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 with sour cream that you can make at home in only 10 minutes or less!
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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.
Ingredients
- mayonnaise - This is the base of the dressing (and the base of most sauces like my smoky maple burger sauce).
- sour cream or Greek yogurt - Whichever you prefer but I like to go with sour cream.
- buttermilk - If you don't have any on hand combine a tad less than 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- garlic and onion powder - The garlic and onion powder really add to that classic ranch dressing flavor.
- fresh chives, parsley and dill - The fresh taste from the herbs completely sets homemade ranch dressing apart from the store-bought stuff (check out how to chop dill like a pro here).
*Check recipe card for full ingredients and amounts.
Tweaks
To customize your dressing, look at the different flavors you can find in the grocery story and try to replicate those (think bacon ranch, jalapeño ranch, peppercorn ranch, etc.). That way you know the flavors work or you can experiment with your own ideas.
How to Make Ranch Dressing
It's easy to make this dressing from scratch. Here is all you need to do:
Step 1. Add all of the ingredients, except for the buttermilk, into a small bowl.
Step 2. Combine the ingredients until smooth.
Chef's Note: At this point it will be quite thick.
Step 3. Once combined, add the buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
Chef's Note: This is the consistency of ranch dressing that I love. If you want a thinner dressing, add a little more buttermilk.
Step 4. 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 squeeze bottle in the refrigerator.
👩🏻🍳Pro Tip: If you're using a squeeze bottle to store the dressing, make sure to chop the herbs very finely so that the bottle doesn't get plugged up.
How to Thicken Ranch Dressing
Homemade ranch tends to be a little runnier than store-bought because it doesn't have the additives. 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 ¼ teaspoon - it will thicken even more when refrigerated).
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, skillet-fried lemon pepper chicken wings, my grilled 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…).
Recipe FAQs
Yes, the ingredients in this recipe are all gluten free.
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!
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Related Dressing and Salad Recipes to Consider
What did you drizzle your ranch on? If you tried this Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe (With Sour Cream) or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Homemade Ranch Dressing (With Sour Cream)
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh chives - finely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh dill - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley - finely chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon salt - or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper - or to taste
- ¼ cup buttermilk - or to desired consistency
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except for the buttermilk, in a bowl.
- Once combined, add the buttermilk and whisk until smooth. If you want a thinner dressing, add a little more buttermilk.
- It can be served immediately or chilled in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- This recipe yields about 1 ½ cups dressing.
- To thicken the dressing if it is too thin, slowly sprinkle ¼ teaspoon guar gum into the dressing while whisking.
- Make sure to chop the herbs very finely, if transferring the dressing to a squeeze bottle, so that it doesn't get plugged up.
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.
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