If you love Hidden Valley Ranch on everything, you have to try my homemade version of ranch dressing! This homemade dressing is flavored with a variety of fresh herbs as well as garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. It’s better than any ranch salad dressing you’ll buy at a store or restaurant, and comes together in a flash! When developing this recipe, I tested ways to control the consistency so this one recipe can be used as a dipping sauce or a pourable dressing.
Simply whisk together the ingredients and let the ranch sit in the fridge for a couple of hours for the flavors to mingle. Then it’s ready to pour over salads, to generously dip fried pickles or chicken wings, or to use as a topping for pizzas and sandwiches. Plus, it keeps well in the refrigerator, so you can always have it on hand to add a little creamy richness to your meals. Once you taste the unbeatable flavor and discover just how easy it is to make your own homemade ranch, you won’t ever want to buy it again!
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients needed to make the best ranch. You can find the full list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Buttermilk — adds irresistible tang and thins out the ranch dressing. This ingredient is essential to a good ranch dressing! I recommend buying whole buttermilk if you can find it, or at least low-fat, and avoiding nonfat buttermilk since it’s less rich.
Sour cream — sour cream is the thick, creamy base of this recipe. It gives the dressing a perfect thickness for coating salad greens or dippers.
Mayonnaise — adds richness and flavor to buttermilk ranch dressing. Use a good store-bought one you love or try it with homemade mayonnaise!
Herbs — chopped fresh parsley, fresh dill, and fresh chives add herbal flavor and a little color to the creamy dressing. Fresh herbs really set homemade ranch apart from its store-bought counterpart. You can swap them for dried herbs, but use ⅓ of the amount of fresh herbs since dried herbs are more pungent.
Lemon juice — an acidic element is a must to balance out the creamy ingredients. Swap for white vinegar or white wine vinegar if you don’t have lemons on hand.
Seasonings — onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper are a flavor game-changer! The subtle onion and garlic flavor is amazing with the fresh herbs, and adds a deep savory flavor to the dressing. For extra bite, swap the garlic powder for a grated clove of fresh garlic.
Can I Use A Buttermilk Substitute?
Yes! If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, try my 2-ingredient buttermilk substitute made with regular milk and lemon juice or white vinegar. I recommend making it with whole milk (not low-fat milk), or you could use half and half for an even thicker, richer ranch dressing.
Pro Tips For Making The Best Ranch
Let the dressing sit for improved flavor. Cover and refrigerate the ranch salad dressing for at least 2 hours before using it. This time is crucial for the flavors to meld properly for the best ranch dressing.
For a thicker consistency, use less buttermilk. For a dipping sauce instead of a pourable dressing, start with ¼ cup (60ml) buttermilk. Whisk together the ingredients, check the consistency, and add a little more to thin it out if desired.
How To Make Ranch Dressing
1. Add all the make-your-own ranch ingredients to a medium bowl.
2. Whisk to combine.
3. Add more lemon juice if you like.
4. Season the homemade salad dressing with more salt and black pepper to taste.
Ranch Dressing Recipe
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- ½ cup buttermilk (120mL)
- ⅓ cup sour cream (80g)
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise (80g)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, dill, chives, lemon juice, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth.
- Season with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- The dressing will thicken again after it has chilled. Simply shake it up and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to warm up a touch. Or thin it out by adding a splash of buttermilk or water.
Nutrition
Variations
Homemade ranch dressing is easy to adapt! Try one of these ideas if you’re looking for a twist on the classic:
- Vegan ranch: Use vegan mayonnaise, non-dairy sour cream, and non-dairy milk. Increase the lemon juice by 1 tablespoon or to taste to make up for the tang of buttermilk.
- Lighten it up: You can swap some of the mayonnaise or sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. I recommend using at least some mayo and sour cream for richness, but you shouldn’t notice a huge difference in flavor with this swap! You might need an extra pinch or two of salt, though, since mayonnaise is already seasoned.
- Add blue cheese: Stir in 1–2 tablespoons of blue cheese crumbles for a twist. This is great for serving with air fryer chicken wings or buffalo cauliflower, as it combines two condiments commonly served with these dishes: blue cheese dressing and ranch dressing!
- Make it spicy: Add a few dashes of hot sauce or a finely diced jalapeño for heat.
Ways To Use Ranch Dressing
Use homemade ranch dressing as a creamy salad dressing over crunchy lettuce or as a topping for side dishes. It’s particularly tasty with twice-baked potatoes!
If you want a ranch dip, follow my tips in the Pro Tips section for a thicker condiment that’s excellent with a fresh veggie tray (there’s just something about creamy, cooling ranch and fresh vegetables!). It’s also perfect alongside crispy potato chips, air fryer onion rings, mozzarella sticks, air fryer pizza rolls, and air fryer french fries.
Or use this easy ranch dressing wherever ranch is called for in recipes, like my buffalo chicken dip and buffalo chicken pizza.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in an airtight container or Mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Do not freeze, as the ingredients will separate when thawed, and the texture of the dressing will not be desirable anymore.
If you’ve tried this homemade ranch dressing recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Feriba says
The best recipe so far, and I have a bunch of recipes for homemade ranch dressing. 🙂
Angelique says
I love this recipe it’s flavorful and creamy and very easy to make.
Daniel Smith says
A great recipe! So tangy and delicious. Make it, you won’t regret it