Spicy Southwest Salad Dressing

Add a little Tex-Mex flavor to your greens…

If you have Ranch dressing at the ready, a decently stocked spice rack, and a few common kitchen ingredients, you’re ready to make a delicious spicy Southwest salad dressing. This is a 5-minute “whip it up” recipe that’s still mighty Tex-Mex tasty for how simple it is. Try it with a simple green salad or use it as the dressing base for a Tex-Mex salad bowl featuring beans, corn, greens, and chicken.

Chili powder provides that Tex-Mex flavor, though it’s not known for its spiciness (being a mix of spices). The heat in this spicy Southwest salad dressing comes from cayenne pepper powder. Adjust it based on your spice tolerance.

Spicy Southwest Salad Dressing

Spicy Southwest Salad Dressing

4.75 from 16 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  • Use immediately or transfer to a sealable jar and refrigerate for future use (best used in 2 to 3 days).

Notes

The cayenne pepper is optional, though it does provide the real spiciness in this recipe. Chili powder is a mix of spices and tends to be on the milder side.
Want it spicier? Add a little more cayenne pepper powder, to taste.
Did you make this?Mention @PepperScale or tag #PepperScale so we can see what you made!

See more of our spicy recipes…


UPDATE NOTICE: This post was updated on January 20, 2021 to include new content.
4.75 from 16 votes (14 ratings without comment)
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Megan

5 stars
Excellent! I made it to go on top of some homemade black bean burgers and a side salad, was perfect. And nice spice level.

Holly Smith

5 stars
This salad dressing is wonderful. It is pretty spicy and I might cut down a tiny bit on the cayenne pepper powder next time.