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This easy homemade ranch dressing is undeniably better than anything bottled. The cool, creamy, tang of this flavorful ranch is addictive and the consistency is restaurant level dreamy! It couldn't be more simple to throw together in just a couple of minutes.
Who didn't love ranch dressing as a kid? Anyone? I didn't think so. My son didn't eat food unless it was dipped in ranch for a solid 5 years. I don't love the bottled stuff, the consistency can be oily and goopy. But we love this easy homemade ranch dressing recipe! During the summer months, when my garden is going crazy, I make a jar of this stuff every few days.
Whip up a jar of ranch to dress a salad and serve with my classic lasagna or veggie turkey meatballs!
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Ingredients for easy homemade ranch dressing
To achieve the absolute freshest flavor there is no substitute for fresh herbs. But in a pinch, I'd use dry herbs and make ranch over buying a bottle every single time. The dash of hot sauce puts the flavor over the top and my favorite mild hot sauce for this recipe is Frank's Red Hot Original (Amazon affiliate link).
- buttermilk
- mayo
- sour cream
- lemon juice
- herbs: dill, chives, and parsley
- spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper
- hot sauce
See recipe card below for quantities.
How To Make Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing
Step 1 - Combine milk, sour cream, mayo and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
Step 2 -Add fresh herbs and whisk.
Step 3 -Add seasonings and hot sauce then adjust to taste the herbs and seasonings. Adjust out to desired consistency using more milk to thin it out or more sour cream to thicken.
Step 4 -Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to marry. Dress a salad or use as a dip!
Hint: chop your herbs as finely as possible for the best consistency.
Substitutions
- Yogurt - to get more protein, more tanginess and less fat in your ranch dressing, substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream.
- Herbs - substitute dried herbs if you don't have fresh on-hand. Use 1 teaspoon of dried for every 1 tablespoon of fresh.
- Lemon juice - you can substitute apple cider vinegar for fresh lemon juice.
- Buttermilk - Use ½ cup of whole milk and stir in 1.5 teaspoons of distilled white vinegar. Let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle before whisking for consistent texture.
Variations
Want to jazz up your ranch a little extra?
- Spicy - add 1 tablespoon sriracha or finely diced jalapeno peppers
- Avocado - add ½ an avocado by blending avocado, milk, sour cream and mayo in a blender or food processor.
- Southwest - blend in 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo
- Pickle - add 2 tablespoons chopped dill pickles
- Nashville Hot - add 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and one teaspoon chili powder
- Make it a dip - add additional sour cream to thicken to desired dip consistency.
Equipment
Easy homemade ranch dressing requires no special equipment! Just a knife for chopping, a bowl to mix it in and a whisk. That being said, I can not deny the ease of using an good immersion blender for this and a million other things in the kitchen.
Storing Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing
Store in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, in the refrigerator for a week.
Freezing is not recommended.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Easy Homemade Rach Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dill
- 2 tablespoons chives
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine milk, sour cream, mayo and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
- Add fresh herbs and whisk.
- Add seasonings and hot sauce then adjust to taste the herbs and seasonings. Adjust out to desired consistency using more milk to thin it out or more sour cream to thicken.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to marry. Dress a salad or use as a dip!
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
Anonymous says
Easy
Michael says
A spicy ranch... yes please!