Blackened Ranch Dressing (Popeyes Copycat)

If you like Popeyes blackened ranch, you’ll LOVE this copycat recipe. This Blackened Ranch Dressing is creamy, zesty, and packed with delicious Cajun flavor. It’s excellent as a salad dressing and a dipping sauce for crispy chicken, chicken wings, veggies, and more! 2-ingredient shortcut recipe included.

As for the best fast food fried chicken, Popeyes gets my vote. The menu is rooted in Louisiana-style home cooking and features New Orleans-style fried chicken, fried seafood, Cajun sides, and signature sauces to complement your meal.

The lineup of Popeyes classic sauces includes BBQ, buttermilk ranch, chili sauce, and tartar sauce, and if you’re lucky, your location may also offer the blackened ranch.

Blackened ranch debuted on the menu in 2011 as a dip for blackened chicken tenders, Rip’n Chick’n, and Dip’n Chick’n, but it seems to be phased out of many locations. Bummer, right? Wrong! With this Popeyes blackened ranch dressing recipe, you can make it yourself in minutes!

This rich, creamy sauce is seriously the best. Imagine dipping a crispy chicken tender in a zesty buttermilk ranch dressing with a warm and peppery Cajun kick. You can make this spicy sauce entirely from scratch or simplify it with semi-homemade ingredients.

🧾 Ingredients You’ll Need

• Sour cream – For the best results, use full-fat sour cream. The rest of the ingredients build on the sour cream to make a thick, tangy dressing.
  
• Buttermilk – The aged cream in buttermilk improves the tang. If you’ve ever wondered why store-bought ranch dressing never tastes as good as restaurant ranch, it’s most likely the buttermilk.
  
• Mayonnaise – Mayo helps make a thick, dip-like density. I recommend using full-fat real mayo or making homemade mayo.
  
• Ranch seasoning – Try this homemade ranch seasoning for that distinct herby, zesty ranch flavor. If you use a ranch dressing packet, Hidden Valley, Great Value, Simply Organic, and Primal Palate ranch seasoning are good options.
  
• Blackened seasoning – This spice blend has deep, Earthy, and smokey flavors and a kick of Cajun heat. Louisiana Fish Fry Products, Phillips, Zatarain’s, and Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning are flavorful, readily available options.

🥣 How To Make Blackened Ranch Dressing & Dip

1️⃣ Combine creamy ingredients. Add the sour cream, buttermilk, and mayo to a mixing bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined.

2️⃣ Stir in spices. Add the ranch seasoning and blackened seasoning, and whisk to incorporate the spices into the dressing. Give it a quick taste and adjust the seasonings if you need to.

3️⃣ Chill before serving. Transfer the blackened ranch dressing to an airtight container, and set it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to let the flavors develop. Enjoy!

⏰ Short on time? Take a shortcut! Stir blackened seasoning & your favorite ranch dressing together, and serve—no chilling necessary.

💭 Recipe Tips

• Give it a taste test. Some blackening seasons are saltier than others, so you may or may not need to add salt.
• Don’t skip chilling. Placing the dressing in the fridge for a couple of hours gives the flavors a chance to wake up and mesh together.
• If your sauce is too thick, whisk in a splash of buttermilk at a time to thin it out to your preferred consistency.
• For an extra thick ranch dip, use less buttermilk.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

If you’re anything like me, this blackened ranch goes on everything. These are my favorite meals to serve with blackened ranch.

• Fried catfish and crinkle-cut fries made in the air fryer.
• Air fryer chicken nuggets or popcorn chicken with sweet potato fries.
• As a dip with air fryer baby potatoes, yuca fries, or onion rings.

🧊 Storage

Storing: Store this buttermilk ranch dressing in a well-sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. No freezing!

❔ FAQ

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