Name: Homemade Spicy Ranch Dressing - Ready in 5 minutes!
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: ½ cup sour cream; 2 tbsp mayonnaise; 2 tbsp milk; 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 2 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp dried dill; 1 ½ tbsp hot sauce; ¼ tsp black pepper; ⅛ tsp salt

Jump to Recipe

This Spicy Ranch Dressing comes together quickly with everyday ingredients. Better than store-bought dressings and perfect with salads, veggies, and all sorts of dishes.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Homemade dressings like this Spicy Ranch are so much healthier than the grocery store version. We also love this Classic Ranch made with Greek yogurt and this Creamy Avocado + Cilantro Lime Dressing. Check out all of our Healthy Salad Dressing recipes for inspo.

IN THIS POST: Everything you need to learn How to make Spicy Ranch Dip

Is homemade dressing healthier? Well, this is the ingredient list from Kraft’s Ranch Dressing –>

Canola Oil, Buttermilk (Milk Solids, Salt, Bacterial Culture), Water, Egg Yolks, Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Garlic Juice, Dried Buttermilk, Natural Flavours, Xanthan Gum (Thickener), Phosphoric Acid, Spices, Yeast Extract, Dried Parsley, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Silicon Dioxide, (B466A) Contains Milk, Egg.

My ingredient list is shorter and much easier to pronounce. And nothing named B466A. Amazing! And isn’t it kind of fun to make your own?

Ingredients

sour cream
mayonnaise – try this easy homemade mayo recipe
whole milk
fresh lemon juice – enhances tartness
onion powder
garlic powder
dried dill – or fresh!
salt
black pepper
hot sauce – we love adobo sauce

My secret ingredient is the adobo sauce and it is what makes this the best spicy ranch sauce. It is so smoky and delicious. This is how to make ranch spicy!

Instructions for this recipe

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. If you have a food processor you can use it for this recipe also.

ingredients being stirred together in a bowl.

Stir or whisk everything together.

Stirring is just fine but processing it definitely makes for a smoother and silkier dressing.

Taste and add more hot sauce if desired.

FAQs, Tips, and Substitutions

What does spicy ranch taste like? It is a flavor combination of creamy, tangy, spicy, and smoky.
If the dressing is too thick, add a bit more milk to reach your desired consistency. If it is too thin add more sour cream.
Obviously, this recipe is perfect as a salad dressing but it also tastes great in burgers, wraps, sandwiches, and even burritos.
Store in an airtight container like a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week, stirring before each use.
Serve as a spicy ranch dipping sauce! Dip your veggie sticks, chips, oven baked fries, even pizza.
It is the best ranch for wings! We love serving it with these Oven Baked Chicken Wings.
Substitute a cayenne pepper hot sauce like Franks Red Hot instead of the adobo sauce for a spicier less smoky taste.
Use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for a lighter version.

spicy ranch being stirred in a jar with a wooden spoon.

More homemade dressing recipes

**This recipe was originally posted on July 30, 2016, updated on January 7, 2021, and updated again on December 17, 2022.**

If you’ve tried this Spicy Ranch recipe, please rate it and let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!

Be sure to follow me on social media! I love pinning to Pinterest, sharing on Facebook, and posting pics on Instagram. See you there. 🙂

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.