Homemade Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing is one of the most popular salad dressings or dips out there and for good reason! It’s creamy, herbaceous, tangy and oh-so satisfying! This versatile dressing knows no bounds! Enjoy it on a garden or wedge salad; use it as a dip for fried green tomatoes or chicken tenders; add it to your charcuterie or crudité platter or use it as a sauce for your favourite sandwich. Whatever way you use it, this salad dressing or dip will elevate any dish and leave you craving spoonful after spoonful!

My Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe starts off with a creamy base comprised of equal parts sour cream and buttermilk. The sour cream adds acidity, richness and tanginess to this dressing while also creating a firm and thick base. Buttermilk is added to the mix, thinning out the sour cream, and imparting a buttery, tangy and tart flavour. Mayonnaise rounds out the flavours with its sweet, savoury and rich taste. Lemon juice and garlic powder are added to the dressing to cut through the creaminess with additional acidity, brightness and a subtle bite.

Ranch Dressing wouldn’t be Ranch Dressing without a handful of fresh or dried herbs. I love using fresh herbs in this recipe, but you can certainly substitute them for dried (with a few simple modifications). Chives, dill and parsley are added to the mix, giving this dressing a mild oniony, fresh, green, sweet and slightly peppery flavour. All the ingredients combine to create a satisfying spoonful!

Why buy store-bought when you can make your own at home using a handful of simple and everyday ingredients. This salad dressing couldn’t be easier to make and comes together in just 10 minutes. Level up your salad or dip game with my Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe. So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

For more fun and exciting dip recipes, try my French Onion Dip, Roasted Red Pepper Dip, White Bean Dip or 7 Layer Dip recipes!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 10 - 20 minutes (includes inactive marinating time)

Makes: Approx. 1 ½ cups

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sour cream

• ½ cup buttermilk

• 2 ½ Tbsp mayonnaise

• 2 Tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped (See Notes below)

• 1 Tbsp fresh dill fronds, finely chopped (See Notes below)

• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped (See Notes below)

• ½ Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

  
  

Instructions:

1. To a medium bowl or jar, add the sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, dill, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper and whisk or shake until fully incorporated.

2. Enjoy immediately or let the salad dressing stand for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld and intensify.

3. Cover and store leftover salad dressing in the refrigerator.

Notes:

1. Fresh versus Dried: I love using fresh herbs in this recipe given their aromatic, fresh and fragrant flavour profile. But you can use dried herbs in this recipe with a few modifications. Dried herbs are more potent in flavour relative to fresh herbs, so you don’t want to overdo it! When substituting dried herbs for fresh, you need to consider the 3:1 rule. For every tablespoon of fresh herbs used in this recipe, substitute them with 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. Therefore, be sure to use 2 teaspoons of dried chives, 1 teaspoon of dried dill weed and 1 teaspoon of dried parsley.