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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!
I doubled the recipe ingredients (because we love this dip/sauce in the restaurant!) but at the end of step 3 it was so thin already I didn’t want to add the buttermilk or lime juice! So it’s not as creamy as I like and I miss the lime flavor too.
Maybe I’ll try not doubling the tomatillos because they add moisture. Any suggestions anyone?
1st time making this recipe. Didn’t have sour cream & used my Greek yogurt. Let it chill & omgoodness 🙌 this dip is creamy, silky soft & yummy I didn’t know what to expect adding the buttermilk but ya really don’t taste it😋 Love this stuff🤤 I’m a Fan forever after🧚🏻♀️
We are obsessed with this dip! We had something similar at a restaurant but not nearly as tasty as this recipe. I also add 1 habanero as well as 2 fresh jalapeños! My family cannot get enough!! We double the recipe every time👍
We made this exactly as the recipe instructs and placed in a squeeze bottle to put on carne asada street tacos at a pool party we hosted. Everyone at the party LOVED it…I mean everyone!!!! This sauce reminds us of a beach side taco restaurant. Street tacos are always a hit at our get togethers, this is sauce brings the tacos to the next level!!!! Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!
The dip is delicious! My family felt it was much spicier than the Chuy’s dip, which they didn’t love (it was too spicy for some of them). Next time I will cut down on the amount of jalapeños and add more buttermilk to thin it out. It definitely was even better in the fridge overnight so I’d stick with the recommendation to make ahead of time!
Been away from Austin for many years followed the recipe and tasted just like home.
Absolutely loved this sauce as written. So delicious with chips but also everyone loved it as a salad dressing. I can’t wait to try it on a burrito bowl. Nice job Melissia!
Amazing
I loved it! It was so good!
This was a total hit!!