This french onion ranch dip is what happens when two classic American dips stop competing and start cooperating. Homemade ranch, made from scratch without the packet, gets layered with the savory depth of french onion and a hit of hot sauce that gives it a slow, building heat. The result is creamy, tangy, deeply savory, and significantly better than either dip on its own.

It takes 10 minutes to make and improves with time in the refrigerator. Make it the night before a party and it will be even better the next day. Serve it with tortilla chips, potato chips, or a platter of colorful vegetable dippers.

What Makes It Special

Most store-bought ranch dip relies on a powder packet full of stabilizers and artificial flavoring. This version uses dry buttermilk, found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, as the base, which gives it a cleaner, tangier flavor that the packet version can’t match. The onion flakes add french onion depth without requiring any cooking. A tablespoon of Tapatio hot sauce brings just enough heat to make it interesting without overwhelming the other flavors. Greek yogurt makes it lighter than a pure sour cream version while keeping it just as creamy.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Spicy French Onion Ranch Dip Recipe

Servings: 4 -6

Author: Jackie Alpers

Two Dips That Live As One, Together At Last! 

Ingredients

Copycat Ranch Dip Mix

This replaces one pre-packaged packet of Ranch dip powder.

• 2 tablespoons dry buttermilk found in the baking section of the supermarket
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon dried dill
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon MSG - optional

For the Spicy Ranch French Onion DiP

• One 16-ounce container of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• Copycat Ranch Dip mix or one packet powdered Ranch dip mix if you want to make it easier.
• 3 tablespoons dried chopped onion flakes
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce I used Tapatio
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Instructions

• Mix all of the ingredients together with the dried dip mix. It's easier to mix if you use a butter knife instead of a spoon or spatula. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, Serve with chips or colorful veggie dippers.

Notes

Can I use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt? Yes. Sour cream gives you a richer, slightly heavier dip. Greek yogurt is tangier and lighter. Both work well. It comes down to personal preference. You can also use half of each.

What is dry buttermilk and where do I find it? Dry buttermilk is dehydrated buttermilk powder, found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores near the powdered milk. It's the secret ingredient that gives homemade ranch its characteristic tang. Bob's Red Mill makes a widely available version.

How long does homemade french onion ranch dip keep? Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator it keeps well for up to five days. The flavor actually improves after the first few hours as the dried onion and herbs rehydrate and bloom in the yogurt or sour cream.

Is this a Sonoran recipe? The hot sauce and the Southwestern spirit of improvising with what's on hand give it a Sonoran sensibility, but this is really a Western Americana comfort food recipe... the kind of thing that shows up at backyard gatherings and game day spreads across the Southwest.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Mexican, Sonoran Style, Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes

Keyword Jackie Alpers, recipe developer, sonoran recipe, spicy ranch dip recipe, Spicy Ranch French Onion Dip recipe, spicy ranch recipe, Taste of Tucson recipe, Tucson Sonora, Tucson Sonora recipe

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