Ranch Dressing Recipe

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This made-from-scratch Ranch Dressing Recipe is thick, creamy, and packed with fresh herbs, just the way you and your vegetables want it. It’s perfect for dipping, dressing, and tossing!

Ranch Dressing in a clear glass dish on a countertop.


 

Homemade Ranch Dressing is really easy to make. And it is, without a doubt, the most kid-friendly of all the salad dressings out there.

This classic American recipe makes frequent appearances on salads (especially Wedge Salads) and as a dipping sauce on a Veggie Platter with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. It’s also served with fried foods like chicken tenders, Buffalo wings, onion rings, and French Fries. Don’t underestimate it’s ability to improve pizza, burgers, and sandwiches, too!

And while I’m not much of a food snob in general, I’m a Ranch Snob. I’ll pass on the room-temperature, store-bought ranch dressings with their fake, almost cheesy, phony ranch flavor. No thanks, Hidden Valley Ranch.

In a pinch, refrigerated buttermilk ranch dressing from the produce aisle are usually a safe bet. But nothing beats homemade. And for the best ranch dressing around, reach for fresh herbs instead of dried herbs (but I included the conversions to dried herbs in case you need to do that for one or all).

Recipe ingredients

Ranch dressing ingredients.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Buttermilk: I love the little containers of everlasting powdered buttermilk, but don’t use that here. Use the real thing or make your own buttermilk with ½ cup milk and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar.
  • Red onion: A minced shallot would work too, or even chives, scallions, or onion powder to lend some onion flavor.
  • Sugar: A pinch of sugar makes the flavors pop, but it’s okay to leave it out.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayo, sour cream, chopped parsley and dill, lemon juice, red onion, garlic, a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
Ranch Dressing in a clear glass dish on a countertop.
  1. Chill until serving time, then drizzle and toss your salad with Ranch dressing to taste.
A cobb salad composed on a platter.
A Cobb Salad featuring leftover rotisserie chicken, crispy bacon, diced avocado, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, and blue cheese with Ranch Dressing.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups Ranch Dressing, enough for 12 servings, 2 tablespoons each.
  • Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If separation occurs, shake or whisk to recombine.
  • Chipotle ranch: Mix adobo sauce to taste for a smoky, spicy flavor (start with a tsp or two and go from there!). If you love spicy, you can process the dressing in a blender with 1 or 2 whole chipotle chiles until smooth.
  • Low-fat ranch: Substitute equal amounts of nonfat buttermilk, nonfat sour cream, and low-fat mayonnaise (do not use nonfat mayonnaise because it’s too sweet). Increase the amount of lemon juice to 2 tablespoons and add more pepper if needed (I increase it to ½ teaspoon).
  • Bacon ranch: Mix in 2 tablespoons of chopped cooked bacon before chilling.
  • Protein-packed: Substitute an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream if you’re looking to sneak in extra protein.
Someone setting down a veggie platter on a countertop.
Flavorful Ranch Dressing is always a welcome dip on a fresh Veggie Platter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called Ranch dressing?

This creamy condiment is originally invented in Alaska by Steve Henson, an African American from Nebraska. He flavored buttermilk with herbs and spices and gave it to his plumbing crews to spice up their food and keep them happy. Eventually, he retired in Santa Barbara with his wife on a ranch which he named The Hidden Valley.

Perfect recipes for ranch dressing

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Ranch Dressing in a clear glass dish on a countertop.

Ranch Dressing Recipe

This made-from-scratch Ranch Dressing recipe is thick, creamy, and packed with fresh herbs, just the way you and your vegetables want it. It's perfect for dipping, dressing, and tossing!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 12 servings (2 tbsp each)
Course Pantry
Cuisine American
Calories 82
5 from 16 votes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, red onion, dill, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Chill until serving time and whisk to recombine before serving.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Buttermilk: I love the little containers of everlasting powdered buttermilk, but don’t use that here. Use the real thing or make your own buttermilk with ½ cup milk and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar.
  2. Red onion: A minced shallot would work too.
  3. Sugar: A pinch of sugar makes the flavors pop, but it’s okay to leave it out.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups Ranch Dressing, enough for 12 servings, 2 tablespoons each.
  5. Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If separation occurs, shake or whisk to recombine.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 tbspCalories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 72mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 91IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. Best homemade ranch I have ever tasted! Consistancy is perfect and tastes even better the longer it marinates. Thank you so much for waking up my salads!5 stars

  2. Hello!
    Would homemade buttermilk be ok in this recipe? It’s been so long since I’ve purchased buttermilk I can’t remember if there’s a consistency difference.

    Thanks!
    Brenda

  3. Hello, I was on your page about the powdered ranch dressing and was quite confused. I want to make homemade ranch, like for salads. Thank You for replying back and this link.

  4. Hello Meggan, Do you happen to have a Delicious Copy Cat Orange Chicken Dressing from Cheese Cake Factory or one that is similar? I love there Orange Chicken Dressing. I order there Chicken Littles and toss them in the Orange Chicken Dressing. It’s Delicious!!! There Chicken Littles are spicy with a Cajun seasoning. Really Yummy!
    I’m going to make your Cajun seasoning and your Homemade Ranch Dressing.
    Thank you for sharing your recipes.
    Have a blessed day.
    Peace

    1. Hi where did you get that pretty sajeped jar with the lid ? Not the pitcher … which you gave the link for 

    1. Hi Amy! 4 days in the refrigerator per standard CDC guidelines for leftovers. It’s possible it would last longer, maybe a week, and if separation occurs you can just shake or stir to recombine. However, I feel most comfortable saying 4 days. Thank you!

    1. Amazon.com of course – that’s where I get everything! :) Here is a link if you want to check it out! http://amzn.to/1T0zft3
      This is an affiliate link. If you’d rather not shop through an affiliate link, just search for “Anchor Hocking Cruet” and you should be able to find it! :)