Traditional creamy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing gets a spicy kick using New Mexico Red Chile Powder.
I’m beginning to think that a pinch of New Mexico Red Chile Powder makes every single piece of food better. I’ve been sprinkling it on beans, over chicken, on beef, dousing pork with it, and now adding it to salad dressing. Everyone’s favorite Ranch Dressing gets a big kick with a hefty helping of dried New Mexican Red Chile.
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 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 a pork dish smothered in a rich red New Mexico sauce and served with rice and hominy. It’s an absolutely wonderful dish that defines the spirit of New Mexico cuisine. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone.
At their gift shop, I purchased a bag of New Mexico Red Chile Powder, a jar of their adovada sauce and their cookbook. I had been wondering what to add to Ranch Dressing to make it Southwest. New Mexico Red Chile Powder provided the answer. This Red Chile Ranch Dressing is a featured recipe in the Rancho de Chimayo Cookbook.
I used my Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe to make this spicy dressing, you can also use a package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix like their recipe calls for. An affiliate link has been provided for your convenience.
This dressing also made a great Southwestern dip for potato chips, and would also work as a sauce for tacos. That’s next up.
Recipe for Red Chile Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
I hope you give this buttermilk ranch dressing recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.
Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite spicy salad dressing recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
Red Chile Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 (1 ounce) Package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
- 3-4 teaspoons New Mexico Red Chile Powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Will keep in a sealed container for 5 days.
Oh my! I must try this! My husband is from very near Hatch, NM, and if it stands still, he wants to put green chile on it. We make a trip back to TorC almost every year to stock up on green chiles and red Chile power in various strengths. I have a fabulous recipe for a Hatch Green Chile vinaigrette, but this dressing sounds heavenly. I will be making it very soon
Rancho de Chimayo has a website to order their specialty items, including red or green chili powder, sauces, coffee, and honey. Check it out: http://ranchodechimayo.com.nmsrv.com/tienda/specialty_foods.htm
OMG, Lee Ann, I ate at Rancho de Chimayo while visiting Santa Fe and Taos between May 14-21. I would have loved meeting you in person. The restaurant was wonderful, as was the village and chapel. In fact, I fell in love with New Mexican cuisine, which was different than I expected. My friends who live in Rio Rancho insist that their cuisine is not Tex-Mex or Southwest; it’s very specific. I enjoyed the quesadillas at Rancho as my meal since the serving was enormous. The delightful waitress was very helpful and suggsted that, instead of choosing either chicken or beef, that I mix them. Wow, what a fabulous combination! And the pinon coffee capped the meal perfectly. I left my heart in NM and will return! Now I must try this dressing!
The restaurant is in a restored family home, and when we walked in, their warm hospitality made me feel like we were being welcomed into someone’s home.
I totally agree about that home-style hospitality. We loved the place.