Ricciardo was the star of qualifying by claiming fourth on the grid at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, narrowly behind the two Ferraris and season dominator Max Verstappen.
Although he was unable to stay in the top five due to an ill-timed red flag, Ricciardo clinched a huge result for AlphaTauri in seventh, his first points since his return to the Faenza squad in the second half of this season and his subsequent injury lay-off.
"After last week this is the weekend I dreamed of," Ricciardo told Sky Sports, referring to a tricky Austin weekend which was his first appearance since breaking his wrist in practice for August's Dutch Grand Prix.
"I feel good, better than good. Relieved as well, because two starts... you hold your breath because it's such a long run to Turn 1 and anything can happen."
Ricciardo ran comfortably in the top five in the opening stages, but a red flag for Kevin Magnussen's accident gave cars around him the option to bolt on the preferred medium tyres, which Ricciardo no longer had available.
He was powerless to resist the impressive Lando Norris in the second part of the race, and also had to settle behind the Mercedes of George Russell.
Expanding on his race to the print media, Ricciardo felt being able to race a Mercedes on merit outweighed the disappointment of not holding on to a top five finish.
"It's honestly the red flag that hurt us, but I don't want to say it too selfishly because there was a big accident," he said.
Source: Autosport