Homemade Ranch Dressing
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Homemade Ranch Dressing
Homemade ranch dressing is about a million times better than anything that I have ever bought in the store. The best part is that it is beyond easy to make! Right now I am kicking myself for not learning to do this much sooner.
If you’ve followed me at The Prepping Wife for any length of time, you know I love making things from scratch and doing it all myself. This homemade ranch dressing recipe is certainly no exception!
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I used fresh herbs in this because they add a great depth of flavor, but it isn’t a big deal to use dried herbs. If you use dried herbs, I recommend letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight to rehydrate the herbs and let the flavors come together.
Homemade Ranch Dressing Ingredients
2 teaspoons fresh parsley
¾ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons minced garlic
¾ cup mayonnaise or sour cream
2 teaspoons minced onion
2 teaspoons fresh dill weed
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh chives
¼ teaspoon pepper
Homemade Ranch Dressing Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine buttermilk and mayonnaise and whisk until the consistency is smooth and well combined.
Add in the remaining ingredients and continue to whisk until combined.
Transfer to an airtight container or pint size mason jar.
Homemade Ranch Dressing Notes
I’m not a big mayonnaise person, so I substituted sour cream and loved it. It added an extra tangy and creamy element to it. If it isn’t tangy enough for you, add ½ a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, then taste and add more if desired.
Be sure to chill it in the refrigerator for at least one or two hours. But overnight to allow the flavors to really come together is the best way to go.
Optional Additions
Want to change it up from a “basic” dressing? Add bacon and parmesan cheese to it! Or bacon and cheddar are a tasty combination.
If you don’t have fresh herbs, don’t worry! Dried ones work just fine. Just make sure to chill in the refrigerator longer and stir it a couple of times to really allow the herbs to rehydrate and marry into the dressing.
Make Your Own Buttermilk
Don’t have buttermilk? That is an easy fix! Like stupid easy fix. I remember the first time I made buttermilk and I was shocked at how easy it is. There are three ways to make buttermilk:
- 1 ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar with ¾ cup of milk.
- ¾ tablespoon of white vinegar with ¾ cup of milk.
- ¾ tablespoon of lemon juice with ¾ cup of milk.
Ever since I made this for the first time several years ago, I’ve always kept cream of tartar in my spice cabinet for this exact reason. Use whichever option you have on hand and mix together for about 5 minutes until the milk starts to curdle and you have buttermilk!
Husband Approved!
The day after I made this, my husband picked up burgers and fries from a local restaurant. This restaurant is amazing because they make everything in house, including salad dressings and condiments. I had to compare what I had made to what we got from the restaurant. Even my husband liked mine better!
I knew that if Nathan liked it, it was a winning combination. Especially because I know he will not willingly eat sour cream unless I’ve managed to hide it somewhere in a dish. This makes me think even the pickiest eaters will enjoy this recipe.
Storage
How long will this last? I wouldn’t go longer than 7 days in the refrigerator. It is full of dairy products and not a single preservative. But I would also be surprised if it lasted that long, because there was absolutely no chance for it to sit that long in my house. My husband and I both used it on our fries, and I went out of my way to eat a salad just so I could continue enjoying this dressing.
Store bought ranch dressing no longer has a place in my house! I’m literally kicking myself because I didn’t try out this homemade ranch dressing recipe sooner. It is a new household favorite, and I have friends asking for some too. So I have to send out samples with the recipe.
This is an excellent way to impress friends and family at gatherings or while entertaining. Whip up a batch the night before you have guests and serve! I am a huge fan of how easy it is to create this recipe, yet it is restaurant quality in flavor and really is sure to impress friends and family.
Discussion
Have you tried making your own homemade ranch dressing, or any other salad dressing? Tell me about your experience in the comments! Check out my other condiment and sauce recipes!
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10 Comments
Stephanie S
I honestly have not tried making ranch dressing on my own, but I would love to! My youngest daughter who is 6 is the ranch lover in our house. I prefer italian dressing. She likes to dip everything in ranch.–Okay, not everything, but almost! LOL. I will give this recipe a try since it seems so simple, and I mean I am sure it taste great too! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Melanie williams
Ooo I have never thought about making our own ranch dressing a go, I will deffo be trying this out thank you x
Britt K
This is great! We LOVE ranch dressing and go through quite a bit of it (it’s my go-to veggie dip option) but I’ve never tried making my own. I’m definitely going to have to give this a try. I love that it would also give us the opportunity to experiment and come up with some fun new spins on the traditional flavour. Thank you for sharing this.
Kay | Blowing Bubbles With Mama
Ranch is my favourite dressing!! I’ve never thought to make it myself and it would make so much sense! Very simple recipe, Thanks!
Kat
I love ranch dressing and haven’t had it in ages! If you went out of your way to eat a salad, then the dressing has definitely served its purpose – that’s exactly how it should be. It also sounds like a nice, healthy option compared to many other dressings. Definitely one to try out.
Subhashish Roy
I think I have never had ranch dressing or even if I may have had it when served somewhere I didn’t know. It was interesting to know how to make it at home. But first I would go and search in a store nearby to bring it home. Thanks for dharing something new for me.
Lyosha
looks like a nice dressing. I often go for ranch when I am to order dressing out. will try it at home
Nkem
Ranch dressing is usually quite indulgent, which I like sometimes, but I tend to feel badly with the store-bought one. So, I’m glad you’ve shared this recipe! I think things are generally better when they are homemade. Thanks!
Jasmine Gagarin
Wow! I’ve never made my own ranch dressing! I never thought it was easy to make. btw, Idk what a dill weed is. I don’t think we have it here. DO you anything that can be a substitute for this?? Thanks!
Smita
I love making condiments and dressings at home too! Haven’t tried ranch as yet but I’m inspired. I’m currently obsessed with making Harissa – using it in everything!