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Ranch Dressing is my favorite dressing in the world (although I use it more as a dipping sauce) and my Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe easily blows the store bought versions out of the water! It only takes a few minutes and a handful of ingredients to throw together – trust me, once you start making Ranch dressing at home, you will never go back!
Watch the Easy Homemade Ranch Recipe Video Below!
Table of Contents
- Watch the Easy Homemade Ranch Recipe Video Below!
- What Ingredients do I need for Homemade Ranch?
- My Other Favorite Homemade Sauces & Condiments
- How to Make Homemade Ranch
- How to Make Buttermilk
- Tips on Storing Homemade Ranch
- Why I love Making Homemade Sauces
- What Should I Serve with Homemade Ranch?
- Easy Homemade Ranch Recipe
This Homemade Ranch dressing is one of my favorite and BEST recipes on this website – I make all the time and always have in my refrigerator. The creaminess from the sour cream, mayo, and buttermilk and the tang of the vinegar is complemented perfectly with all of the different herbs that round out my Homemade Ranch. Trust me when I say you’re going to love this as much as I do! The best part about Ranch dressing is that it goes with everything – who doesn’t love Ranch?! Everyone who tastes my Homemade Ranch asks for my recipe to make at home, too!
What Ingredients do I need for Homemade Ranch?
- full fat mayonnaise – I recommend full fat mayo in my Homemade Ranch for the richness and creaminess, which will balance out the tang of the vinegar and all of the delicious herbs. You can substitute with a lower fat mayo if you prefer.
- sour cream or creme fraiche – this adds a smooth creaminess to the ranch dressing! If you are looking to make Homemade Ranch healthier, you can substitute with greek yogurt instead. I don’t prefer it but my wife says it works great!
- whole buttermilk – nowadays, buttermilk is regular milk with added lactic bacteria, which produces lactic acid. It has a tangy flavor and is used often in baking. Most people don’t have buttermilk regularly available in their refrigerator – if that’s you, it’s also possible to make buttermilk at home (versus having to buy a whole container).
- You can make 1 cup of buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice + 1 cup of whole milk = 1 cup of whole buttermilk
- Herbs and Seasoning – I highly recommend using fresh herbs, as I find it makes a big difference in how ‘fresh’ the Homemade Ranch tastes. If you need to use dried herbs, make sure to adjust the quantities (refer to recipe card).
- fresh parsley, finely chopped (if using dried, halve)
- fresh chives, finely chopped (if using dried, halve)
- fresh dill, finely chopped (if using dried, halve)
- garlic, grated (if using dried, halve)
- kosher salt
- black pepper, finely cracked
- distilled white vinegar
My Other Favorite Homemade Sauces & Condiments
If you’re looking for other homemade sauces and condiments, I know you’re going to love some of my other favorite recipes!
- You have to try my Chinese Chili Oil – it’s so versatile and goes great with everything!
- Garlic Herb Compound Butter makes every meal feel extra special.
- Dumplings don’t taste the same without my homemade Dumpling Dipping Sauce!
- You can’t not make Tonkatsu Sauce when eating Chicken Katsu (Air Fryer Chicken Katsu) or Pork Katsu!
- Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing, Homemade BBQ Sauce, Chick-Fil-A Sauce, Raising Cane’s Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Spicy Mayo, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce are perfect condiments for dipping!
How to Make Homemade Ranch
Making Homemade Ranch is so easy – it’s only two steps!
For the dill and parsley, ensure you are picking off the dill and removing them from the stems, which may affect the taste of the ranch if left in.
First step is to prepare all of the ingredients – measure out the dairy (mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk), chop the herbs, and measure out the rest of the seasoning.
Second step is to mix all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours. I highly recommend not skipping this step – the 24 hours allows all of the flavors of your Homemade Ranch meld together and I guarantee you will notice a difference!
Key Tip
How to Make Buttermilk
If you don’t have whole buttermilk and don’t want to purchase an entire container, you can make buttermilk at home! This recipe for Homemade Ranch calls for 1 cup of whole buttermilk – to get this, you’ll need to mix 1 cup of whole milk and 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar or lemon juice.
Here is the ratio:
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice + 1 cup of whole milk = 1 cup of whole buttermilk
Tips on Storing Homemade Ranch
You can store your Homemade Ranch in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Here are some tips to ensure your Homemade Ranch stays as fresh as possible:
- Make sure your Homemade Ranch container is well sealed.
- Avoid dipping directly into the jar and only use clean utensils – any bacteria from food or used utensils will make your Ranch go bad faster.
- Don’t leave your Homemade Ranch out – put it back in the refrigerator after opening or using, as the sour cream or buttermilk can lead to your Homemade Ranch going bad if left out.
KEY TIP
Why I love Making Homemade Sauces
I love making as many Sauces and Condiments at home as possible! It allows me to:
- control the quality of my ingredients
- avoid unnecessary additives or preservatives
- I can customize it to my taste (I usually prefer sauces on the less sweet and more spicy side)
I would highly recommend you try making some of your favorite sauces or condiments at home as well!
What Should I Serve with Homemade Ranch?
Ranch is most commonly used as a salad dressing but my favorite way to use Homemade Ranch is as a dipping sauce for my favorite food in the world, Fried Chicken!
- If you want something lighter, try my Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, or Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.
I also like to use Ranch in my Buffalo Chicken Dip – I know some people may disagree but I think Ranch > Blue Cheese!
Homemade Ranch goes beautifully with roasted vegetables, like Honey Roasted Carrots, Roasted Cauliflower, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts).
During the summer time, I’m always grilling and I love to have Homemade Ranch with my Grilled Chicken Wings and Grilled Chicken Thighs! When I’m not using spicy mayo as a dipping sauce, I like to use Ranch (sometimes with a little Yuzu extract mixed in) for Japanese Fried Chicken Karaage or Air Fryer Japanese Fried Chicken Karaage!
If you tried this Homemade Ranch Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Easy Homemade Ranch
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup full fat mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream, or creme fraiche (both work great!)
- 1 cups whole buttermilk
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped, or ½ tsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped, or ½ tsp dried chives
- 3 sprigs fresh dill, finely chopped, or 1 tsp dried dill
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp distilled white vinegar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, finely cracked
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
- Let chill in a covered container in the fridge for 24 hours.
Notes
Storage
You can store your Homemade Ranch in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Here are some tips to ensure your Homemade Ranch stays as fresh as possible:- Make sure your Homemade Ranch container is well sealed.
- Avoid dipping directly into the jar and only use clean utensils – any bacteria from food or used utensils will make your Ranch go bad faster.
- Don’t leave your Homemade Ranch out – put it back in the refrigerator after opening or using, as the sour cream or buttermilk can lead to your Homemade Ranch going bad if left out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
