Step Up Basic BBQ Sauce With This Creamy Store-Bought Ingredient

BBQ sauce has truly made a home in American kitchens everywhere. It's an all-time favorite at sports bars and fast-food joints, yet also has a way of belonging squarely in fancy restaurants. And when you're throwing a cookout, you already know it's going to be the best company for hearty grilled meat. On its own, it's already magnificent, but pair it with ranch dressing and you'd open up a brand new horizon of flavors and potential. As it turns out, when you mix two familiar condiments, you get something entirely new and exciting.

At first thought, BBQ sauce and ranch dressing seem incompatible. BBQ sauce is savory, sweet, and tangy, backed by a bold smokiness. It's just the kind of complexity that can hold its own against heavy, flavor-packed meat. Ranch, on the other hand, is only mildly tangy, often times layered with a sweet undertone that make fresh salads much better. These contrasts — unexpectedly, brilliantly — come together and make a dipping sauce with the best qualities you could ask for: captivating yet soothing, spicy but no less smooth, full of depth and vibrancy.

At its simplest, this mixture is equal part BBQ sauce and ranch dressing, typically half a cup each. This also works if you use ranch seasoning instead of the bottled dressing. With pretty much the same ratio, mix the sauce with sour cream, buttermilk, one packet of ranch seasoning, and a cup of mayonnaise. Although not compulsory, you can also further diversify the sauce's flavors with other ingredients. It could be a teaspoon of honey or brown sugar for a little sweetness, chipotle peppers to add a fiery kick, minced garlic if you want an aromatic undertone, or seasonings like paprika and dried herbs, because why not?

Whisked to creamy, luscious perfection, the sauce is ready to make a whole lot of dishes better. Obviously, it works well with meaty goods like crispy fried chicken, hearty pulled pork, and beautifully-seared steaks. Not only that, you can also use it as a special twist for tacos, nachos, and burritos. Even just a side of French fries could use an upgrade from this sauce. Serve it as a dipping sauce or drizzle a few spoonfuls over the food. Either way, your dish is off to a spectacular start.

Still somewhat of a dressing, your BBQ ranch can undoubtedly be tossed with salads, most suitably a grilled chicken salad. And have you ever thought about a BBQ ranch dip? Just add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, and a little bit of vegetables, and let the oven turn that mixture into a crave-worthy appetizer.