This copycat Taco Bell Spicy Ranch Recipe is creamy, zesty, and easy to make. Use it to add heat to tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and chips.
Try it with my copycat Chicken Strips Recipe!
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๐ฎ About This Recipe
If you're a fan of Taco Bell's spicy ranch sauce, then you'll love this homemade recipe. It's made using a basic ranch recipe with added hot sauce and cayenne pepper.
According to Taco Bell's website, they use ground habanero pepper, but cayenne pepper is fine for home cooking purposes.
Ensure you refrigerate the sauce for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The sauce will thicken slightly as it sits.
Note: This recipe is different from their creamy, spicy ranchero sauce.
๐งโ๐ณ Replicating At Home
According to Taco Bell's website, these are the ingredients in their spicy ranch sauce:
Soybean oil, water, cultured buttermilk, vinegar, cage-free egg yolk, sour cream, 2% or less of: sugar, salt, buttermilk, spice, garlic powder, onion powder, habanero pepper, natural flavor, lactic acid, citric acid, xanthan gum, glucono delta-lactone, propylene glycol alginate, calcium disodium EDTA (P), potassium sorbate (P), sodium benzoate (P).
The first ingredient is soybean oil, which tells us they use mayonnaise as the base (mayonnaise is made with oil, vinegar, and egg yolks).
Other important ingredients are buttermilk and sour cream. They're listed after soybean oil, so we know they're used in smaller proportions to mayo.
The spices include garlic powder, onion powder, and habanero pepper. We can easily substitute cayenne pepper for habanero.
Everything else is just for commercial food preservation, thickening, and flavoring and can be ignored.
๐ง Ingredients
- Mayonnaise: Use Hellman's mayo, preferably full-fat. I used to work in fast food, and this is what the majority of restaurants use.
- Sour Cream: Use full-fat sour cream (14%). It's essential for giving the ranch sauce a thick consistency.
- Buttermilk: We'll need ยผ of a cup. Before measuring, ensure you shake the carton, as it tends to separate.
- Hot Sauce: I'm using Frank's Red Hot Sauce today, but feel free to use whatever hot sauce you have on hand, like Tabasco.
- Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Start with โ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and adjust based on your spice preference.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Transfer to the fridge for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and for the sauce to thicken.
STEP 2: Serve it immediately as a topping for tacos and burritos or as a dip for vegetables, meat, and chips. The sauce can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
๐ญ Top Tips
- Adjust the buttermilk to get the consistency you like. If you prefer it to runnier, add an extra tablespoon.
- Full-fat sour cream is the best because it has a thick texture. But I've found that full-fat Greek yogurt works equally well.
- Real mayonnaise will give the tastiest flavor. You can use non-fat versions, but real mayo produces the best flavor.
- Try adding a teaspoon of freshly minced garlic for added pungency.
๐ Recipe
Taco Bell Spicy Ranch Recipe
Ingredients
- ยฝ cup mayonnaise
- ยฝ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- ยผ cup buttermilk (or milk)
- 1 tablespoon Frankโs Red Hot Sauce Original
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ยผ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Transfer to the fridge for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve it immediately as a topping for tacos and burritos or as a dip for vegetables, meat, and chips. The sauce can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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