This bold and flavorful salsa ranch is made using minimal ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry and refrigerator. You’ll want to dip and drizzle this sauce on absolutely everything… salads, chips, tacos, and more!
This is one of my Pantry/Kitchen Basics recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand! These recipes are great homemade alternatives to store-bought items.
This is one of those recipes I’ve been wanting to get on the website for a while, but life kept getting in the way.
I made this ranch for the first time years ago for a taco night (along with this Chuy’s copycat jalapeño sauce), and now I can’t make tacos for the family without making those sauces!
And for good reason… this salsa ranch is so easy to make, yet so incredibly delicious.
Plus it’s so customize-able, you can truly make this to your tastes and preferences!
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Salsa – please feel free to use your favorite salsa for this recipe. Picante sauce (such as Pace brand) will also work well.
- Mayonnaise – this recipe works well with full fat or low fat mayonnaise.
- Ranch – this recipe was designed to use ranch seasoning, not bottled ranch dressing.
- Lime juice – bottled or fresh, both work well in this recipe.
- Milk – I typically use whole milk since that’s what we keep in the house, but it should work well with lower fat milks as well.
- Black pepper – this image shows a large amount (just so it’s clear what it is), but you only need a pinch.
How to make creamy salsa ranch?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Blend salsa. We like a smoother sauce, so we blend it until it’s pretty smooth. You can adjust this to your tastes and make it as smooth or as chunky as you’d like.
- Combine. Whisk the blended salsa with all the other ingredients.
- Transfer and chill. This sauce tastes best when it’s chilled for an hour or so.
- Serve. Serve this sauce cold.
Helpful Tip!
I prefer to make this recipe in stages, so I can control the texture and thickness. But if you’re in a hurry, you can add all the ingredients to the food processor and process until smooth.
Variations of this recipe
- Salsa – you can use your favorite store-bought or homemade salsa. If I don’t have any of my homemade salsa on hand, I like to use Chi-Chi’s restaurant style salsa (in medium).
- Sour cream – instead of using mayo, you could try using sour cream, or a combination of mayo and sour cream. I haven’t tested using plain Greek yogurt, but I think that would work as well.
- Ranch – if you want to use a homemade ranch seasoning, you certainly can (just use about 3 Tbsp). Don’t use bottled ranch dressing, this recipe was designed to use the seasoning packet.
- Lime – fresh lime juice is best, but bottled will work just as well.
- No food processor – if you don’t have a food processor, you could use a blender, or use a salsa that’s not so chunky and skip the blending all together.
FAQ’s
There’s no perfect texture/consistency, since this is your dip/sauce and you can make it as thick or thin as you’d like. Just adjust the amount of milk until the sauce is the consistency you’re looking for. Typically for a dip, I like it to be thick, and for a dressing/sauce, I like it to be thinner.
This sauce is a staple in our household, because it’s great in so many ways! I like it drizzled over tacos, burritos, nachos, salads, used in a Mexican layer dip, and as a dip for chips.
Making salsa ranch ahead of time
I love this recipe because it’s actually better when you make it ahead!
The flavors really get a chance to meld together this way. I like to make this sauce the day before, or early in the morning of the day we want to use it.
Storage
Leftover salsa ranch should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoyed within 1-2 weeks.
More Sauce and Dressing Recipes:
My Favorite Mini Food Processor!
This smaller food processor is perfect for recipes like this one. Plus, it’s easier to store and less expensive than a much larger version!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salsa use your favorite
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 – 1 cup whole milk
- 1 oz packet ranch seasoning
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice fresh or bottled
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
Blend salsa
- Add the salsa to a food processor or blender and process until it’s as smooth as you’d like. I like mine to be pretty smooth so I end up with a smooth dressing.
Combine and chill
- To a mixing bowl, add mayo, milk, pureed salsa, ranch seasoning, lime juice, and black pepper. Whisk to combine well.
- Transfer to an airtight container (mason jar, etc), cover, and chill for at least 1 hour.
Serve
- Serve cold and enjoy!
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- This recipe should make about 2.5 – 3 cups, which I’ve estimated will serve about 20 (with 2 Tbsp as the estimated serving size).
- Ranch should last in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Carla Lanning says
I used 1/2 mayo and 1/2 Greek yogurt and wish I had used less than 3/4 c milk. It was a bit runnier than I had hoped but still very good
Michele says
I love this and have made it three times in the last three weeks. I just wish it were thicker. Any ideas how to thicken it? I haven’t tried using sour cream – maybe that will help?
The Chunky Chef says
Glad you enjoy it! Just use less milk, until it’s the consistency you’re looking for.
Carla Lanning says
This is same as what comes with fiesta salad! You can’t buy it!!!!
April says
This was delicious! I LOVED the flavor, and it was so easy to mix up!
Sandra says
This creamy salsa ranch was the crowd favorite! Made it for the weekend gathering and everyone loved it! So good!
Catalina says
I just made the Creamy Salsa Ranch and it was amazing! It added such a delicious twist to our taco night. The blend of creamy ranch with the kick of salsa is genius.
Beth says
We are actually eating this right now, and it’s delicious! I decided to make it to go with our chicken tenders and fries. AH-mazing.
Krystle says
We love this and make it often. It’s fantastic on everything from burritos to french fries.
Mary Orem says
Loved it.
John Ward says
Hi there. Love your site and many of the recipes. Appreciate you being online. Question – What can I use as a to substitute for the mayo? Yogurt and oil? Sour cream and oil?
Thanks
The Chunky Chef says
Thank you John! Using sour cream is a pretty good substitute 🙂