Hot Honey Ranch takes the cool, herby richness of ranch and kicks it up with a touch of heat and sweetness. It’s the perfect balance of creamy, spicy, and slightly sweet — once you make it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!
Flavor Foundations
Each of these simple ingredients plays a part in creating a ranch dressing that’s out of this world. A full list of ingredients with measurements is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Plain Greek Yogurt – This keeps the ranch thick, creamy, and tangy with a little extra protein. No yogurt? Sour cream works too!
- Dry Ranch Seasoning – A shortcut to instant ranch flavor. It has the perfect blend of garlic, onion, and herbs.
- Buttermilk – Just a splash of buttermilk thins out the yogurt and makes the texture silky smooth while adding a subtle tanginess.
- Honey – This adds a touch of sweetness to balance the spice. Hot honey can also be used — just drizzle in a couple of tablespoons and cross the red chili pepper flakes off your list.
- Fresh Dill – This herb adds brightness to the dressing.
- Fresh Chives – These round out all of the flavors and add a pop of color.
- Crushed Red Chili Pepper Flakes – This is where the heat comes in! Adjust the amount for your palate.
The Play-by-Play
This sauce comes together in minutes! Here’s how to make it happen:
- Mix It Up. In a bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, ranch seasoning, buttermilk, honey, dill, chives, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir and Chill. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes. The longer it sits, the better it gets!
- Serve and Enjoy. Give it a quick stir before using, then drizzle, dip, or slather it on anything you want to jazz up!
5S Philosophy 👩🏻🍳
-
- Salt – The dry ranch seasoning has just the right amount of salt. If you want to adjust the saltiness, go for a low-sodium ranch mix and season it to taste. Or, if you have a few extra minutes, try making your own ranch dressing mix.
-
- Seasoning – Between the ranch mix, dill, chives, honey, and chili flakes, this sauce is packed with layers of flavor.
-
- Sauces – Think of this as a hybrid between classic ranch and hot honey. It’s creamy with a slight sweetness, a touch of tanginess, and just enough heat.
-
- Swaps – For a bit of additional brightness, shave in a bit of lemon zest or add a splash of lemon juice. Want some more warm flavor? Sprinkle in ground pepper. Or, switch up the herbs for a unique flavor profile.
-
- Senses – Thick and creamy with flecks of fresh herbs, this sauce clings to whatever you dip into it. The aroma is fresh and slightly tangy, with that signature ranch scent. And the flavor? Cool, herby, sweet, and spicy all at once!
Perfect Pairings
Hot honey ranch can take nearly any savory dish to the next level! We love it on popcorn chicken, wings, Hasselback potatoes, and roasted veggies. You can also add it to a cheese plate, drizzle it on pizza, or slather it on burgers, sandwiches, and paninis.
Storage and Freezing
This sauce actually gets better with time! Mix it up the day before for maximum flavor.
How to Store
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Give it a good stir before using it.
Can I Freeze Hot Honey Ranch?
We don’t recommend freezing this sauce since it doesn’t thaw well.
Commonly Asked Questions
Hot honey ranch has a nice kick to it but isn’t usually overwhelmingly spicy! The beauty of this sauce is the balance — the cooling, creamy ranch and sweet honey contrast perfectly with the heat. Plus, you can always adjust the heat level to your preference.
Absolutely you can use hot honey ranch as a marinade — it works wonders for chicken, pork, and even tofu! The acidity in the ranch helps tenderize meat while the honey helps create caramelization when cooking.
Hot honey is simply honey infused with chili peppers or hot sauce. Hot honey ranch takes it up a notch by blending the spicy-sweet combo with creamy, tangy ranch dressing.
More Spicy Sauces
Looking to spice things up? Add a little heat with these easy sauces!
Hot Honey Ranch
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning about 1 packet
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
- 2 teaspoons crushed red chili pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the .
- Fold until well mixed, then cover and chill for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
Notes
