up your next salad with this Spicy Ranch Dressing.

If you’re a fan of New Mexico Recipes like we are, don’t miss this one for Stacked Enchiladas. A New Mexico specialty.

A tossed salad dressed with spicy ranch dressing.

I’m beginning to think that a pinch of New Mexico Chimayo Chile Powder makes every single piece of food better. I’ve been sprinkling it on beans, dips, and even deviled eggs. And now adding it to make this Spicy Ranch Dressing.

This recipe comes from the popular New Mexican Restaurant in Chimayo. And with first bite, I fell in love and had to make it in my own kitchen.

On our recent trip to New Mexico, we had lunch at the famous James Beard Award Winning Rancho de Chimayo. Chimayo, New Mexico is located on the High Road between Santa Fe and Taos.

The restaurant is in a restored family hacienda style home, and when we walked in, their warm hospitality made me feel like we were being welcomed into someone’s home.

The cuisine is traditional Northern New Mexican, and Carne Adovada is what put them on the map and earned them the James Beard Award. It’s an absolutely wonderful dish that defines the spirit of New Mexico cuisine.

Their Red Chile Ranch Dressing elevates traditional ranch into a warm Spicy Ranch Dressing.

According to their cookbook, the spicy ranch dressing is simply a doctored up Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix. Which makes this an incredible quick fix.

This spicy ranch dressing can be made from scratch or using a packet of Ranch Dressing. Let’s take a look.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Use both sour cream and mayonnaise to make this cool creamy recipe for buttermilk ranch dressing.

Ingredients to make homemade buttermilk ranch dressing

Mayonnaise: Full fat please. And use your favorite brand.
Sour Cream: Again, full fat. You'll get a thicker and richer result.
Buttermilk: Adds a beautiful creamy texture and an under note of tang to the overall flavor.
Garlic: Use fresh garlic please. And use a microplane zester to grate it into the the dressing ingredients. This will help distribute that wonderful garlicky flavor.
Plain Old White Vinegar: No need to get fancy with the vinegar for this recipe.
Fresh Chives: Chives are wonderful for adding a mild onion flavor to this recipe.
Fresh Parsley: Use Italian Flat Leaf Parsley for this recipe. For a clean, slightly peppery taste, you'll be glad you chose it over the curly variety. Which actually makes a better garnish along side your burger than for flavor in any recipe.
Fresh Dill: A fresh buttery herb, using fresh dill will add a grassy flavor with notes of anise and lemon.
New Mexico Red Chile Powder

Ingredient Substitutions

Parsley: Substitute parsley for cilantro.
Red Chile Powder: If you don’t have access to New Mexico Red Chile Powder, substitute Ancho Chile Powder.

How To Make Spicy Ranch Dressing, New Mexico Style

Step by Step Instructions

Simple, fresh and oh-so creamy, let's take a look at these easy step by step instructions to make this recipe for spicy buttermilk ranch dressing.

Mixing together mayo and sour cream with a whisk in a glass bowl.

Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine mayo and sour cream. A whisk works good for the entire process.

Whisking buttermilk in with mayonnaise and sour cream to make dressing

Step 2: Add the buttermilk ¼ cup at a time, mixing as you go.

Adding dry ingredients to buttermilk ranch dressing recipe

Step 3: Add in the dry ingredients. Chopped fresh chives, chopped parsley, dill vinegar and chopped or zested garlic.

Buttermilk ranch dressing recipe made in a clear bowl using a whisk and garnished with fresh parsley

Step 4: Using a whisk, combine all ingredients until well blended.

New Mexico Chimayo Red Chile Powder in a small glass container.

Step 5: Now comes the fun part. Add the New Mexico New Mexico Chile Powder. Start with two teaspoons and keep adding to suit your heat tolerance. I usually add four teaspoons. We like our spice.

Make It Super Simple

Purchase a package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. Add 1 ½ Cups Sour Cream, ½ cup half and half, ¼ cup Buttermilk. and then add 3 – 4 teaspoons New Mexico Red Chile Powder. That’s how the restaurant rolls and it’s delicious.

Tips For Success

Use a microplane zester to grate garlic.
I like to let this dressing sit in the refrigerator for about an hour so the flavors marry and the dressing thickens slightly. But it's not a deal breaker if you don't.
Use sharp scissors or good kitchen shears to cut chives into very small pieces
Did you know you can freeze buttermilk? This recipe call for only a portion of the carton. I measure the rest into small 1 cup canning jars and freeze. It works very well, you may need to shake it up a bit before using, as it can separate.
This is a somewhat thick dressing that's best drizzled on a salad with a spoon. If you'd like a more pourable dressing, reduce the mayonnaise to ¼ cup. You can also use a low fat sour cream. Full fat sour cream is quite dense. Mexican Crema is a thinner product that would work well here.

Questions You May Have

Is This Spicy Ranch Dressing Gluten Free?

The benefits of making this recipe from scratch rather than using a packet mix, is this dressing is naturally a gluten free salad dressing.

A jar of homemade spicy ranch dressing next to a dressed tossed salad.

Ways to use Spicy Ranch Dressing

It's not just a salad dressing after all:

Drizzle it over pizza like I have for this BBQ Chicken and Jalapeno Pizza and my recipe for BBQ Brisket Pizza. It adds a wonderful compliment to the layers of bbq flavors.
Spicy Ranch Dressing is thick enough for you to use as a dip for celery sticks, carrots or anything that happen to land on your crudites platter.
It’s a great dip for those spicy chicken wings.
Slather it over your next piece of grilled salmon. Just spread it over the fish as you toss it on the grill and use it to baste every 5 minutes. I usually cook salmon 15 - 20 minutes depending on size.
Making a quick lunch of chicken avocado wraps - use this buttermilk dressing to jazz it up.
Next time you're grilling corn, drizzle ranch dressing over the corn once it's cooked. It's also wonderful drizzled over grilled new potatoes.
And speaking of potatoes, try dipping your Oven Home Fries into spicy ranch dressing, Fabulous.

Storage

Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

I hope you give this Spicy Ranch Dressing recipe a try. It’s a great way to bring New Mexico flavors to any combination of salad greens.

More Popular Dressing Recipes

And if you’re looking for more recipes, don’t miss my Salad Category. You’ll find lots of great recipe ideas, including the most popular salad dressing recipe on my site for Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing. Rich, chunky, creamy, it’s simply the best.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Spicy Ranch Dressing

Traditional Buttermilk Ranch Dressing gets a spicy kick using New Mexico Red Chile Powder. Your salad greens never had it so good. Kick up your next salad with this Spicy Ranch Dressing.

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Total Time10

Course: Salads, Salad Dressings and Vinaigrettes

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 154kcal

Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

⅓ cup mayonnaise
⅔ cup sour cream
¾ cup buttermilk plus more if needed
1 clove garlic minced or grated with a microplane zester
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, or cilantro
2 tablespoons chives fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill or 2-3 teaspoons fresh
sea or kosher salt and fresh pepper
2-4 teaspoons New Mexico Chimayo Chile Powder or Ancho

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the mayo and sour cream, slowly whisk in buttermilk until you reach a consistency you like.
Mix in garlic, vinegar, parsley, chives and dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. From here you can tweak it to your own individual taste by adding more sour cream, mayo, vinegar or herbs.
Add New Mexico Red Chile Powder starting with 2 teaspoons. Add more as you taste to suit your heat tolerance.
I like to let this dressing sit in the refrigerator for about an hour so the flavors marry, but it's not a deal breaker if you don't.

Notes

Tips For Success:

Use a microplane zester to grate garlic into the the dressing ingredients. This will help distribute that wonderful garlicky flavor.
This is a thick texture dressing, that’s best drizzled on a salad with a spoon. If you’d like a more pourable dressing, reduce the mayonnaise to ¼ cup. You can also use a low fat sour cream which is a thinner product. Full fat sour cream is quite dense. Mexican Crema is a good substitute, it’s thin but keeping that tangy flavor,
This dressing will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. And just as you can freeze buttermilk, you can most certainly freeze this dressing for up to 3 months.
Make this Spicy Ranch Dressing from the homemade version rather than a packet mix to amke this a naturally a gluten free salad dressing.
How to chop chives? Just use sharp scissors or good kitchen shears to cut the pieces very small.

Make It Super Simple: Purchase a package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. Add 1 ½ Cups Sour Cream, ½ cup half and half, ¼ cup Buttermilk. and then add 3 – 4 teaspoons New Mexico Red Chile Powder. That’s how the restaurant rolls and it’s delicious.

Nutrition

Spicy Ranch Dressing … It’s What’s For That Salad

Mexican Chicken Tinga With Chorizo

October 8, 2017 By Lea Ann Brown 23 Comments

If you think you've had Mexican Chicken Tinga before, think again. This Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken takes the classic dish to the next level by adding bold Mexican chorizo and tender potatoes, all simmered low and slow in a smoky chipotle tomato sauce. It's hands-off cooking with maximum payoff. Layers of rich, spicy warm flavor that make for unforgettable tacos (or burrito bowls, tostadas, you name it).

Serve this with Gulf Coast Style Oven Baked Rice for a balanced meal.

Quick Look: Mexican Chicken Tinga

🧁 Serves: 10 Tacos
⭐ Features: Slow Cooker✓ Deep Flavor ✓Slight “heat” ✓
⌛️ Prep Time: 20
🍪 Cook Time: 6 Hours (hands off slow-cooker)
🕑 Total Time: 6 Hours 20 minutes
👩‍🍳 Skill Level: Beginner
🏆 Why make THIS version? Taking a cue from a local Mexican Restaurant, I add chorizo and potatoes to my Chicken Tinga = more flavor.

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What Is Mexican Chicken Tinga?

To be more authentic with it’s name, this is Mexican Tinga de Pollo and hails from the city of Puebla. Chicken Tinga is a traditional Mexican dish made with shredded chicken cooked in a spicy, smoky tomato-based sauce. The sauce typically includes:

Tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (for heat and smokiness)
Spices like oregano and cumin

The chicken is simmered in the sauce until tender and flavorful and can be served in tacos, tostadas, burritos, or even over rice. Garnishes like sour cream, avocado, lettuce, cheese, and a wedge of lime are common.

Why Use A Slow Cooker For Tinga Chicken?

Stewing chicken works beautifully in the slow cooker. A slow cooker is much more than just a “set it and forget it” appliance. It works well to build layers of flavors. And with the ingredients involved to make Tinga de Pollo tacos, the slow cooker just makes sense.

In a nutshell, using a slow cooker offers hands-off cooking, with a deeper infusion of flavors.

The end flavor result is truly delicious. There’s Mexican chorizo involved, which adds texture and an even more smoky edge. And my recipe includes potatoes for a creamy smooth treat. Simply stated, these Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga Tacos offer a blast of rich flavor.

Tip: How to avoid dry chicken or diluted sauce: Don’t try to cook this recipe on high. Keeping the temperature low and slow will cook the chicken evenly. And setting that slow cooker on “high” may cause the sauce to separate and become runny.

Key Ingredients

Mexican Chorizo: In bulk form, packaged like ground beef. The chorizo product that you find in a tube contains a lot of grease/fat. Stick with the bulk form for a heartier texture.
Sherry Vinegar: For this tinga chicken recipe, I’m using Sherry Vinegar. The flavor of Sherry Vinegar is a complex combination of sweet and sour. I have to admit, it's my favorite vinegar to use in my kitchen.
Achiote Paste: A very special ingredient that you should take the time seek out and purchase. It's huge on flavor and perhaps unlike anything you've ever tasted. A combination of ground annatto seeds, garlic, bitter orange juice and spices. Stored properly it will keep well and you can use it in other Mexican Recipes like these Achiote Shredded Pork Tacos, or Cochinita Pibil. It comes packaged in a 3.5 ounce block and we'll use most of it for this recipe. You can order it from Amazon.
Chicken: I like using boneless skinless chicken thighs, but boneless skinless chicken breast also works well here.
Potatoes: Choose small Yukon Gold potatoes. They’ll be easy to chop and the skin is tender to eat = no peeling.
Chipotle in Adobo: Are canned smoked dried jalapeno peppers packed in a luscious red chipotle sauce. They’re readily available on the Mexican aisle of your local super market.
Mexican Oregano as opposed to Mediterranean oregano.

Mexican Oregano is preferred for this recipe. It's peppery, grassy, earthy flavor is a good compliment for Mexican Food. If you don't have Mexican Oregano, substitute Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to Mexican oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.

How To Make Mexican Chicken Tinga

Making tinga chicken sauce in a food processor. Step 2.

Make The Tinga Chicken Sauce

Step 1: In a food processor, place the canned tomatoes, Chipotle peppers, achiote paste and garlic.
Step 2: Blend until smooth.

Prep The Chicken

Preparing the chicken for tinga chicken, step 3.

Cooking the chicken and chorizo to make tinga chicken.

Step 3: Add the chicken to a large bowl and sprinkle with flour. Use your hands to mix well and coat. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and red chile powder. Add it to the floured chicken and use hands to distribute the seasoning.
Step 4: Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. When hot, add crumbled Chorizo Sausage. Let it cook a couple of minutes to release some fat. Move the sausage to the edges of the pan and add half the chicken. Let the chicken sear for about 5 minutes, then turn. Sear the other side for a couple of minutes. Move the seared chicken to a plate, as you’ll need to do this in two batches. And you may need to drizzle in some oil as you fry, depending on how much grease the chorizo creates.

Pro Tip: Don't skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it's responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or pan seared seared steak, like my recipe for Denver Steak, taste charred. It's a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.

Cooking vegetables with chorizo to make tinga chicken.

Placing seared and seasoned chicken in a slow cooker to make tinga chicken.

Step 5: Add the chopped poblano and onion to the chorizo and let cook for about 2 minutes.
Step 6: Place the chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Adding chorizo and vegetables to chicken in a slow cooker to make tinga chicken.

Adding tinga sauce to slow cooker to make tinga chicken, Step 8.

Step 7: Top with the chorizo vegetable mix.
Step 8: Pour in the tinga chicken sauce.

Adding potatoes to slow cooker to make tinga chicken. Step 9.

Step 9: Sprinkle in the Mexican Oregano, Sherry Vinegar, and Worcestershire, then add the chopped potatoes. Cover and cook tinga chicken on low 6 hours.

Tips For Success:

Deglaze the pan once the chorizo and vegetables are done cooking and removed from the pan and while the pan is still hot, add a splash of wine, or chicken stock. Use a sturdy spatula to stir and scrape up the bits of meat that remains on the bottom of the pan. Then pour it into the slow cooker. There’s a lot of flavor that results from deglazing.
Char Your Tortillas: You simply can’t take a corn tortilla out of the package and make a taco, you need to make it pliable. Place corn tortillas directly on the open flame of a gas stove-top. Don’t walk away, in a few seconds you’ll see some charred spots on and around the edges. Flip it and let it cook another few seconds. The corn tortilla is pliable and the charred spots add smoky flavor. Remove the tortillas to a plate and cover while you toast the remaining shells.
Double Up: Since these tacos use a saucy style meat filling, you can use two corn tortillas per taco for a sturdier taco. I like to use yellow corn tortillas as they are sturdier than white corn.

How To Serve It

Once the chicken is fall apart tender, use two forks to shred it while it’s still in the pan. Stir well to coat the chicken with the sauce.

I like to make Tinga Chicken Tacos. Heat the canned refried beans or homemade refried beans on a warmed corn tortilla. Top with Tinga Chicken, then add garnishes.
Serve it over rice to make a Tinga Chicken Bowl. Again, top with garnishes.
Use a flour tortilla to make Tinga Chicken Burritos. Add the tinga mix to the tortilla, add some shredded cheddar cheese, then roll burrito style. Heat in a 300 degree oven until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
Purchase tostada shells or make your own homemade tostada shells and make a Tinga Tostada.
Make Tinga Chicken Tacos a meal by adding a side of Mexican Green Rice, or Scalloped Potatoes with Green Chiles. Keep things lighter with this Southwest Salad Recipe.

Garnishes For Tinga de Pollo Tacos

Once the refried beans have been placed on the corn tortillas, and the shredded chicken added, simply pass a plate of garnishes. Suggestions:

Chopped avocado or avocado mash. I like to take a fork and simply mash the avocado to a chunky stage.
Chopped raw sweet onion
Sliced Pickled Jalapenos
Mexican crumbling cheese: Cotija cheese works very well here.
Chopped Cilantro
Friends don’t let friends eat Mexican food without Mexican Pickled Onions. Try them, they’re incredible with flavor and easy to make.

Storing Tinga Chicken

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freezer:

Cool tinga chicken completely, then place in a freezer safe container. I like to use freezer safe zip-lock bags. Squeeze the air out, then lay flat to optimize freezer space. Let the chicken thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat stove top or microwave.

Variations

Potatoes: Taking a cue from a local Mexican restaurant, I have prepared my Chicken Tinga with potatoes. To make tinga chicken more authentic Mexican style, omit the potatoes.
Gluten Free: This recipe will be gluten free if you substitute a gluten free flour, or omit the flouring process all together.

FAQ

Can I Use Frozen Chicken To Make This Recipe?

No! It’s simply not recommended to put frozen chicken into a slow cooker. Doing so can create unsafe food practices and cause illness. The USDA reports that the chicken spends too much time in the “danger zone”, which is a temperature between 40 degrees and 140 degrees before it comes to a safe temperature of 165 degrees. That time in the danger zone can cause bacteria like salmonella.

How Do I Control The Spiciness Of Tinga?

This recipe calls for two Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. Chipotle peppers are very spicy. Cut them open and scrape out the seeds and veins, this is where the heat lies. Then continue with the recipe. Use only one pepper for a milder sauce.

Can I Make Tinga Chicken Ahead for Meal Prep?

Absolutely yes. Like soups, this is one of those recipes that tastes better the next day. Make ahead, then store in single serving containers in the refrigerator until ready to reheat. Use a sauce pan stovetop or a large microwave safe container.

Recipe for Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken

Easy slow cooker Mexican chicken dinner idea. Crock pot chicken tinga de pollo poblano

More Popular Taco Recipes

And if you’re taco crazy like us, don’t miss my Tacos Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular taco recipes on my site for Fried Tacos. Made with ground beef, everyone I’ve served these too ask for the recipe.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Tinga chicken tacos with toppings, served on a white platter.

Print Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes

Mexican Chicken Tinga, Slow Cooker

This slow cooker Mexican Tinga Chicken is full of flavor with poblano peppers, and plenty spicy excitement.

Prep Time20

Cook Time6

Total Time6 20

Course: Main Course Chicken

Cuisine: Southwestern

Servings: Tacos

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Lea Ann Brown