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The best homemade ranch salad dressing tastes better than anything store-bought and only takes a few minutes to make. Ranch dressing is delicious on salads and as a dip for fresh vegetables.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
There aren’t all that many recipes here on the blog that I label as “the best.” With nearly 1,500 recipes here, there are less than 20 that have truly earned that label.
I figure that everyone’s tastes are different and who knows if someone else’s opinion on the “best recipe ever” is going to match mine? These recipes though? They really are the best of the best.
And this ranch salad dressing? It is hands down the BEST Ranch Salad Dressing that I have ever tasted. Without fail, the people who try it, have all agreed. Just scroll through the comments to see how everyone raves over it.
Ranch Dressing Recipe
Plenty of garlic, dill, and other spices make this a memorable ranch dressing. Just thin enough to pour smoothly, without becoming too liquid or watered down: the creaminess of the dressing is well balanced by the tang of the fresh lemon.
This dressing has had a permanent place in my refrigerator for almost five years now. My kids reach for this ranch dressing or our homemade ranch dip at least once, if not twice, a day to eat with fresh vegetables.
Most nights, I set out our produce boxes and a bowl of this ranch dressing each day as I am getting ready to make dinner. The kids happily snack on vegetables for half an hour or more while we chat and cook dinner.
Ranch Dressing
This is easily the most popular salad dressing I make. We have friends that insist I bring this Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing along every time we get together for a meal.
Everyone who has tasted this dressing has been convinced at first bite that they need to make it for themselves. This recipe has become not only the most popular salad dressing on this website but one of the most popular recipes overall.
After all, what’s not to love about the BEST ranch dressing you’ll ever taste?
How To Make Ranch Dressing
Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and milk in a small bowl or jar, and whisk until smooth. Add the dill, parsley, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and fresh lemon juice. Whisk again to combine.
Taste the ranch, I recommend dipping fresh vegetables into it for the perfect taste test. Adjust the spices or add more lemon juice for extra tang. Pour into a jar and refrigerate until ready to serve. This will keep well in the fridge for as long as the dairy ingredients are good, usually at least a week.
Salad Dressing Recipes
For more great dressing recipes to try, Honey Lime Jalapeno Vinaigrette, Creamy Poppyseed Dressing, and these Balsamic Vinaigrettes are a few more of my go-to homemade dressings.
If you love ranch but want to bump it up, Pepper Dill Ranch is packed full of crushed pepper and loaded with fresh dill, this dressing is a great addition to our usual dressings and dips for our raw vegetables.
I have this Avocado Lime Salad Dressing by Inside BruCrew Life and this Green Goddess Salad Dressing by Kalyn’s Kitchen on my future recipes to try list.
The Best Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or regular milk
- 3/4 – 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon finely cracked pepper
- freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste approximately 1-3 teaspoons, adjust to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together the mayo, sour cream and milk until smooth. Add the spices and whisk until combined. Add the lemon and whisk again. Pour into a jar and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This dressing will keep nicely in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 9/15/11 – recipe notes and photographs updated 7/15/21}
I make this frequently at work for Catering events. Instead of lemon juice, I use pickle juice and omit the onion powder. I always get very positive reviews on this amazing dressing. Thank you!
I’ve done this with pickle juice as well and it’s so good that way! (We add finely minced pickles when I think of it too.) I’m so glad you like it that way as well!
This is a great recipe.
I increased the dill to my tastes. But this recipe is fabulous for flavor. I’ll be making it again.
I’m so glad you love it, Sheila!
Literally is the best ranch ever!!!!! My kids never really used ranch and I made some lastnight and woke up to an empty jar!!!! Now I have to make more!!!! Yum!!!
I’m so happy that you love it, Brandi!
How long can it stay in fridge
This will be fine in the fridge for a week at least, Kristy.
Yummy! Perfect seasoning, I will never buy pre-made again!
Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that, Lynn!
This is absolutely amazing! I replaced the buttermilk with cream and a couple of dashes of white wine vinegar. A staple in my house.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the ranch, Stephan!
Bland. Doubled all spices. 4 times the salt, still very bland. Better than store bought, but not by much.
4 times the salt? I can not even fathom that. Sorry to hear that it wasn’t to your tastes, Kyle.
This is a great base recipe. I added raw garlic and shallots! But, did cut back the Dill (the dry dill I have is very very strong). Keep in mind spices are not uniform and you may have to increase or decrease depending on quality of your spices.
Kyle, 4 times the dill? Either your spices aren’t high quality or your taste buds very greatly from the norm.
Older spices can definitely require more than recommended amounts. I hear more frequently that people think there might be too much dill in this recipe, spices really do vary greatly. So, the fact someone wanted to add more just makes me grin. I’ll never please everyone. I’m glad you enjoyed the ranch, Brian!
You are not kidding! THE BEST homemade ranch I’ve tried, made it twice already this week. Throw in some crumbled blue cheese and you’ve got yourself a party!
I’m so so happy to hear that you love it, Dani!
your poppyseed is exactly the one I’ve been looking for my entire life, too!
I’m thrilled that you love it so much, Dani!
Great recipe for my first try making ranch dressing! I’ve never made it before so I wasn’t sure how it’d compare to what I buy in a bottle but this was really good.
I had to make a few adjustments though since I was missing some ingredients. I swapped the dried chives for dried onion flakes, and used vinegar instead of lemon juice. I also used 15% cream instead of milk – the consistency/thickness was great!
Would definitely make again!
I’m so glad that you like it, Sarah!
Seriously; it is true. It is the best. I have shared this recipe many times over now. Thank you!
I’m so glad that you love the dressing, Dionne.
Hi, Mary!
Am excited to be giving this a try for Thanksgiving, this year!
Going to make a bib and blue cheese crumble salad with hard boiled eggs, red onion, candied walnuts and dried cranberries, and I really think your dressing will be perfect for my salad.
My question is: Do you prefer using buttermilk, or regular whole milk?
Thank you,
Kimber
I just use whole milk, Kimber. The lemon (or vinegar) adds plenty of tang.
Thank you so much, Mary!
Sounds like this is the route I’ll take (it is your recipe, after all)! 😉
I will let you know how it is received!
Thanks for your input, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Have you had success with light mayo, or no?
Many people have left comments saying they’ve made this with light mayo, Sharice. I’ve never tried that myself.
This was delicious! All I had on hand was 2% milk, and I’m not sure if the buttermilk would have made it a little thicker? Regardless, if I had known it was this easy to make my own ranch I would have done so a long time ago!!!
I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the ranch recipe, Joe!
Kids loved it. very good and easy recipe, i tried it last night
I’m so glad you like the dressing, Erin.
A favorite local restaurant makes the best ranch dressing I ever had which prompted me to look for a recipe on line, This recipe exceeded my expectations. I didn’t have sour cream the second time I made it so I used plain Greek yogurt which worked, Forget bottled ranch
I’m so glad that you love the dressing, Rachel!
Delicious recipe! My children are picky eaters who want tasty, and I want to not worry about preservatives and soy. This recipe is perfect for all of us. Delicious and healthy! Thank you. I’ve been using it for many months now.
I’m so glad that your family loves the ranch, Samantha!
The seasoning here is on point! I tweaked this a bit and used yogurt instead of the mayo/sour cream just to cut down on the fat content, and added more chives because uhh chives rule! Then served it with deep fried pickle spears and it was the perfect combo. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad that you’re enjoying the ranch, John.
How long can you keep it in the fridge without it going bad? My Ranch Loving Kids loves this recipe! It taste so fresh.
It keeps nicely for at least a week, Sandra.
I made this ranch with buttermilk. I did not like it. It is really thick. I enjoy my ranch like a local pizza place-the runny kind that almost tastes a little oily or cheesy. Maybe I will try it with milk but I really want to find one like a restaurant.
If you add more milk and reduce the mayo by the same amount that will produce a thinner dressing, Heather. This is a very easily adjusted recipe.
Try w reg milk and whisk in some Parmesan cheese.
That sounds like a fun variation, Shelly.
Yes use the milk cause it tastes like golden corrals ranch
My family is lactose intolerant, so I can use mayo and lactose free milk, but not the sour cream. Do you think just substituting more mayo would work?
Yes! That works nicely, Kristina.
There is lactose free sour cream now for sale.