Wouldn't Be A Party Without Creamy Jalapeño Dip

Watch out—this creamy jalapeño dip is nearly too good to pass up. It's creamy, savory, garlicky, ranch-y, and spicy. In other words, it's all the things we love.

It is great as a dip for crudites or tortilla chips. It's also a fantastic salad dressing and great on tacos or nachos. In short, if you can think of a way to use it, that's a great idea.

Learn how to make creamy jalapeño dip. You'll want to keep a jar of this in your fridge at all times.

Ingredients for Creamy Jalapeño Dip

For the spicy, cooling flavors of creamy jalapeño dip, you'll need a few ingredients from the fridge and pantry. Here's what's needed to make this dip:

• Cilantro leaves and stems: The fresh, citrusy flavors of cilantro brighten up rich and creamy sour cream and mayonnaise. It also provides a cooling component against the peppers.
• Pickled jalapeño peppers: The fruity flavors of a jalapeño balances the other ingredients well, and the pickling takes the edge off the pepper bite.
• Sour cream and mayonnaise: The rich and creamy base of the dip. A little extra sour cream makes the dip more dippable and extra silky.
• Ranch dressing mix: If you buy a packet of ranch dressing mix, you won't quite use the whole package.
• Fresh lime juice: Brightens up the dip for a bit of zip and bite.
• Kosher salt: For seasoning.
• Garlic clove: Adds a backbone of flavor and punch that puts this dip over the top.

How To Make Creamy Jalapeño Dip

There's no need to preheat the oven or stove for this dip. Just grab your food process. Here's a brief outline of the steps; the full recipe is further below.

• Step 1. Pulse cilantro: Place cilantro in a food processor or mini food processor; pulse until finely chopped, about 10 times.
• Step 2. Add peppers: Add pickled jalapeños; pulse until finely chopped, 8 to 10 times.
• Step 3. Add remaining ingredients: Add sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, lime juice, salt, and garlic; process until well combined, 20 to 30 seconds.

Ways To Serve Creamy Jalapeño Dip

This is a jack-of-all-trades dip. You can use it as a dip for crudités, or serve it with tortilla chips in place of the traditional salsa or guacamole. It's equally delicious drizzled on a salad—try it on our Chopped Salad or BBQ Chicken Salad. We'd also love to see it on a taco or nacho bar. Like our Cilantro-Lime Crema, it's the perfect combination of spicy and heat.

How To Store Creamy Jalapeño Dip

Once mixed, this dip can stay in an airtight container in the fridge up to five days—if it lasts that long. If it's on a table for a meal, make sure it sits out no longer than two hours.

Can You Make Creamy Jalapeño Dip in Advance?

Yes, and you should! Creamy jalapeño dip's flavor deepens as it sits for a few hours or even a day before you use it. Make this on the weekend, and you can use it all week for meals.