Spicy BBQ Ranch Dressing or Dipping Sauce

Ditch Panera and make your own dressing with a spicy kick! Whether you use this as a dipping sauce or a salad dressing, you'll be making this dressed-up ranch over and over again!

A chicken tender being dipped in bbq ranch. — You'll love this BBQ ranch sauce with its spicy kick and smoky flavor!

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Step by Step Instructions
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Related Recipes
Spicy Barbecue Ranch Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This simple recipe is ready in 5 minutes or less!
Perfect dipping sauce for chicken tenders, french fries, or onion rings!
OR a delicious dressing for a southwest salad like my Southern BBQ Chicken Salad made from romaine lettuce, black beans, red onions, chopped chicken breasts, and more!
I even use this homemade sauce on my BBQ Ranch Salad made with rotini pasta, green onion, smoky bacon, olives, and corn!
Also, a great dipping sauce for vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, or cherry tomatoes!

Ingredient Notes

Barbecue Sauce -I like to use sweet Baby Ray's, but you can use your favorite BBQ sauce or even homemade BBQ sauce instead.
Ranch - I recommend only using the Hidden Valley Ranch brand. The kind made with the ranch dressing mix calls for a cup of milk instead of a cup of buttermilk. Ranch from the mix is preferred to pre-bottled.
Smoked Paprika -don't substitute regular paprika. It's not even close to the same as the smoked kind. That natural smoke flavor in smoked paprika is unbeatable!
White Pepper - don't substitute black pepper. They are very different, and the white pepper is where the kick in the dressing comes from.

Ingredients for bbq ranch. — Everything you need to make this homemade dressing!

Step by Step Instructions

Combine ranch dressing and barbecue sauce together in a small bowl. Whisk together well.
Add the white pepper, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder to the ranch mixture.
Whisk together well.

Ingredients mixed together to make bbq ranch. — Mixing everything together in a 2-cup measuring cup is the perfect way to make this dressing with less dirty dishes!

Use instead of plain ranch salad dressing or as a dipping sauce!
Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
It will be good for up to a month.

Gotta love simple recipes that are also a great way to make the same old dishes taste new again!

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

Are Mayo and Ranch the same?

No, mayo is an ingredient for ranch dressing but is not a substitute for it.

Is homemade ranch better for you than store-bought?

I prefer the ranch mixed up from the packets of a dry mix because it doesn't have nearly any many of the artificial preservatives that the pre-bottled dressings do. Homemade dressing doesn't have a vinegar twang to it, either.

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Spicy Barbecue Ranch Recipe

Mindee

Ditch Panera and make your own dressing with a spicy kick! Whether you use this as a dipping sauce or a salad dressing, you'll be making this dressed-up ranch over and over again!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Servings serving

Calories 770 kcal

Ingredients

1 Cup Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing
1 Cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
½ teaspoon Chili Powder
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Cumin
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
⅛ teaspoon White Pepper

Instructions

Whisk together the ranch and bbq sauce.
Whisk in the smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and white pepper.
Serve as a salad dressing or dipping sauce.
Store in the fridge.
Good for up to a month in the fridge

Notes

Barbecue Sauce - use your preferred BBQ sauce.
Ranch - I recommend only using the Hidden Valley Ranch brand. The kind made with the mix using milk is preferable to pre-bottled.
Smoked Paprika - don't substitute regular paprika. It's not even close to the same as the smoked kind.
White Pepper - don't substitute black pepper. They are very different, and the white pepper is where the kick in the dressing comes from.

Nutrition

Calories: 770kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 3gFat: 55gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 31gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 2564mgPotassium: 460mgFiber: 2gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 1117IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 2mg

Keyword bbq ranch dressing, hidden valley bbq ranch dressing, panera bbq ranch dressing recipe

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Thanks for stopping by! Before you go, be sure to check out a few of my most popular recipes!