Habanero Ranch Sauce Recipe - A Red Spatula (2024)

If you are like our family and love spicy food, this recipe is for you! This Habanero Ranch Sauce Recipe is so easy to make (I am talking about 5 minutes), and is lip-burning spicy!

If you love using peppers, let me suggest a few other recipes. Stuffed Anaheim peppers are an easy dinner to make and one loaded with flavor! I have another milder version of this dressing- my Spicy jalapeno ranch dressing. We also love this pineapple habanero jelly.

Why You Need This Spicy Ranch

If you need a little spice in your life, this ranch dressing is for you!

This spicy ranch dressing can be used as a salad dressing, kick it up! You can use it to dip in your chicken wings, or how about something to spice up your fresh vegetables. Or, if your family is like the family I grew up in, dip your pizza in it!

It is really simple to make. If you are short of time and looking for a dip to use on game day, make this your recipe. It seriously comes together in about 5 minutes in the food processor or blender.

This dressing with a spicy kick also holds well for at least 7-10 days. So, make it ahead of time and it is ready to go when you need it.

Ingredients

• Fresh Habaneros- I used a variety called Caribbean red, but any variety you can get your hands on is great.
• Sour Cream- This with the mayonnaise adds to the creaminess. You can also use Greek yogurt if you want a higher-protein cream.
• Mayo- As noted above this is used for that creamy texture.
• Dry ranch dressing mix- I buy mine in the packets, but it also comes in jars as well.
• Fresh lime juice- You can also use lemon juice if you prefer, both are really good. No, the concentrate will not work. It makes the dressing too bitter.
• Fresh Cilantro- This adds such a great flavor to the dressing, I would not leave it out if I was you.
• Minced Garlic- you could also use garlic powder if you needed to, but I like the fresh garlic better.
• Sea Salt and Black pepper- The only spices you will need. Onion powder can also be added.

How To Make This Hot Sauce

Are you ready for how easy this is? Here we go...

Start by cutting off the top of the peppers. If you don't use hot peppers often, do not touch them while you are cutting them up. You can see in the video I did not have gloves, so I covered my hand with a ziplock bag. Hot peppers are no joke!

Do not touch any part of your face or body when you are cutting peppers. Even after wearing gloves, when I finish, I still wash my hands several times.

Once the peppers are done, the hardest part is over.

Add all ingredients to the food processor or blender. Pulse until it is well mixed. Test for salt and pepper and add more as needed.

See, I told you this was easy! Done in about 5 minutes and ready to go. It is the simplest sauce you can make!

Notes

Make sure and store this sauce in the fridge when you are done making it. It has mayonnaise and sour cream, so it needs to be chilled.

It holds really well for at least 7-10 days. Make this ahead of time, and you are set for over a week.

Even here in the United States, habaneros are a pepper that is easy to find. Check the produce section in your local grocery store.

Habanero peppers are spicy peppers, but not the only option for this dressing. I have made a jalapeno ranch that is a milder version. Simply sub in jalapeno peppers for the habaneros and it is good to go.

You could also use Anaheim peppers or poblanos if you want a milder pepper.

Or if you like even more heat you have a few options. First, you can use more than 3 habaneros. Throw in 5-8. Or you can try another pepper, Thai peppers are delicious and so are ghost peppers.

There are many chili peppers to choose from! If you haven't looked at theScoville heat index, check it out to see how each pepper lines up.

How To Serve

You can see from the video and photos, that one of my favorite ways to eat this dressing is with roasted potato wedges. In the same way, you can use french fries for dipping as well. It makes such a great appetizer, but don't stop there.

This can be used as a dip for tortilla chips too. It ups your chip and dip game!

It is also really good on a taco salad or any other salad.

Dipping your chicken wings or chicken tenders in this dressing is also a really good choice.

Or if you are a burger lover, how about a bacon habanero ranch burger?? Or a fried chicken burger with the ranch is a great way to enjoy it with a spicy twist!

Can you make this vegan/dairy-free?

This can be a really easy vegan habanero ranch dressing sauce with a few adjustments. Simple swap the sour cream for a vegan sour cream, and the mayo for a vegan mayo. There are a lot of options for vegans now.

Can you freeze this spicy ranch dip?

You cannot. It separates when it is thawed and turns into a mess. I do not recommend it.

• Appetizers