Southwest Ranch Dipping Sauce – Barefeet in the Kitchen

This Southwest Ranch fills my family’s need for a little bit of heat. This quick dipping sauce is fantastic with chicken or fresh vegetables.

Southwest Ranch

Homemade Ranch Dressing is a weekly meal prep staple at my house. Followed very closely by this Southwest Ranch. It’s a fun variation on classic ranch dressing.

Having fresh dressings and sauces on hand makes dinner planning easy. It makes healthy snacking easier too. Check out these tips for keeping your refrigerator stocked with fresh produce boxes for your family.

If you’ve been reading this blog for very long at all, you know that I have a thing for homemade condiments. With a stocked pantry, you can make homemade versions of your favorite salad dressings, dips, and marinades.

Even better than them being a fraction of the cost is how much better they taste. I have yet to find a store-bought salad dressing or dip that can compare with what can be made at home in just minutes.

Southwest Ranch Dipping Sauce

I made this sauce to serve with our Southwest Chicken Bites and it was a huge hit. My family liked it so much that they also dipped their vegetables in it and requested more of it the next day. This dip is going to be a regular condiment in our refrigerator for a while.

While the dipping sauce is so good you could put it on anything. It works nicely as a salad dressing too.

To thin the dressing, add a tablespoon of milk or cream at a time until the mixture reaches the consistency you want.

You can also use an oil to thin the dressing (such as vegetable, avocado, or canola) an oil that is neutral in flavor works best. Just remember a little bit of oil will go a long way.

Southwest Ranch Recipe

1. Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream until smooth.
2. Add the spices and whisk to combine thoroughly.
3. Add the lemon juice, taste, and adjust as needed. Chill until ready to serve.

SHORTCUT TIP: If you have ranch dip in the refrigerator and you have taco seasoning in the pantry, you can stir together 1 cup of the ranch dip with 1-2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Adjust the heat according to taste.

Southwest Ranch is a delicious dipping sauce for Ranch Chicken Bites. It thins down into a fantastic dressing when making taco salad using this Taco Meat recipe.

You can also use this as the dressing on Southwest Chicken Salad or with Roasted Red Potatoes.

{originally published 10/8/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/13/22}