Ranch Dressing
This homemade Ranch Dressing is the best ranch dressing without buttermilk! It’s a 5 minute recipe made with mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, and the perfect blend of herbs and seasonings.
Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing
This easy homemade ranch dressing is the best! While it may not taste exactly like Hidden Valley Ranch, it’s so much better than the store-bought stuff.
This ranch dressing is simple to make, requires easily accessible ingredients, and has the best flavor.
Serve it as a dip for your favorite appetizers, drizzle it on a green salad, use it as a topping for pizza (and don’t forget about dipping the pizza crust!)…the possibilities are endless.
You’ll never buy the store-bought ranch again!
How Long Does Homemade Ranch Last?
Leftover homemade ranch salad dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I do not recommend freezing this dressing. The creamy texture won’t hold up. It’s best fresh!
Why is Restaurant Ranch Dressing So Good?
The best restaurant ranch dressings are made with a proprietary blend of seasonings that have been taste tested over and over again until the flavor is just right.
They’re mixed with the exact same ratios of ingredients every time to guarantee great tasting salad dressing.
Is There a Difference Between Ranch Dressing and Ranch Dip?
Yes! While both condiments are made with a creamy dairy base and the classic Ranch seasonings, they are slightly different.
Ranch dip usually starts with sour cream for a thicker, more sturdy texture.
Ranch dressing usually starts with mayonnaise and is thinned out significantly by buttermilk or milk.
Is All Ranch Made from Buttermilk?
Nope! While many ranch salad dressing varieties are made using buttermilk or a buttermilk derivative, many are not.
Those that aren’t use other types of dairy in place of buttermilk. Some even use powdered dairy and water.
Our ranch dressing uses simple ingredients without the need for buttermilk.
Can You Use Fresh Herbs Instead of Dried Herbs in Homemade Ranch Dressing?
Yes, you can use fresh herbs in place of dried herbs in homemade ranch dressing.
You’ll need quite a bit since fresh herbs aren’t as potent as dried herbs.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Mayonnaise: Don’t use Miracle Whip. Grab regular mayo!
- Milk: regular milk (whole or 2%) works best. Soy milk makes a good substitute.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, salt, dried chives, dried dill, dried parsley, and black pepper.
How to Make Homemade Ranch Dressing
Scroll to the recipe card below for full instructions and ingredient amounts!
Whipping up a tasty homemade salad dressing is almost as quick as grabbing a bottle at the store. Just 5 minutes to make!
- Place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and use a whisk to stir until fully combined.
- Serve or store in the fridge.
Tips and Notes
- Start with less milk and add more as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- If you use buttermilk in place of milk, you may need to add more than the amount listed. Buttermilk is thicker than milk and it takes more to thin out the dressing. You can also use a combination of milk and buttermilk if desired!
- Let it chill. For the best flavor, mix the dressing up, then let it sit in the fridge for a bit. This resting period gives the flavors time to really develop and come together.
- Customize. Feel free to adjust or omit any of the seasonings to taste. That’s the beauty of homemade dressing!
Serving Suggestions
As I’m sure you already know, there are tons of ways you can serve up this creamy dressing!
- Dressing: Drizzle it over a classic diner chef salad or a tomato avocado salad.
- Dip: Enjoy it as a dip with fresh veggies, baked jalapeño poppers, fried cheese curds, buffalo chicken meatballs, baked sweet potato fries or regular French fries.
- Sauce: Toss it with noodles to make a BLT pasta salad, use it for chicken bacon ranch pizza, as a dipping sauce for chicken wings or chicken tenders, or slather it on a spicy chicken sandwich.
More Tasty Dressings to Try
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 to 4 tablespoons milk, adjust to reach desired consistency (start with less and add more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried chives
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a bowl, and whisk to combine.1 cup mayonnaise2 to 4 tablespoons milk½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice¾ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon dried chives½ teaspoon dried dill½ teaspoon dried parsley⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Scroll up and see the post for tips, FAQs, and storage options.
Suggested Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
