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Skip the store-bought dressing and make this easy homemade ranch dressing instead! It’s creamy, tangy and packed with fresh herbs. I love it drizzled over a crisp salad or served as a dip with veggies, chicken or fries. Once you see how easy it is to make ranch dressing at home, you might find yourself making a jar every week!
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Ranch Dressing!
- Ready in 10 Minutes – This homemade ranch couldn’t be easier to make. The only real prep work is chopping the fresh herbs, then everything gets whisked together in a bowl. You’ll have a jar ready for the fridge in around 10 minutes. Since it keeps well in the fridge for a week, it’s definitely worth making a double batch.
- Great for Fussy Eaters – If you’ve got picky little ones, homemade ranch can be such a great way to encourage them to eat more fresh veggies. It’s a familiar flavor, but you know exactly what’s going into it.
- Easy to Customize – Prefer a thinner dressing for salads or a thicker ranch for dipping? You can easily adjust the consistency with a little extra buttermilk. You can also add more dill or chives to suit your family’s tastes.
Ingredients
- Sour Cream – This forms the creamy base of the ranch dressing and adds a lovely subtle tang.
- Mayonnaise – I like adding mayonnaise for a richer, smoother dressing.
- Buttermilk – This loosens the dressing and adds that classic ranch tang. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk with a little extra lemon juice or white vinegar, but I really recommend buttermilk for the best flavor.
- Fresh Dill and Chives – Dill for its fresh herby flavor and chives for a mild onion flavor. You can use dried herbs here in a pinch. Fresh is highly recommended due to having stronger and more lasting flavor but if you don’t have them on hand, dried works just as well too! Start with using half the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh and test as you go.
- Salt
- Onion Powder – Adds extra savory flavor without overpowering the fresh herbs.
- White Vinegar + Lemon Juice – These add acidity and give the dressing its lovely tangy flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce – You only need a little, but it adds so much savory depth to the finished dressing. I always have this on hand for making sourdough gravy!
How to Make This Ranch Dressing
This dressing couldn’t be easier to make! Simply stir together the base of sour cream, mayo and buttermilk until smooth before incorporating the remaining ingredients.
Once everything is combined, taste the dressing and adjust the consistency if needed. If you’d like a thinner dressing for salads, stir in buttermilk one teaspoon at a time until it reaches your preferred texture. If you’re serving it as a dip, leave it slightly thicker.
Give the ranch at least 30 minutes in the fridge before serving. It’s even better made a few days ahead because the flavors have more time to mingle.
Kate’s RECIPE Tip
Ranch Dressing Too Thick or Too Thin?
Don’t worry, this is really easy to fix! If your ranch is too thick, add buttermilk one teaspoon at a time until you’re happy with the consistency. If it’s too thin, stir in a little extra sour cream or some buttermilk powder if you have it. Taste and adjust the seasoning again afterward if necessary.
What To Eat With Homemade Ranch Dressing
I cannot tell you how many ways I eat this ranch dressing, it’s literally an obsession since travelling to the United States (because we cannot get decent ranch in Australia!). Here’s a few of the ways I eat this delicious dressing:
- Drizzle this ranch on cold iceberg lettuce with crunchy bacon, hard boiled eggs, avocado and crunchy sourdough croutons and you have a delicious lunch!
- Use it as a dipping sauce for these sourdough fried chicken tenders or sourdough onion rings. My kids cannot get enough of this!
- Make BLTs using some sourdough focaccia bread or even some sourdough flatbread and use this ranch dressing to bring it all together!
- Serve alongside my sourdough discard pizza – I’ve introduced this practice to my kids and now they cannot get enough either!
How To Store + Freeze
Store homemade ranch dressing in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give it a good stir before serving, as it may separate slightly as it sits.
I don’t recommend freezing homemade ranch dressing. The sour cream, mayonnaise and buttermilk can separate once frozen and thawed, leaving the dressing with a grainy texture.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Glass Storage Jar
Ingredients
- 65 g Sour Cream
- 75 g Mayonnaise
- 35 g Buttermilk
- 1 tbsp Fresh Chives, (finely chopped)
- 5 g Salt
- 2 tsp Fresh Dill, (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Onion Powder, (2 grams)
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice, (approximately 6 grams)
- ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- Mix together the sour cream, mayo and buttermilk until combined.
- Add the remaining ingredients until fully combined. If dressing is too thick, add more buttermilk, one teaspoon at a time, not exceeding 3.
- Store in a glass jar in the fridge for 1 week.
Notes
- Once the dressing is made, let it sit in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving to enhance its flavor. It is even better to make ahead and leave in the fridge for a few days.
- Taste as you go! This is a customizable dressing so start with the basic recipe, and season to your liking. Spices and base ingredients can all be adjusted based on preference.
- Since this ranch stays well in the fridge for a week it’s worth doubling!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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