Ranch Dressing

Ranch Dressing Recipe:

Between our two websites, we have a handful of different ranch dressing recipes. Why so many?

We absolutely love homemade ranch dressing and prefer it to store bought.

What makes it so amazing? Aside from it being so stinking easy to make, 99% of the time, we have every ingredient on hand.

I can whip up this dressing faster than I can make a salad, a batch of cheese fries, or jalapeno poppers.

Have I mentioned how great this ranch dressing tastes? It’s creamy, savory, and the flavor is perfectly balanced.

It’s also easy to customize the seasonings to your liking, and you can even adjust the thickness.

Buttermilk Ranch Ingredients:

• Mayonnaise: Full-fat mayonnaise is the way to go! It makes a great base for this salad dressing.
• Buttermilk: Same as the mayo, full-fat buttermilk is best. It gives this dressing a rich, tangy taste and consistency.
• Whole Milk: It only takes a few tablespoons to thin out the dressing and balance the flavors.
• Dried Dill Weed: Concentrated dill flavor to give the dressing just enough dill flavor that’s common in every ranch dressing recipe.
• Garlic Powder: The perfect amount of garlic flavor without having to use raw garlic.
• Onion Powder: The perfect amount of onion flavor without using any raw onion or shallots.
• Dried Parsley: This is totally optional, but I like to add it for some extra green to this dressing.
• Salt: Just a pinch, if that, is all that’s needed, to enhance all the other flavors.

How to Make Homemade Ranch Dressing:

You’ll find the exact measurements and full instructions in the recipe card near the bottom of the page.

1. Place the mayonnaise, buttermilk, whole milk, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley in a large bowl.

2. Whisk to combine, taste, and add salt if desired.
3. Transfer the ranch dressing in a sealable container, and store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

Ranch Dressing Recipe Tips and Substitutions:

• Mayonnaise: We love for this to be full-fat and not a reduced fat mayo or mayo substitute like Miracle Whip. Full-fat mayonnaise is going to yield the best flavor and texture for this dressing
• Buttermilk: Full-fat buttermilk is best here, but low-fat will work in a pinch. If you’d prefer not to use buttermilk, try whole milk instead. Sour milk is not a good option for this recipe.
• Whole Milk: This is used to thin out the dressing. At first, the dressing is going to seem thin, but it will thicken up as it cools and sets. This can be adjusted as needed. Use more or less to get the desired consistency.
• Herbs and Spices: We think the herbs and spices are just right, but feel free to adjust them or omit one or two if desired. You can even add fresh herbs if you have those handy.
• Tanginess: If you like a tangy flavor, add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the dressing. Start with less and work up from there.
• Sweetness: If you like a sweet flavor, add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of sugar to the dressing, starting with less and working up from there.

Storage Recommendations:

Room Temperature: We do not recommend storing this dressing at room temperature.

Refrigerator: This ranch dressing keeps well in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days when kept in an airtight container or glass jar with a lid. Make sure the buttermilk doesn’t spoil during the 4 to 5 days; otherwise, the dressing will also go bad.

Freezer: We don’t recommend freezer this ranch dressing.

Other salad dressing and condiment recipes you may enjoy:

• Mango Pineapple Salsa
• Easy Greek Dressing
• Blueberry Curd
• Walnut Pesto
• Red Wine Vinaigrette with Dijon Mustard
• Herb and Garlic Cream Cheese
• Homemade Mayo