Homemade Ranch Dressing
I can never go back to bottled dressing after making this ranch! ~Elle
Quick Look: Homemade Ranch Dressing
- ⏱️ Prep: 10 minutes
- 🕒 Total: 10 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 8 (about 2 tbsp each)
- 📊 Calories: ~80 kcal/serving
- 🔥 Cook Method: No cook, just whisk
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Creamy, tangy, herb-forward
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
SUMMARIZE FOR ME:
What Makes This Ranch Dressing So Good
- Fresh herbs change everything. Fresh dill and parsley give this dressing a bright, aromatic lift that dried herbs simply can’t match.
- Real garlic, not garlic powder. Freshly pressed garlic has a clean, punchy flavor. It makes a noticeable difference here.
- Cracked peppercorns. Crack them right into the bowl for the most aromatic result. If you want even more depth, lightly toast them first.
- Worcestershire sauce. Just a teaspoon, but it rounds out the flavor and adds a subtle savory depth that sets this apart from basic recipes.
- Doubles as a dip. Just use less buttermilk and you have a thick, creamy dip perfect for your baked chicken wings, homemade truffle fries, or a veggie tray.
Ingredients for Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Sour cream – For the creamiest and richest dressing use regular full fat sour cream. If you have to make it lighter ranch, use light sour cream instead.
- Mayonnaise – Stick with real mayo like Hellman’s and NOT spreads like Miracle Whip. The latter has added sugar and spices that will alter the overall flavor.
- Buttermilk – use low fat, usually 1%, buttermilk.
- Garlic – I always recommend using fresh garlic when possible. It really does taste better than jarred.
- White vinegar – I’ve started adding a splash on white vinegar to my homemade ranch recipe and it punched up the buttermilk flavor to a nice and pleasant tanginess. Don’t overdo it though!
- Worcestershire sauce – Don’t leave this out! Even the tiniest amount makes a huge difference in flavor.
- Herbs – dill weed and parsley. It’s best to use fresh herbs if possible. Use leftovers in a smoked salmon dip, parmesan dill potato salad, or Greek chicken marinade.
- Peppercorns – Crack your peppercorns right into the dressing mixture for the most aromatic result. If you want to take it even a step further, you can toast your peppercorns.
How To Make Ranch Dressing
- Your first and hardest step in this recipe is to mince the herbs and press the garlic clove. After you do that, it’s a cake walk. Just whisk everything together until combined.
- Pour the mixture into a spouted serving container (cruet) for drizzling or transfer it to a glass jar with a lid to store.
- Feel free to double the recipe to feed a larger crowd!
Tips For The Best Results
Since there isn’t really much to the preparation process, all the secrets lie in the ingredients.
- Want to use ranch as a dip instead of a dressing? Simply reduce the buttermilk. Start with 1/3 cup and adjust until you reach your desired thickness.
- Toast your peppercorns in a dry pan for 30 seconds before cracking for a more complex, nutty pepper flavor.
- Make it ahead. This dressing is genuinely better the next day once the herbs have had time to meld into the base.
- Let it chill first. While you can certainly enjoy Ranch dressing right away, the flavors will continue to meld together the longer the mixture has to sit. Make a batch first thing in the morning or even the night before so it’s even better when you’re ready to eat!
- Give it a quick whisk when using leftovers to blend ingredients back together.
Storing Instructions
If you’re making the dressing ahead of time or have leftovers, store homemade ranch dressing in the refrigerator. Pour it into a glass jar with an air-tight lid and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe FAQs
The main difference is the thickness. Use more buttermilk to make the dressing thinner or less buttermilk to keep it thick to be a dip.
There isn’t a limit to where you can use ranch dressing! Salads is the most obvious choice but you can also drizzle it over chicken dinners, add it to wraps like buffalo chicken wrap, sandwiches and homemade burgers.
Chicken nuggets and fries is the most favorite things to dip into the ranch dip. Serve it with your veggies, whether they are cooked or a fresh veggies tray. Dip your wings and even pizza into this delicious dressing/dip. It’s also great on potato skins, baked potatoes, and any potato side dish.
Yes. You can omit the mayo entirely and increase the sour cream to 1/2 cup. The dressing will be slightly less rich, more tangy, and not as balanced, but still creamy and delicious. (Psst, I’ve used roasted garlic aioli to make ranch before and it was pretty good!)
More Delicious Recipes To Try
If you love this ranch dressing, you might also enjoy my avocado dressing, Caesar dressing, Italian dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, and apple vinaigrette. Ranch dressing pairs especially well with chicken burgers, buffalo chicken burger, and salads like cucumber tomato salad. It also makes an incredible dipping sauce alongside beer batter onion rings or a fresh veggie tray.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!
Ranch Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup fat mayo
- 1/2-2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp minced fresh dill weed
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked peppercorns more if you like stronger flavor
- salt to tase
Instructions
- Mince the herbs and press the garlic clove. Combine all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and blended.
- Taste to see if you have enough salt. You can add it more zesty by adding more fresh cracked pepper too.
- Pour the mixture into a spouted dressing jar or a gravy boat to serve right away or transfer it to a glass jar with a lid.
Video
Notes
- Storing: If you’re making the dressing ahead of time or have leftovers, store homemade ranch dressing in the refrigerator. Pour it into a glass jar with an air-tight lid and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Make it a dip: Simply reduce the amount of buttermilk to create a thicker consistency.
Nutrition
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Categories:
30 Minute Meals, Dip Recipes, Dressing Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Salad Recipes, Sauce Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Love this dressing, perfect for dipping.
I am so glad you like it! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and let me know. 🙂
I can never go back to bottled dressing after making this ranch!
the buttermilk ranch dressing was outstanding . I substituted fresh basil for the parsley and it was over the top. Thank you for sharing
Thank you so much, Ellen! Basil sounds great, I’ll have to do it next time 🙂
I really want to try this!
How much salt and peppercorn do you use for this recipe?
Thanks!
Alena, salt and pepper is always to taste. I can’t really tell you how much because you have a different salt tolerance and may like things more or less salty. Add less that you like, taste it, add more as needed!
I hope you enjoy it!!
YUM!!! Homemade dressing is always so much better than store bought – can’t wait to try this out!
It sure it, Kristen! Thank you!
I LOVE homemade dressing! All of these looks so yummy! Pinned and shared on FB 🙂
Thank you so much, Trish! Hope you are feeling better 😉
This is a great collection of recipes.Thanks for linking up to Tip Me Tuesday linky party this week. {knuckle bumps}
Did you know that I can “lend” your blog posts my Google page rank for better search engine traffic?
{fabulous}
If you upload at least 2 images, 2 steps, and blog post URL into your Tip Junkie craft room, you’ll be in business!
{wink} ~ Laurie {a.k.a. the Tip Junkie}
http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/how-to-add-a-craft-room-project-on-tip-junkie/
Thank you, Laurie 🙂
Buttermilk Ranch is my favorite flavor of dressing!! This looks so good…where’s a big salad when you need one?
Right! Thank you, Kristi!
A fantastic collection of homemade recipes!
Thank you, Michael!
Wow, this is great! Thanks so much!
Of course! Thank you, Carol!
Yumm! I love homemade dressing…especially when it looks as tasty as this buttermilk ranch! Thanks for this great collection!
Aww, thank you, Cathy!
I love homemade dressing, thank you so much for rounding up all these recipes in one place – can’t wait for “salad season” now!
Thank you, Sarah!
Wow! There are so many I want to try!! Thanks for including me :o) pinning and sharing!
Of course! Thank you, Marion!
Hi Lyuba! Stopping by from Show Stopper Saturday, and defintely wanted to check out these dressings. I’ve been trying to get more in the habbit of making my own dressings instead of the bottled stuff. Homemade always tastes better, and you never know what’s in that bottled stuff. Thanks for a great collection!! ~Erin
Oh, it’s so much better, Erin! Thank you 🙂
Thanks for this great collection Lyuba, I have been pinning away~
Thank you, Jenna!
I agree with your take on fresh herbs –they take the recipe to another level. I can hardly stand bought dressings. There is something about them that sticks in my throat, especially the Italian dressing! My hubby likes the Honey Mustard but the ones I’ve tasted have not done anything for me. Like I mentioned in my blog, the first thing we do when we arrive in Florida for our three month say is to find fresh basil and rosemary. I would buy a few more but we then would have to worry about taking them home with us. I wouldn’t have the heart to just leave them to chance. Thank you for your sauces — I do plan on trying them and I’m sure as with your other recipes they will be delicious.
I find store-bought ones way too vinegary.
Thank you, Marisa!
Yep, you were right… I’m in heaven! I’m such a saucy kind of gal. So, I’m all about this homemade buttermilk(!) ranch.
I’m so glad you like it 🙂
Thank you, Gloria!