Ranch Dressing (Better than Store-Bought)
- PREP 10min
- TOTAL 10min
This homemade ranch dressing is extra creamy and perfect for tossing with salad or as a dipping sauce. We love using fresh herbs, but you can use dried herbs. See the tips section below for suggested amounts. I love buttermilk ranch dressing, so we use buttermilk to make this, but if you do not have any, regular milk still makes a delicious dressing. You will lose a little bit of tang, so consider adding a bit more lemon to make up for it. For another version of this, try our cilantro lime dressing (aka cilantro ranch).
You Will Need
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise (140g)
½ cup sour cream (113g)
½ cup buttermilk or regular milk (120ml)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, to taste
¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh chives, finely chopped
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl and stir until well blended and creamy.
2Stir in the herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Taste and then adjust with another teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce or salt as needed. We love two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, but it has a strong flavor, so add this to your taste.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store in an airtight container (like a jar), in the refrigerator for up to a week. You might lose some color and flavor from the fresh herbs the longer the dressing sits in the fridge.
- Substituting dried herb: Dried herbs taste stronger than fresh, so use a third of the amount of fresh herbs suggested. You will need: 2 teaspoons each of dried dill, dried parsley, and dried chives.
- Lighter dressing: For a lighter dressing with fewer calories, you can swap the mayonnaise for light mayo and the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. The final flavor will be less rich and creamy, but still delicious.
- Spicy ranch: Stir in finely minced jalapeño peppers (about 1 tablespoon). Or stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of gochujang or sriracha. Try minced cowboy candy (pickled jalapeños) for a sweet and spicy ranch.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.