This semi-homemade BBQ Ranch Dressing is an easy, zesty dressing you can make in minutes with 5 simple ingredients. Delicious on your favorite salads and sandwiches and as a dipping sauce for grilled chicken, french fries, onion rings, or fresh veggies. We love it on BBQ Chicken Salad Wraps!
Try Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing and Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette next!
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❤️You're Going to Love This
- Crazy good flavor combo of creamy ranch and tangy BBQ sauce.
- Ridiculously easy recipe that's easy to make in minutes!
- Perfect for dipping, drizzling, and dunking. Use it on lettuce salads, pasta salads, wraps, burgers, or as the best-ever fry sauce!
- Customizable to your taste. Make it smokier, spicier, or tangier with simple tweaks.
🍋Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Ranch salad dressing. Use store-bought or homemade ranch dressing. Of course, Hidden Valley Ranch is the gold standard, but I also recommend buttermilk ranch dressing from Aldi. Instead of traditional ranch dressing, try a different flavor, like chipotle ranch or jalapeno ranch.
- BBQ sauce. Use your favorite BBQ sauce from the store or homemade bbq sauce. We love Sweet Baby Ray's or this delicious Jack Daniels BBQ sauce.
- Paprika. Paprika adds mild red pepper flavor. Add a little chargrilled flavor with smoky paprika.
- Fresh lemon juice. A little lemon juice freshens up freshens it up and helps give it a little more homemade flavor.
🌶️Variations or Substitutions
- Use one clove of fresh minced garlic instead of garlic powder.
- Add some heat with cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or sriracha sauce, or rich, earthy flavor with chili powder or cumin. Start small and add more to taste.
- If you have no lemons, use fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar.
- Up the ranch flavor with fresh or dried herbs. Dried or fresh dill, parsley, or chives are all great options. Start with about ½ teaspoon of dried or ½ tablespoon of fresh herbs and adjust from there.
- For more subtle bbq ranch flavor, stir in a little sour cream, mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt.
- To make it sweeter, use a sweet rather than smoky BBQ sauce. Look for flavors like honey, maple, or brown sugar.
🥣How to Make Easy BBQ Ranch Sauce and Salad Dressing
Step 1: Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl with a wire whisk. Give it a taste and adjust as needed to make it smokier, spicier, tangier, or sweeter. See variations above for ideas.
Step 2: Transfer the dressing to a lidded mason jar or airtight container. Chill 30 minutes or until ready to use.
👉Helpful Hint: Serve with your favorite lettuce or pasta salad recipes, on burgers and sandwiches, or as a dipping sauce for fries, onion rings, or tortilla chips.
✅Top Tips
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce – Smoky, sweet, or spicy, pick one you love!
- Chill before serving – Let it sit for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Adjust to taste – Add more ranch for creaminess or more BBQ for bold flavor.
- Make it spicy – Stir in a little hot sauce or cayenne for a kick!
- Thin it out or thicken it – Use milk or buttermilk to thin or mayo/sour cream to thicken.
🎁Storage
Store leftover BBQ ranch dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Give it a shake or a few good stirs before using.
❓FAQs
Use your favorite BBQ sauce! A smoky or honey BBQ sauce works great for a balanced flavor, while spicy BBQ adds a kick.
Drizzle over salads, grilled chicken, or roasted veggies. Use as a dip for fries, chicken tenders, or onion rings. Spread on burgers, wraps, or sandwiches.
Yes! Use a Greek yogurt ranch dressing or a light ranch dressing and a low-sugar BBQ sauce. We love Sweet Baby Ray's No Sugar Added BBQ sauce.
😋More Easy Salad Dressing Recipes
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📖 Recipe
BBQ Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup ranch dressing store-bought or homemade
- 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce store-bought or homemade, we like Sweet Baby Ray's
- ½ teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Use on salads, sandwiches and wraps, and as a dipping sauce for chicken or raw or roasted veggies. Transfer to a lidded jar and chill 30 minutes before using. Store covered in the refrigerator for about one week.
Notes
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce – Smoky, sweet, or spicy, pick one you love!
- Adjust to taste – Add more ranch for creaminess or more BBQ for bold flavor.
- Make it spicy – Stir in a little hot sauce or cayenne for a kick!
- Thin it out or thicken it – Use buttermilk to thin or extra mayo/sour cream to thicken.
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