Myhomemade ranch dressingproves you can make restaurant-quality ranch at home. Always perfectly tangy, creamy, and worth the few minutes it takes to make. Don’t just take my word for it; check out the reviews from people who’ve made it themselves!
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You’ll be making this Easy Ranch Dressing Recipe over and over again
Homemade ranch dressing always tastes fresh, creamy, and easy to customize with your favorite herbs. Everyone who makes this recipe loves it! Here’s what one Pinner said:
“First time making homemade ranch, and I needed a recipe on the fly – this absolutely delivered! This recipe is really a great base, and then you can add more seasonings as you want, and that’s awesome. Highly recommend it!”
Best Homemade Ranch Dressing Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients!! It really is so super easy to put together.
Mayonaise
Sour Cream
Salt and pepper
Seasonings
Enough milk to make it the consistency you like.
How to make Homemade Ranch Dressing
The easiest way to make this ranch dressing (and any salad dressing) is in a jar. I add all the ingredients to a jar and just shake them all up. It’s fast and easy and if you have a mason jar pouring spout (affiliate),you can serve it or use it right out of the jar. Genius and so easy!
The base for homemade ranch is made from sour cream and mayonnaise, which is then thinned out by milk. Add the milk slowly so that the ranch stays as thick as you’d like. If you do thin it out too much, add a bit more sour cream and mayonnaise.
Ways to use this recipe for Ranch Dressing
The options are endless!! I love to put this on salad, of course, but it’s also fantastic for dipping fresh vegetables, chicken tenders, and even pizza.
I also love to serve it with my oven BBQ chicken, use it when making bacon ranch pizzas, and substitute it for the gorgonzola dressing on my steak salad with it if I have people who aren’t fans of stinky cheese.
How long is Homemade Ranch good?
This is a super common question! Since ranch dressing is made of dairy products, you’ll want to use it before the earliest “best by” date found on them.
Usually, this is the milk, but always double check and write the date on the container the homemade ranch dressing is kept in.
Ranch dressing got its name from Hidden Valley Ranch, a steakhouse in California where it was believed to be invented.
How was the original ranch dressing made?
The first ranch dressing that was sold was packets of dry ingredients to mix into sour cream and buttermilk.
Is ranch dressing gluten free?
Yes, this ranch dressing is gluten-free but I can’t speak for all ranch dressing recipes.
Does homemade ranch taste better?
I might be biased but I do think that homemade ranch tastes better. A few commentators on Pinterest agree as well! “I will never buy bottle dressing again.”
Is homemade ranch healthier than store bought?
It probably depends on which ranch you buy. You can find the estimated nutrition facts below the recipe card.
Looking for more delicious salad dressing recipes??
Even when a restaurant does start with premade ranch, they will often fold in extra fresh herbs, and maybe even more buttermilk, to lighten and bring in some brighter flavors that can be lost in shelf-stable bottling.
Even when a restaurant does start with premade ranch, they will often fold in extra fresh herbs, and maybe even more buttermilk, to lighten and bring in some brighter flavors that can be lost in shelf-stable bottling.
I use a mix of mayonnaise, sour cream, and a bit of buttermilk for some tang, plus garlic, and plenty of fresh herbs. I also like to add a dash of cayenne pepper for a kick, but you can add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, or whatever you want. Ranch dressing is fun to customize!
The USDA states that creamy salad dressings should be used within three months of opening, and commercial dressings are also given a lifespan of three months max. This seems to be the definitive lifespan for ranch.
Ranch dressing is a savory, creamy American salad dressing usually made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs (commonly chives, parsley and dill), and spices (commonly pepper, paprika and ground mustard seed) mixed into a sauce based on mayonnaise or another oil emulsion.
Most bottled ranch dressings primarily consist of vegetable oil, with smaller quantities of egg and other dairy ingredients. On the other hand, restaurant ranch dressings often contain real dairy products like buttermilk, milk, or sour cream, which contribute to a creamier and more flavorful taste [2][3].
While many restaurants use mass produced ranch mix, they often add it to a higher-quality base. This might include milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or mayonnaise. So when you notice that the ranch in a restaurant tastes better than the bottled dressing from the store, what you're really tasting is delicious, creamy fat.
How do you thicken store-bought ranch dressing? Add more mayonnaise. Ranch dressing = mayonnaise + buttermilk + garlic + herbs (usually dill). Adding more mayo will thicken it without introducing flavors that aren't already there.
What makes ranch ranch? It's a combination of creaminess (from buttermilk, sour cream, sometimes mayonnaise) and herbaceousness (often parsley, thyme, dill), plus a long pull of allium (onion and garlic) and a shot of black pepper.
“Eating expired ranch dressing could lead to foodborne illnesses, especially if the ranch has been improperly stored,” she says. It's important to discard this dressing if it's past its expiration date or if you notice changes in its smell, color, or consistency, Randhawa says.
In 1954 ranch dressing was invented at Hidden Valley Ranch, a dude ranch near Santa Barbara, California. Ranch dressing has been the best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992, overtaking Italian dressing. Since 1972 Hidden Valley Ranch has been owned by Clorox.
Sour cream and mayonnaise: The base for this creamy ranch recipe is a mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise. Seasonings: This flavorful ranch dressing is seasoned with dried chives, dried parsley, dried dill weed, dried garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper.
The original ranch dressing that was served at the Hidden Valley Ranch in Santa Barbara throughout the 1950's and the 1960's was mostly made from dry herbs and aromatics. To recreate the traditional recipe you can use garlic powder and dried herbs. You make and store the seasoning as needed and then add dairy.
The secret to restaurant style ranch dressing are the ingredients. You can't use just any type or brand of mayonnaise or any type or brand of ranch powder. You have to use McCormick Mayonesa and Restaurant Style Hidden Valley Ranch powder. And, do not use regular milk.
What makes ranch ranch? It's a combination of creaminess (from buttermilk, sour cream, sometimes mayonnaise) and herbaceousness (often parsley, thyme, dill), plus a long pull of allium (onion and garlic) and a shot of black pepper.
The ranch packet has a fresher taste, because you add your own mayo and milk. Even though all the herbs and spices in the mix are dried, they rehydrate quickly and leave you with a product that feels homemade. This version of Hidden Valley Ranch is more flavorful than the bottled version and much, much thicker.
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