Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing
This homemade ranch dressing recipe is so easy and delicious that it will make you ditch the store-bought bottles for good. It’s extra creamy and perfect for salads and dipping! This ranch dressing recipe is one of my most made salad dressings. It’s creamy, fresh, and a little bit tangy. It also comes together using simple ingredients in minutes and keeps well in the fridge (in fact, it gets better). I’ve always loved ranch dressing, and this homemade version is truly the best I’ve had. Store-bought has nothing on my version! I love it so much, I’ve even made a cilantro lime ranch with this recipe as the base. And since we’re on the subject of creamy homemade salad dressings, you should probably save this homemade blue cheese dressing, too! Key Ingredients Sour Cream and Mayonnaise: This combo guarantees the best ranch dressing. The sour cream lightens up the mayonnaise, which can be heavy on its own. When I have homemade mayonnaise in the fridge, I love using it to make this recipe. Buttermilk or Milk: Buttermilk adds a tangy, creamy flavor that’s hard to beat. If you don’t have buttermilk, regular milk with a bit more lemon juice or vinegar also works. If you buy buttermilk for this recipe and have some leftover, try this buttermilk pancakes recipe (I love them!). Worcestershire: Not every ranch recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce, but let me tell you, it’s a game-changer in flavor. If you’re skeptical, taste the dressing, and then add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to see how the flavor changes. Lemon Juice or Vinegar: A splash of fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar brightens the dressing in a way that store-bought bottles can’t compete with. It makes this dressing taste homemade. Herbs: I love fresh dill, parsley, and chives for a classic ranch flavor, but dried herbs will work in a pinch. I have included tips for using dried herbs below the recipe. Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper create that familiar ranch flavor. Dried onion and garlic powder taste better than fresh when making this ranch dressing. Sour Cream and Mayonnaise: This combo guarantees the best ranch dressing. The sour cream lightens up the mayonnaise, which can be heavy on its own. When I have homemade mayonnaise in the fridge, I love using it to make this recipe. Buttermilk or Milk: Buttermilk adds a tangy, creamy flavor that’s hard to beat. If you don’t have buttermilk, regular milk with a bit more lemon juice or vinegar also works. If you buy buttermilk for this recipe and have some leftover, try this buttermilk pancakes recipe (I love them!). Worcestershire: Not every ranch recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce, but let me tell you, it’s a game-changer in flavor. If you’re skeptical, taste the dressing, and then add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to see how the flavor changes. Lemon Juice or Vinegar: A splash of fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar brightens the dressing in a way that store-bought bottles can’t compete with. It makes this dressing taste homemade. Herbs: I love fresh dill, parsley, and chives for a classic ranch flavor, but dried herbs will work in a pinch. I have included tips for using dried herbs below the recipe. Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper create that familiar ranch flavor. Dried onion and garlic powder taste better than fresh when making this ranch dressing. Find the full recipe with measurements below. My Best Tips for Making Homemade Ranch Dressing My favorite ranch dressing recipe is super quick and makes the yummiest salads! Tip 1: Make it by hand. For the least amount of dishes, you can make this dressing by hand. Finely chop all your fresh herbs, then stir them into the other ingredients. Just a few seconds of stirring turns our ranch dressing ingredients into a creamy and delicious sauce. Tip 2: Or, speed it up and use a blender. The quickest way to make this recipe is to add all the ingredients to a blender, hit go, and wait 30 seconds. A food processor works, too! Tip 3: Make it ahead of time. Making homemade dressing every night of the week is probably not ideal. That’s why I am happy to say that this one lasts when stored in an airtight container for about 4 days. The green of the herbs may dull slightly, but not much, and the ranch will still taste great. Serving Suggestions I can’t wait for you to make this easy homemade ranch. I’m already using it for everything. It’s excellent for all my salads (especially this taco salad recipe), as a dip for fresh vegetables like celery, carrots, and broccoli, drizzled over roasted veggies, and served next to French fries or sweet potato fries. It’s also amazing with anything with buffalo sauce, like buffalo chicken wings or these buffalo cauliflower wings. Happy cooking! Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing PREP 10 mins TOTAL 10 mins PREP 10 mins TOTAL 10 mins This easy homemade ranch dressing is extra creamy and perfect for tossing with salad or as a dipping sauce. We love using fresh herbs, but you can use dried herbs. See the tips section below for suggested amounts. I love buttermilk ranch dressing, so we use buttermilk to make it, but if you do not have any, regular milk still makes a delicious dressing. You will lose a little bit of tang, so consider adding a bit more lemon to make up for it. For another version of this, try our Cilantro Lime Dressing (aka cilantro ranch). Makes about 2 cups Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise (140g) ½ cup sour cream (113g) ½ cup buttermilk or regular milk (120ml) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar 1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, to taste ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped ¼ cup fresh chives, finely chopped ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Directions 1Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl and stir until well blended and creamy. 2Stir in the herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Taste and then adjust with another teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce or salt as needed. We love two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, but it has a strong flavor, so add this to your taste. 1Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl and stir until well blended and creamy. 2Stir in the herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Taste and then adjust with another teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce or salt as needed. We love two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, but it has a strong flavor, so add this to your taste. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Store in an airtight container (like a jar), in the refrigerator for up to a week. You might lose some color and flavor from the fresh herbs the longer the dressing sits in the fridge. Substituting dried herb: Dried herbs taste stronger than fresh, so use a third of the amount of fresh herbs suggested. You will need: 2 teaspoons each of dried dill, dried parsley, and dried chives. Lighter dressing: For a lighter dressing with fewer calories, you can swap the mayonnaise for light mayo and the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. The final flavor will be less rich and creamy, but still delicious. Spicy ranch: Stir in finely minced jalapeño peppers (about 1 tablespoon). Or stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of gochujang or sriracha. Try minced cowboy candy (pickled jalapeños) for a sweet and spicy ranch. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Storing: Store in an airtight container (like a jar), in the refrigerator for up to a week. You might lose some color and flavor from the fresh herbs the longer the dressing sits in the fridge. Substituting dried herb: Dried herbs taste stronger than fresh, so use a third of the amount of fresh herbs suggested. You will need: 2 teaspoons each of dried dill, dried parsley, and dried chives. Lighter dressing: For a lighter dressing with fewer calories, you can swap the mayonnaise for light mayo and the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. The final flavor will be less rich and creamy, but still delicious. Spicy ranch: Stir in finely minced jalapeño peppers (about 1 tablespoon). Or stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of gochujang or sriracha. Try minced cowboy candy (pickled jalapeños) for a sweet and spicy ranch. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size about 2 tablespoons / Calories 79 / Total Fat 8.1g / Saturated Fat 1.9g / Cholesterol 8.7mg / Sodium 105.4mg / Carbohydrate 1.1g / Dietary Fiber 0.1g / Total Sugars 0.7g / Protein 0.6g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us