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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}
Great And so easy to make
I’m glad you are enjoying the dressing!
What is the shelf life of this ranch?
This ranch will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week without any problems at all, Alyssa.
Thank you for this recipe! Do you think it would be okay to omit the chives?
This recipe will be fine without the chives, Esther.
Thanks!
I made this keto friendly by replacing the milk with unsweetened coconut milk. It’s so good!
I’m so glad that you like the dressing, Dianne!
Fresh and delicious. Thank you for the recipe. I love it!!!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the dressing, Stephanie!
My daughter will only eat this ranch! No other! I have been making it for family members as well who love it!
I’m so happy to hear that you love the ranch recipe, Kelly!
This ranch dressing is my go to every time. I love chives , but wanted this recipe to be how my mother’s always tasted. Simply perfect. and easily adjusted to however we like. Thanks for sharing it Mary!
I’m so happy to hear that you love the dressing so much, Paula!
I couldn’t find any dill weed and so i used seeds instead. I also didn’t have any chives… that list may be longer.. if i missed an ingredient that i didnt have, I’ll add it in the comments
if im not able to edit.. and stilll omg this dressing is way better than store bought. I’d definitely compare it to golden corrals ranch……yummmmmmmy…
I’m so happy that you love it so much, Kimberly!
I keep this in my fridge, use 5% sugar free plain greek yogurt to sub for sour cream & reduce the milk to keep it nice & thick. Love it!
I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the ranch recipe, Aryn!
Love this recipe, but wondering about using the dry ingredients for another recipe calling for a ranch mix packet….do you think the dries would work?
The difference is that there is dried milk/dairy products and thickeners in many of the packet mixes. So, it will depend on what you’ll be using it for. In general though, the spices will work the same way.
Why dont u show amount of carb in recipes
That isn’t information that I track, Carol. You’re welcome to copy and paste the ingredients into an online recipe calculator.
c’mon now, 90% of recipes online don’t do this, you state it like its a given.
anyways, tried this, its simple and works for me. thanks!
I’m so happy that you like the dressing, Pete!
Carol should stick to eggs.
Loved this ranch dressing. Just the taste I was looking for. Thank you.
I’m so glad that you like the ranch, Jean!
Subbed some of the dried stuff for fresh and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe Mary.
I’m so glad to hear that, Eric!
So good and easy! Thank you!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the ranch recipe, Jodie!
How long does this last before going bad?
It should be fine for several days, Sidney.
Did it with miracle whip and soy milk. Vanilla Almond milk substituted as well. This recipe is trash and you should be ashamed for misleading in the article claiming the recipe is the best. It is not the best!
Hey Martha, it sounds like you didn’t actually make the recipe as written.
Martha does not follow the recipe.
Martha does not like her own recipe.
Martha is grumpy.
Don’t be a Martha. 😊
Thanks for the grin this morning. It is kind of hard to critique a recipe fairly when you aren’t using the listed ingredients, isn’t it?
What kind of comments are these?? You clearly didn’t follow the recipe. So to make a ridiculous comment about the recipe and not actually make the recipe you’re commenting on shows your ingredients!!
Martha, are you serious? You used miracle whip (ewww) and mixed it with vanilla almond milk , and thought that would taste like the actual recipe, or even taste edible at all? I hope you are trolling.
Probably because you used soy vanilla almond milk instead of buttermilk lol
Martha, You used VANILLA ALMOND MILK and miracle whip and have the audacity to critique a recipe you didn’t even follow.
When have you ever seen Vanilla flavored ranch dressing?????? Never. Because it’s nonsensical and certainly terrible.
I don’t have chives. Can I use finely minced onion?
That should work fine, Joy.
Which is best, reg milk or buttermilk?
It really just depends on which one you have on hand, Amy. With the acidity of the lemon juice or vinegar, you’ll have very close to the same result with regular milk.
THIS IS THE BEST RANCH DRESSING I HAVE EVER MADE OR TASTED! Wowwww! So good I could just about drink this stuff! No more buying bottled junk…..this is the REAL DEAL! And super easy to make! Recipe is perfect — no adjustments needed. Thanks for sharing your recipe! A keeper for life!
I’m thrilled that you are so happy with the dressing, Cindy!
How long after making will it stay good for in fridge?
It will be good for at least a week. Julie. Enjoy!
Just whipped some of this up and it’s so tasty yet light! Regular ranch is always so thick and the main ingredient is usually some sort of oil in the store bought varieties. I did use fresh chives because I had them on hand but other than that I didn’t change a thing. I’m making cobb salads for dinner tonight and can’t wait to use this dressing.
I am so happy that you love the dressing, Emily!
Made it with fresh herbs because I had some on hand and it tasted great!
I love using fresh herbs when I have them on hand! I’m so glad that you liked the dressing, Oren.