Have you ever wondered how to make your own homemade ranch dressing? It’s simple to make, easily customizable and just as good as the stuff that comes in the bottle – only you know exactly what’s going in it. Impress your whole family with this creamy, herbaceous ranch dressing that you can make at home in only 10 minutes!
What is Ranch Dressing?
Ranch dressing is an American salad dressing with its main ingredients being buttermilk, garlic, onion, dill and either sour cream or yogurt.
Is it Gluten Free?
The ingredients in this recipe are all gluten free.
Who Invented it?
As for the origins of ranch dressing, it was developed by a Nebraskan cowboy. Him and his wife started a ranch in California. Due to the popularity of his perfected salad dressing recipe for their guests, they began to mail it in packets all over of the country under a name I’m sure you’ve heard of: ‘Hidden Valley Ranch’. The company was bought out eventually and the sauce was then bottled for stores in the 80’s. The rest is history!
Ingredients
- mayonnaise
- sour cream or Greek yogurt – whichever you prefer
- buttermilk
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- fresh chives – finely chopped
- fresh dill – finely chopped
- fresh parsley – finely chopped
- salt and pepper
What gives ranch that unique flavor that we all love? While all of the ingredients add to the signature flavor, to me, the buttermilk and onion powder really stand out as the defining ingredients that make ranch dressing what it is; but of course it wouldn’t be ranch without all of the other ingredients combined.
How to Make Ranch Dressing
It’s easy to make this dressing from scratch. Here is all you need to do:
- Mix. Mix all ingredients except for the buttermilk in a bowl.
- Add buttermilk. Once combined, add the buttermilk and mix until smooth.
- Serve. It can be served immediately or chilled in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Store in an airtight container such as a jar or plastic bottle in the refrigerator.
What to Put it on
- You can use it as a salad dressing (the main purpose of it!)
- use it as a dip for veggies, chips, fries, wings, jalapeño poppers, or any fried food really!
- Ranch is a popular flavor for tortilla chips and other crunchy snacks.
- It’s one of my secret ingredients for creamy mashed potatoes (trust me on this…).
How to Thicken Ranch Dressing
To thicken your ranch dressing, you can either use less buttermilk to begin with or sprinkle a small amount of guar gum into the dressing while whisking (start with only 1/4 teaspoon – it will thicken even more when refrigerated).
Nutrition Info
Note: Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
One serving of this homemade ranch contains approximately:
Calories: 156kcal Carbohydrates: 2g Protein: 1g Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 14mg Sodium: 178mg Potassium: 36mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 324IU Vitamin C: 3mg Calcium: 25mg Iron: 1mg
What do you drizzle your ranch on? Did you enjoy this ranch dressing recipe? Let me know in the comments and please share!
Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh chives - finely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh dill - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley - finely chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon salt - or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper - or to taste
- 1/4 cup buttermilk - or to desired consistency
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except for the buttermilk in a bowl.
- Once combined, add the buttermilk and mix until smooth.
- It can be served immediately or chilled in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- To thicken the dressing, slowly sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon guar gum into the dressing while whisking.
- Store for up to two weeks in the fridge.
- This recipe yields about 1 1/2 cups dressing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Hungry for more? Try our Chicken Pasty Pie