This Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe is way better than Hidden Valley Ranch! You can make this recipe in less than 5 minutes! We love it over Chicken recipes and the calories and nutrition are way better when you make it homemade from buttermilk! Serve it over chicken fajitas, chicken teriyaki, or your favorite green salad!
The Best Homemade Ranch Dressing made in less than 5-minutes! Mix and pour this buttermilk dressing into a squeezable bottle for salad dressings throughout the week!
Want more delicious dressing recipes? Try our Homemade Thousand Island Dressing or Taco Bell’s Creamy Jalapeno Sauce that is good over anything Mexican especially Taco Salad! Dip ranch dressing into your favorite fresh vegetable tray or salad! We love squirting this ranch dressing over Chicken Terriyaki! But pizza, crispy chicken tenders all make delicious drizzle options, especially if you love Burrito bowls!
Ranch Dressing
I’m a Hidden Valley Ranch person, in fact, that’s mainly the only dressing I consider the best of all the ranch dressings at the store. It’s the dressing I used as a base for some of my favorite copycat sauces like the Subway’s Southwest Chipotle Sauce or Taco Bell’s Creamy Jalapeno sauce! However, my attempts at making homemade ranch weren’t that successful. None of the recipes stood near the store-bought ranch dressings and maybe that’s a good thing because homemade is way better for you!
This ranch dressing has truly earned the homemade “favorite” title! If I want to whip up homemade ranch dressing–it’s the only one I make. I’m not saying I won’t ever try recreating Hidden Valley Ranch (maybe one day) but this recipe has been tried and favored! It’s the BEST ranch salad dressing that I’ve ever attempted to make over and over again!
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Plenty of fresh garlic and acid from fresh lemons and white distilled vinegar bring out the buttermilk and mayo in a fascinating way! I use dried herbs for longer storage in the refrigerator and believe me this prepared dressing can sit in a squeezable bottle for weeks! It’s not too thick or too thin and watered down–but perfect enough to run smoothly through the cap of my squeezable bottle! (Tip: I like to trim off the tips for creamier dressings and sauces.)
This dressing makes 3/4 cup of salad dressing which is plenty for one meal but can easily be doubled to fit a squeezable bottle and last throughout the week. Lately, this ranch dressing sits in the door of our fridge for a grab-and-pour dressing. Recently I made chicken teriyaki from my garden zucchini and other vegetables and I fell in love with this ranch dressing even more! That mix was phenomenal!
It has become one of the most popular salad dressings that I make at home! And I only have a handful of condiments that I will make over and over again! Made from fresh ingredients at home-it is really one of the best ranch dressing recipes I’ve ever made!
Q&A
What is Ranch Dressing?
One of the most popular American Salad dressings is the creamy ranch dressing! This salad dressing is made from buttermilk and mayonnaise with additional herbs and spices to make a sauce that can easily dress salads or chicken dishes! You can make a dry mix at home or prepare the dressing from scratch.
Main ingredients found in most recipes include Mayonnaise, Sour cream, Buttermilk, Salt, Black pepper, Garlic, Onion, Chives, Parsley, and Dill. Some recipes may substitute yogurt or sour cream for the mayonnaise or buttermilk, however, some add one of the variations for better flavor!
Ingredients Needed?
Ranch comes together easily! Here is the list of ingredients to whip up homemade dressing in less than 5-minutes!
- Garlic- can use 1/2 teaspoon of dried granulated garlic. I really like the fresh garlic here it makes a zesty dressing!
- parsley- dried parsley is great for longer storage.
- mayonnaise- Hellman’s or Duke’s Mayo are my top mayo picks but any generic brand will work. Do not use salad dressing mayo that’s more of a miracle whip dressing!
- buttermilk- fat free cultured buttermilk or whole cultured buttermilk will work. You want a cultered buttermik for a thick and creamy dressing. Don’t forget to shake your jug!
- vinegar- the acid that gices zest!
- lemon juice- another great acid for a zesty dressing!
- sugar- balances out the tartness.
- salt- used kosher salt.
- black pepper- the herb thats needed.
- cayenne pepper- gives a slight hue and flavor!
- paprika- add it!
Storing Homemade Ranch Dressing?
Homemade ranch dressing can keep easily in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The commercially bottled ranch can keep in the fridge for as long as 6-9 months once opened. For food storage tips check out this article on How Long Does Ranch Salad Dressing Last?
Storing: mix the homemade dressing together and pour into a squeezable condiment bottle. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use throughout the week in your favorite recipes! Homemade ranch dressing develops better flavor once it sits. Make it ahead of time 24-hours in advance for the best flavor!
How to Make Ranch Dressing Step-By-Step:
- Make the dressing: in a pint measuring cup, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, herbs, and spices until the emulsion has occurred and the dressing is smooth.
- Pour into a squeezable bottle and twist on the top. Chill in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Note: experiment with dill, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, and more sugar and lemon juice per taste. For more of a Hidden Valley Dressing taste add 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and omit the sugar and add 3/4 tsp sugar instead. You can also use dried garlic for fresh garlic cloves.
Tips for Making Dressing:
- Invest in a squeezable bottle! Make homemade salad dressings convenient by buying a few squirt bottles to keep all your homemade sauces in. You’re more likely to reach in the refrigerator to grab a dressing that’s already prepared!
- Don’t have a squeezable bottle? Store dressing in a mason jar instead! Shake the dressing in the jar before serving!
- Double the dressing to fit a squeezable bottle (double batch yields 1 1/2 cups of dressing.)
- Make-ahead for flavors to marinate better! The dressing gets better after 24-hours!
Salad Dressing Recipes:
- Thousand Island Dressing Recipe best used in our homemade Reuben Sandwich Recipe (Little Georges Copycat)!
- Taco Bell’s Creamy Jalapeño Sauce is amazing over taco salads, quesadillas, or burrito bowls!
- Try our Russian Beet Salad (Vinaigrette) made with a delcious homemade vinaigrette!
- Pomegranate Salad with a Creamy Garlic Dressing
How To Make Ranch Dressing:
Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- Squeeze squirt condiment bottle (16-ounce)
- 2-cup measuring cup
- Whisk
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper and paprika (1/16 tsp each)
Instructions
Instructions:
Make the dressing: in a pint measuring cup, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, herbs, and spices until the dressing is smooth.
Pour into a squeezable bottle and twist on the top. Chill in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Storing Ranch Dressing: store in a condiment squeezable bottle and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Hidden Valley Ranch: for more of the store-bought dressing flavor omit the sugar and add 3/4 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp onion powder.
- Garlic substitute: use 1/2 tsp dried granulated garlic for fresh garlic cloves.
