Chipotle Ranch Dressing

History & Origin

Chipotle ranch dressing is one of the most popular condiments in Tex-Mex cuisine and represents the perfect fusion between the American ranch dressing tradition and the smoky flavor of Mexican chipotle. The original ranch dressing was created in 1949 by Steve Henson, an Alaskan pipeline worker who brought his homemade recipe to his ranch in Santa Barbara, California, where it became the most requested sauce in the restaurant. The basic recipe of mayonnaise, buttermilk, garlic, onion and aromatic herbs became so popular that Henson bottled it and sold the Hidden Valley Ranch brand to Clorox in 1972 for eight million dollars, a fortune at the time. The chipotle version of ranch dressing arose naturally in Tex-Mex restaurants across Texas and the American south-west, where cooks of Mexican origin began adding chipotles in adobo to the base recipe to create a dressing with the smokiness and spice characteristic of their cuisine. The chipotle - a dried and smoked jalapeño chile - completely transforms the flavor profile of classic ranch, adding depth, warmth and that unmistakable aroma of wood and smoke. This sauce is used today in salads, burritos, wraps, as a dip for raw vegetables, chicken wings, chips and virtually anything that needs a touch of character-laden creaminess. It is one of the most versatile condiments in contemporary Tex-Mex cooking.