Red Chile Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

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.