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Chuy’s Copycat Version Creamy Jalapeno Dip
I lived in Texas for about 2 days before everyone and their dog was telling me all about this famous Chuy’s creamy jalapeno dip that I must try asap. Of course, I ditched unpacking in my quest to do some culinary research. Was it really as good as everyone said? I wanted to be the judge.
Dean and I chose a weekend night and drove straight to Chuy’s. There was a line out the door and a long wait. That is always a good sign! People seemed to love this place — even if it was for the star of the show, the creamy jalapeno dip.
We sat down and within minutes, the creamy jalapeno dip was sitting right in front of me. A basket of hot chips, fresh out of the fryer were beckoning me. I took the tortilla chip and dipped it into what looked more like a cilantro jalapeno dressing than anything and took the first bite. Wow. This stuff was straight up addicting.
Before I knew it, Dean and I had devoured an entire basket of chips and he was asking for more. Trouble. I was hooked on this creamy jalapeno dip and there was no turning back!
We just flew back to San Antonio last week for my darling niece’s wedding (hi Amanda!). I married into such a wonderful family and loved being with the Stadler crew.
We had a Mexican feast on Sunday and another darling niece (I have a lot of them), Haley, was bringing it! She is a little whiz in the kitchen and shared her version of Chuy’s famous creamy cilantro jalapeno dip. Once she put it out on the table, it was like watching vultures. It was a huge hit and I begged her for the recipe!
This is our version of the Chuy’s famous creamy jalapeno dip is super simple to make and can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes. I without a doubt could drink this stuff….all day long. It is also reminiscent of Cafe Rio or Costa Vida’s cilantro ranch dressing. You can use this dressing to drizzle on a salad, a burrito bowl, or just as an appetizer.
How do you make this famous Chuy’s creamy jalapeno cilantro dip dressing? You start with jarred jalapenos and cilantro pureed in a blender. You can use fresh jalapenos as well but I prefer the jarred jalapenos as I can control the heat. The jarred jalapenos are much milder than fresh ones but give off a crazy amount of flavor. Fresh cilantro brings the freshness and balances out the heat.
Both sour cream and mayonnaise are used as the base of this creamy cilantro ranch dressing. A packet of dry ranch dressing dip brings that ranch flavor that everyone seems to love. If you want to add more freshness, throw in a couple of tomatillos. You can use fresh tomatillos or canned tomatillos. Buttermilk makes a huge difference in this dressing and use just enough to thin it to desired consistency and taste.
The jalapenos and cilantro are pureed in a blender or food processor. My favorite inexpensive food processor can be found HERE.
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Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno Cilantro Dip Dressing
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Sour Cream
- 3/4 cup Mayonnaise (if you prefer less mayonnaise, you may use 1 cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup mayonnaise)
- 1 packet 1 oz Dry Ranch Dip
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
- 1/2 cup Cilantro (tightly packed, may add more for fresh flavor)
- 3/4 cup Pickled Jalapenos (plus juice from a jar (may add up to 1 cup depending on heat preference)
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk (if you want it to be thinner, add more buttermilk)
- 2 Tomatillos optional
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice optional
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch dip packet, and garlic salt.
- In blender or food processor, puree cilantro and pickled jalapenos with a little juice. (If using tomatillos, blend with jalapenos and cilantro).
- Add cilantro jalapeno puree to mayo mixture.
- Stir in buttermilk until you reach desired consistency. Add fresh lime juice, if using.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you love this copycat version of Chuy’s popular Creamy Jalapeno Dip! It’s a family favorite. Happy Eating, my friends!
For the best copy would you suggest the tomatillos? And if so do we need to boil the tomatillos first?
Can’t wait to try!
Hi Helen! I don’t think they are absolutely necessary but they do add more freshness! IF using, use canned or boil them before adding them to the puree mixture. I hope you enjoy!
This dip is delicious! It’s very similar to the original, but maybe a bit thicker. I tweaked it a bit: used 1/2 Cup of sweet and spicy jalapeños from Trader Joe’s with 1/2 c of the brine and subbed a whole avocado in place of the mayo. Superb! Will definitely be making again and again!
Hi Kelly! Those substitutions sound delicious, I love the sweet and spicy jalapeños. Thank you for making my recipe!
We love Chuy’s creamy jalapeno ranch dip, but can’t always get to the restaurant! This is the best representation of it, bar none. Thanks for your measurements, they never fail.
How long can you keep this in the fridge?
Hi Jennifer! This dip will last about 5-7 days in the fridge.
I use this sauce on everything!!! It’s always a favorite when I bring it to potlucks
I am so glad it’s a crowd favorite, Lou! Thank you so much for making it.
Excellent. The Best. Wakes up your taste buds.
I’m usually skeptical of copycats because often they aren’t quite the same but this one was as good as if not better than the original. I added extra cilantro and the lime juice and it had a much fresher taste than what we get as Chuys. I will be making this one a lot!
This recipe is so great and it’s a little thicker than the Chuy’s dip – which I like!
I doubled The Recipe for My guys at The Engine House, we were going to have your Chicken Tacos this night. I had made a huge pile of Lime dusted corn tortilla chips for them to snack on while I was getting everything together. Those boys are every drop of this dip before the Tacos were ready. They just had Salsa and Pico de Gallo. Now I know to make a bathe tub full of this dip/dressing so I will have enough. Great Recipe, and everyone loved it.
You’re the best Donna! I am so happy they all loved it. 🙂