Once you see how incredibly easy it is to make your own Homemade Ranch Dressing, you will never go back to the store-bought bottle again! This recipe is perfectly creamy, tangy, and loaded with the classic savory herbs and seasonings you love. It's a fresh, flavorful dressing that tastes a million times better than anything from the store.
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The secret to truly great ranch is the combination of a creamy mayonnaise base, tangy buttermilk, and the perfect blend of dried herbs and spices. This recipe nails that balance.
Whether you're drizzling it over a fresh salad, using it as a dip for chicken wings and veggies, or spreading it on a sandwich, this versatile dressing is a must-have in your fridge. It's ready in just 5 minutes plus a little chill time!
🥘 Ingredients
The best ranch dressing is all in the herbs and spices used! I like to use a food processor or Nutribullet blender to reduce my spices to a fine consistency.
- Mayonnaise - This forms the rich, creamy base of our ranch. Use a good-quality mayo like Hellmann's/Best Foods for the best flavor and texture.
- Buttermilk - The key ingredient for that signature tangy flavor. You could also use one of my buttermilk substitutes if you don't have any.
- Lemon Juice - A splash of fresh lemon juice adds a bright, acidic note that cuts through the richness and wakes everything up.
- Dried Parsley - A classic herb that adds a clean, peppery flavor.
- Dried Chives - Provides a mild, fresh onion flavor.
- Dill Weed - Dried dill or fresh dill are both excellent in this base recipe. Use fresh dill if you're serving the ranch sooner rather than later. The dried dill holds up best to storing longer.
- Garlic & Onion Powder - This duo provides the deep, savory, aromatic backbone of the ranch flavor profile.
- Salt & Black Pepper - Essential for seasoning and bringing all the other flavors into perfect balance.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How to Make Homemade Ranch Dressing
Once you realize how easy making ranch salad dressing is, you won't ever buy it bottled again! You will need a mixing bowl, whisk, and your measuring utensils.
One batch of this recipe will make about 24 tablespoons of ranch.
- Whisk wet ingredients. To make your ranch dressing, add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute) to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add the seasoning. Add 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, 1 teaspoon of dried chives, ½ teaspoon of dried dill, ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Whisk again until thoroughly combined.
- Refrigerate. Once the seasoning has been mixed in, taste and adjust to your liking. Remember that once the dressing has been refrigerated, the flavors will blend together better.
Looking for more great homemade salad dressing recipes? Try my homemade blue cheese dressing or creamy Caesar salad dressing (no anchovies)! Enjoy!
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
🔄 Ingredient Substitutions & Dietary Options
Need to swap an ingredient? No problem. Here are the best substitutes for common needs.
How to Make Ranch Without Buttermilk
No buttermilk on hand? You can make a quick substitute! For this recipe, measure out ½ cup of regular milk and stir in ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to curdle slightly, then use it as directed in the recipe. Whole milk will yield the creamiest result.
Healthier High-Protein Ranch (Cottage Cheese or Greek Yogurt)
For a healthier, high-protein dressing, plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese are fantastic substitutes for the mayonnaise or sour cream.
- For the Cottage Cheese Version: This is my favorite healthy option, but it has one mandatory step! You must blend the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender (like a Nutribullet) until the curds are completely gone and the texture is smooth. Then, add milk to thin it to your desired consistency and mix in the ranch seasonings.
- For the Greek Yogurt Version: Simply replace all or part of the mayonnaise with an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
📖 Variations
- Buffalo Ranch - Whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of buffalo sauce (like Frank's Red Hot mixed with a little melted butter).
- Chipotle Ranch - Finely chop ½ of a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and whisk it in along with 1 teaspoon of the sauce.
- Spicy Sriracha Ranch - Whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of sriracha sauce.
- Cilantro Lime Ranch - Replace the lemon juice with fresh lime juice (and a little zest!) and add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro.
- Blue Cheese Ranch - Fold in 2-4 ounces of your favorite blue cheese crumbles. For a creamier texture, mash them into the dressing.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- The Chill Time is Mandatory! Don't skip the 30-minute chilling period. This is when the magic happens! The flavors of the dried herbs need time to "bloom" and infuse into the creamy base. The taste difference is huge.
- Adjusting the dressing or dip consistency. This recipe makes a perfect all-purpose ranch. If you want a thicker dip, reduce the buttermilk to ⅓ cup. For a thinner dressing, simply whisk in more buttermilk, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
- Try using fresh herbs when they're in season. If you have fresh parsley and chives on hand, feel free to use them! The general rule is to use three times the amount of fresh herbs as dried. For this recipe, that would be 1 tablespoons of fresh parsley and 1 tablespoon of fresh chives.
- Quality mayo really does matters. Since mayonnaise is a main ingredient, using one with a flavor you love will make a huge difference in the final product.
🥡 Storing
Your homemade ranch should be stored in a jar or an air tight container and kept refrigerated. Stored properly, mixed ranch dressing will last up to one week.
The ranch dressing tends to thicken the longer it is refrigerated. Simply add some buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute), milk, or water to return your ranch to dressing consistency.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Technically yes, but I don't recommend it. Freezing homemade ranch will change the overall texture and consistency of your dressing.
If your ranch is too thin for your liking, you may thicken it by adding small amounts of sour cream and mayonnaise until it reaches your desired consistency. This is also true of making it a creamier ranch dip (I prefer to be heavy handed on the sour cream for a tangy dip that's perfect with vegetables or chips).
Kenneth Henson of Thayer, Nebraska is the unassuming creator of ranch dressing. As a plumber, he would cook lunch for his coworkers including his own homemade salad dressing that we know know as ranch.
In 1954, he purchased a ranch in Santa Barbara, California called "Hidden Valley Ranch" where it was featured as the house salad dressing. It was a hit with guests. He began packaging and selling the dry mix until the recipe was purchased by Clorox in 1973 for 8 million dollars.
😋 What To Serve With Ranch Dressing
The possibilities are endless! Ranch is the ultimate dip and dressing.
- As a dip for: Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Chicken Tenders, Frozen French Fries, fresh-cut vegetables, or pizza crusts.
- As a dressing for: Any fresh green salad, like a classic Chef or wedge salad.
- As a sauce for: Drizzling over baked potatoes, burgers, or chicken sandwiches.
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📖 Recipe Card
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise (use my homemade mayonnaise, Duke's, or Hellman's Olive Oil Mayo)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute)
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Combine the ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, and ½ cup buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute) and whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Add seasoning (1 teaspoon dried chives, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon dried dill, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon each, salt & pepper) and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer the dressing to an air tight container for refrigerating, chill for at least 30 minutes for best flavor. *This ranch dressing can be served immediately, but is best after being refrigerated overnight.
Notes
- Note that one crushed garlic clove can be used rather than the garlic powder. Carefully crush the clove, sprinkle it with sea salt and work into a paste before adding it to your base ingredients - then omit the garlic powder and salt in the recipe.
- To substitute fresh herbs for any of the dried herbs in this recipe: the general rule of thumb is three times the amount of the dried herb. Since dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor, you need to use roughly 2 - 3x the amount of the same fresh herb. So in this recipe, for example, you would triple the dried parsley amount for substituting the fresh herb and use 3 teaspoons rather than the one called for in the recipe card.
- Using the best quality mayo makes a big difference. I use Hellman's brand olive oil based mayo, and I know that Duke's brand is popular in the South.
Anita says
This is a great ranch dressing. So much better than boughten ranch, so This is my go to recipe now. Thank you Angela for this great recipe