Creamy Jalapeño Dip {Chuy's Copycat Recipe}
Creamy Jalapeño Dip is an all-natural copycat recipe of the popular dip from Chuy's, made with just a handful of real ingredients including fresh jalapeños, cilantro, and salsa verde!
For even 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 Creamy Jalapeño front. It's just that good, folks.
So a few years back, I decided to attempt an at-home version of the recipe.
All-Natural Copycat
While Chuy's Creamy Jalapeño Dip at the restaurants reportedly starts with packaged ranch dressing mix, I wanted to put a fresher spin on the dip by using more natural ingredients.
So while I recognize that my recipe is not an exact copycat, I honestly think that it tastes even better than the original! And I feel better about the ingredients, to boot. 🙂
Ingredients
As mentioned above, original Chuy's Creamy Jalapeño Dip (as well as most copycat recipes) starts with dry ranch dressing packets. And unfortunately, that most popular and beloved store-bought brand of ranch dressing mix includes a bunch of unpronounceable ingredients plus MSG...
So wanting to keep this recipe a bit more from-scratch, I started with my Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing ratio of ingredients as a base. And then I added plenty of flavor!
- Fresh jalapeños. I love the freshness and bite of fresh jalapeños, although you may substitute drained, pickled jalapeños if you prefer (which is actually what Chuy's restaurants use). It's also possible to make this recipe mild or spicy, depending on your taste. Scroll down for some tips on controlling the heat of your jalapeños!
- Cilantro. This recipe traditionally contains a bit of cilantro, but not too much, since the primary flavor is meant to be jalapeño. That being said, if you're feeding this dip to a group of cilantro fans, feel free to double or even triple the amount. My family happens to love cilantro, so I always go heavy on it.
- Mayonnaise + sour cream + buttermilk. This is the "homemade ranch base" that I've been referring to. Once combined and thoroughly chilled, it has a perfect consistency and balance of flavor for a creamy dressing or dip.
- Tomatillo salsa. Also known as salsa verde. I always check the label for minimal (real) ingredients, and I've found that there are some good jarred options at most grocery stores.
- Garlic powder + onion powder. For additional flavor that's not too overpowering.
- Salt + pepper. Be sure to add enough salt, which will help the other flavors in the dip "pop."
How to Make Creamy Jalapeño Dip
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
Once you gather your ingredients, you're just moments away from sampling Creamy Jalapeño Dip BLISS!
- In a blender or food processor, pulse the jalapeños until minced.
- Add the cilantro and pulse until chopped.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend or puree until completely smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
But wait! You're not quite done yet!
Don't Skip this Step!
There's one final, very important step before you dig in!
After you transfer your Creamy Jalapeño Dip to a container, you need to chill it for at least 4 hours -- but preferably 8 or more hours! This will allow the flavors to blend and intensify. When you first make this dip, it tastes rather mayonnaise-y...but that will go away as it chills.
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 again one last time, just before serving. This will allow you to further adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary.
Controlling the Heat of the Jalapeños
Creamy Jalapeño Dip can be made to be fairly mild -- with the jalapeños contributing more flavor than heat -- if you scrape out and discard all of the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños.
However, if you want a spicy dip, just leave those seeds and membranes intact before whizzing everything together.
And what if you're not sure? Well, in my experience, some jalapeños are just naturally hotter than others, and you never really know what you're going to get until you try them.
So here's what I often do (since I have kiddos who enjoy some heat but can't handle too much)...
- I initially remove and reserve the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños. That's right...I set them aside!
- Then I proceed to make the dip as directed without those seeds and membranes.
- Once the dip is done, I taste it. If I want it spicier, I add a portion of the seeds and membranes back to the dip, completely pureeing them in and then tasting again.
- I keep adding more seeds/membranes and tasting until I reach my desired heat level. If, at that point, I still have seeds and membranes that I didn't use, I know I'm safe to discard them.
Finally, do keep in mind that the heat of the jalapeños is likely to intensify just a smidge once the dip chills for a while.
Other Ways to Enjoy Creamy Jalapeño
If you eat at Chuy's, you can actually get this concoction poured over your enchiladas or burrito or Chuychanga as a Creamy Jalapeño sauce.
It also makes a fabulous salad dressing. Taco salad, anyone?
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! Taco Tuesday? Cinco de Mayo? Game day???
Hope you enjoy this one, friends.
More Yummy Dips
Creamy Jalapeño Dip {Chuy's Copycat Recipe}
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 salsa verde (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, but ideally 8 or more, hours. Serve with tortilla chips.
Video
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.
- The chilling time is critical to this recipe, in order for the flavors to blend and develop.
- 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.
Nutrition
Originally published on April 21, 2016, and updated on May 22, 2020, and February 9, 2022.
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?
This is awesome! I would add another jalapeño and drain the salsa some! Amazing!
This was good but not close to Chuy's. It had way more cilantro flavor than jalapeno. Still tasty but not what I was hoping for.
You need pickled jalapenos not fresh and use the juices from the jar of pickles Japs. They use their housemade tomitillo sauce in their creamy.
Wow, this is absolutely amazing ! Seriously . If you are reading this comment right now you HAVE to make this. I ended up cutting the recipe in half and used a bit more sour cream and a splash of regular milk instead of buttermilk but it’s absolutely amazing. Great job. I’m definitely following you !
2 serano peppers remove the seeds and veins, double the recipe, great for a big Super Bowl crowd! Thank you!
Can you share what brands of tomatillo salsa you've used? I am going to make this but don't want to get the wrong salsa. I haven't ever bought tomatillo salsa before so I don't have a favorite brand. Thanks
Hi Beth! I have always used different brands of tomatillo salsa just depending on the best price for a natural/organic jar at whatever store I'm at. I've used Whole Foods 365 brand and Central Market (HEB) brand. I currently have a jar of "Arriba!" brand in the fridge. Just pay attention to whether the salsa is labeled mild, medium, or hot, depending on your preferred heat level. Hope that helps!
I doubled the recipe and it came out very runny. Any suggestions?
Hi Melissa! This dip does thicken up a bit once chilled, but it never gets overly thick. The Creamy Jalapeño Dip at Chuy's is pretty runny, and this recipe mimics that consistency. Hope that helps! 🙂
We love leaving in a few jalapeno seeds for some zip! Delicious.
Yay, Alyssa! Me, too. 😉
Yesss! One of my favorite party dips!
Why is there a mention of Ranch Dressing base but there is no ranch in the recipe?
Hi Bill! The post mentions a "homemade ranch dressing base"...that just means that the basic ingredients used to make *homemade* ranch dressing (mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, plus herbs and spices) are also used in this recipe. There are just different herbs and a few additional ingredients to turn this recipe into "Creamy Jalapeño" instead of "Ranch." 🙂
This was fantastic...I used it on steak tacos with mango salsa. Out of this world I will reach for this often! (note I was able to use frozen jalepenos seeded and with membranes removed. ) I also threw in a packet of ranch dressing mix as everything else was ingredients for it! Five stars.
So happy it was a hit, Julie! I've never bought frozen jalapeños but they sound like a great thing to keep on hand...thanks for the tip! 🙂
They were jalapenos I grew and froze from my own garden....dont know if they are found frozen in stores.
That makes sense, Julie! I was thinking I had never seen jalapeños with the other frozen veggies. But freezing your own is a great idea! Thanks for clarifying. 🙂
Do you have to do anything special to the jalapeños before you freeze them?
Queso? Creamy Jalapeno?
BamBam sauce...it is what I get on my Chuychanga. 😉 (so healthy, lol)
Thanks for the recipe. I have made a copycat version with the pickled jalapenos, before, and it is sooo good. I make my own ranch dressing mix to do this too. I love how you are thinking of these things and am loving your recipes. Made the vanilla coffee creamer last night and did the cheeseburger macaroni two nights ago.
Love the site!
Ha, Cheri...it's hard to go wrong at Chuy's! 😉 I am so happy to hear that you're enjoying my recipes...hope everything you try is a hit! 🙂
I made your copycat recipe since we try to avoid manufactured ingredients like powdered ranch dressing in our food. I have never had the original dip, but made this for a lunch with co-workers, 2 are gluten free. They loved it. Thanks for posting.
The authentic restaurant version contains Hidden Valley ranch powder, buttermilk, mayo, *pickled* jalapenos and some of their juice, tomatillo sauce and cilantro.
Very interesting...thanks for sharing that! I was going for an all-natural copycat recipe, but I'm glad to see that I guessed correctly on quite a few of the ingredients. 🙂 I have to say that I actually prefer the way my recipe tastes over the original, but I'm going to have to try incorporating some pickled jalapeños next time to see how that changes things. 😉 Thanks again!
It's close, but not quite there. This recipe has a bit more of a cream base than the restaurant version. It's good, just not a full copycat. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Kim! I have no idea what they actually put in the restaurant version, but it was fun to come up with a comparable dip that my family enjoys just as much (if not more)! Glad you enjoyed this recipe, too. 🙂
Made this last night and it is AMAZING!!!! I don't expect it's going to last long enough to worry about it but do you have an idea how long this will keep in the refrigerator? Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.
Yay, Melva...so happy you enjoyed this dip! It never lasts more than a couple of days around here, but I imagine it would be fine in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. I'd probably pay attention to the expiration date of your buttermilk in deciding how long to keep it. 🙂 Hope that helps and hope you're having a great week!
Where can I get tomatillo salsa?
Hi Kelly! It should be in the same section as the regular salsa...or if you have a specialty Mexican foods aisle, it could be there. I've been able to find tomatillo salsa at various grocery stores, and usually there are more than one brands to choose between. Of course, I live in Texas, so it's quite possible that it won't be as readily available in certain other states. But start in the salsa aisle and hopefully you'll find it...good luck and happy Friday! 🙂
Just printed your jalapeno dip recipe and will be coming back to check out more recipes! We have a bog party coming up and I am always looking for new dip recipes. Looks awesome.
So happy to hear that, Pamela...hope it's a hit! 🙂