A base of homemade ranch is flavored with fresh jalapeños, cilantro, and tomatillo salsa in Creamy Jalapeño Dip, a copycat recipe of the popular Chuy's dip!
For more scrumptious, Tex-Mex inspired dips, you might enjoy Beef Enchilada Dip, Creamy Salsa Dip, and Zesty Black Bean Dip!
In case you've never had Creamy Jalapeño Dip, it's a bowl of deliciousness served alongside chips and salsa at the eclectic Tex-Mex chain, Chuy's...a restaurant that started in Austin but -- according to my quick perusal of their website -- is now spread across a variety of states (you lucky Ohioans).
I believe it's well-documented that I've always been a queso girl (and still am to this day, foreverandeveramen), but when they bring out your chips and salsa at Chuy's, they also bring out that aforesaid small bowl of Creamy Jalapeño Dip.
And it's so addictive that I typically situate it at arm's reach and inhale it faster than anyone else at the table.
In fact, it pretty much makes me forget about ordering queso until our crew is at least two bowls in on the jalapeño dip front. It's that good, folks.
So today, I decided to attempt an at-home copycat version of the recipe.
How to Make Creamy Jalapeño Dip
Most Chuy's Creamy Jalapeño Dip copycats start with dry Ranch dressing packets.
But wanting to keep things a bit more from-scratch, I started with my Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing as a base, which I then flavored with fresh jalapeños, fresh cilantro, and jarred tomatillo salsa. It's quite possible that Chuy's uses fresh tomatillos, but since they're not always easy to find at the grocery store, I figured using salsa would simplify things.
Once you gather your ingredients, simply give everything a good puree in the ol' blender or food processor and voilà...silky, flavorful Creamy Jalapeño Dip!
Don't Skip this Step!
But WAIT...you shouldn't enjoy it quite yet. Sorry!
First you need to chill your dip for at least 4 hours -- preferably 8 or more hours -- to allow the flavors to blend and intensify. Popping it in the fridge will also thicken it up a bit.
The dip at Chuy's is actually fairly runny, as is this copycat when you first blend it up...but chilling will help remedy that.
As for the flavor, I always recommend tasting it just before serving in order to adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary.
Can You Handle the Heat?
The heat of the jalapeños is likely to intensify a smidge once the dip chills for a while.
Creamy Jalapeño Dip can be made to be fairly mild -- with the jalapeños contributing more flavor than heat -- if you remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños before pureeing.
However, if you want a spicy dip, just leave some of those seeds and membranes intact before whizzing everything together. But if you decide to retain all of them, don't say I didn't warn ya!
Other Ways to Enjoy Creamy Jalapeño Dip
If you eat at Chuy's, you can actually get this concoction poured over your enchiladas or burrito or Chuychanga as a sauce.
I think it would also make a fabulous salad dressing.
Or you can simply drain it straight from the bowl, as fast as your little chips will carry it to your mouth. After all, sometimes one's usual vat of queso has earned a well-deserved break.
So what are you waiting for? I'm sure you can think of a reason or two to enjoy some of this Creamy Jalapeño Dip goodness! 😉
More Yummy Dips
Creamy Jalapeño Dip
Ingredients
- 2 fresh jalapeños, *see Notes below
- ⅓ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup good-quality mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup tomatillo salsa
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, pulse the jalapeños until finely minced. Add the cilantro and pulse until chopped. Add the remainder of the ingredients and blend/process until mixture is smooth and completely puréed. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably longer. Serve with tortilla chips or vegetable dippers.
Notes
- Individual jalapeños can vary in their heat levels. That being said, as a general rule:
- For a mild dip, scrape out and discard the seeds & membranes from your jalapeños.
- For a medium dip, leave the seeds & membranes intact in one jalapeño and scrape them out/discard from the second jalapeño.
- For a spicy dip, leave all of the seeds & membranes intact. Or you can even add an additional jalapeño for extra heat, if that's your preference.
- This dip will slightly thicken after chilling in the fridge for several hours. However, it is not intended to be (and will never turn into) an overly thick dip.
Originally published on April 21, 2016.
CC
I lived in Austin for 5 years. Once I moved away, I had withdraws from the creamy jalapeno dip. This is the closest recipe to Chuy's that I have found. I will say that you do need it to sit before eating. I did not let it sit overnight and when I tried it first I didn't like it. After it sat overnight it tasted way better.
Samantha Skaggs
So glad you enjoyed it! And yes, it definitely needs to chill for hours before the flavors meld and it tastes right. 🙂
Nick
Can be a little spicy, air on the side of caution on both the jalapenos & cilantro. Great recipe & with a little trial and error you can get it how you want it!
Samantha Skaggs
I find that every batch of jalapeños I buy is different! Some are very mild while others are super spicy. So I usually add half of a jalapeño at a time and taste as I go to achieve my family's desired spice level. 🙂
Lucy
Although both my kids went to college in Austin, and my daughter still lives there, we never did Chuy’s. It’s such a food town that we always try something new.
However, I saw this and wanted to make it for today’s Super Bowl chicken fajita nachos. Just stuck it in the fridge to let the flavors mingle, but I hate about 10 chips with it first. So so so so good and simple! Might just get me to try Chuy’s when we can finally do restaurants again. Thanks for sharing your home version!
Mara
This dip is fantastic! I’ve shared the recipe with so many people and everyone raves about it! Just curious tho (and I may have missed this when I read the post) how long does this typically last after refrigerating?
Samantha Skaggs
Hi Mara! This never lasts more than a day or two at our house -- ha. But it should be fine in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. I'd pay attention to the expiration date of your buttermilk in helping you decide. 🙂
Nina Deal
Have you used it on chicken tenders yet? For those of you Chuy's fans without kids, there is a secret on their kids menu that is the most amazing chicken nuggets. They are scratch made and with the jalapeno ranch, it's an adult treat. I've actually written in to the Chuy's corporate site to suggest that they start carrying a chicken sandwich. I also love this stuff and whenever we order takeout, I order additional so that I can make chicken tenders at home. And, for the record, I HATE plain ranch dressing. HA.
Samantha Skaggs
Wow, who knew? Sounds delicious...thank you for sharing!
Kathleen
I love Chuy's . They don't normally bring this out until it is asked for or the waiter recognizes us as regulars who always get it and then they bring out multiple bowls. I had found a copy cat recipe but it called for the can of pickled jalapenos which was difficult to then adjust the heat. I also made the ranch from scratch. I will definitely try your recipe. Like you I could drink this like a milkshake. Yum yum
DV
I absolutely love Love love this sauce and put it on everything!!!
Is it possible to freeze the sauce and still maintain the taste if we make a larger batch?
JoAnn
This is awesome! I would add another jalapeño and drain the salsa some! Amazing!