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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 usually purchase the seasoning packets at the grocery store to make ranch but had to forgot to pick one up. Found this recipe and had everything needed on hand. We were pleasantly surprised at how great it turned out. This will be my new go to for ranch dressing. Thanks!
You are welcome, April.
Yummy!!!!
I’m glad you like the dressing, Lisa!
What kind of mayo should I use
I typically use Hellmans, Best Foods, or Dukes mayo. However, any mayo that you enjoy eating will work nicely, Julian.
Is there a mayo substitute? My hubs is allergic to eggs.
You could probably use vegan mayo, Jen, though I’ve never tried that myself.
Just made it. Awesome taste. I’ll definitely continue to made the homemade Ranch dressing. Thank you for the recipe.
I’m happy to hear that you love the ranch, Tracey!
Delicious! I used low fat natural yoghurt instead of the soured cream and milk (my yoghurt is quite strong in taste so the sourness came from there) . Great recipe thanks!
I’m thrilled that you are enjoying the dressing, Meg.
Best buttermilk ranch dressing ever!!
I’m so glad that you love the ranch, Viv.
WOAH – I live in Australia and since I tasted delicious ranch sauces and dressings in North America I cannot find anything as close here (They are super watery and taste like a cheap mayo based dressings) This has blown my mind – Thank you, honestly this is the best thing now I can eat my carrots with it for a awesome snack
I’m so happy that you love the ranch, Erin!
Thanks for sharing. I made your recipe a few nights ago. I didn’t put all the buttermilk in and I doubled the herbs. The outcome was a thicker consistency with a lot of flavor. We really liked it a lot! 🙂
I’m so glad that you like the dressing, Cathy.
Great recipe! Easy and tastes great.
I’m happy to hear that you like the dressing, Virginia!
Can’t wait to try some of these recipes!! What are the “Titles” of your Cookbooks?? Can you get them through Amazon? Thank you!!
Alyce Heidt
Virginia Beach
Hi Alyce! I’m thrilled that you like the recipes. You can find all of my cookbooks on Amazon. Here’s a link to a description of each: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/cookbooks/
Can Greek yogurt be used in place to the sour cream?
It will be a little thinner, but it should work fine, Kim.
We absolutely love this Ranch Dressing recipe!! So delicious! I am curious how long is it good for in the refrigerator?
The ranch will keep nicely for a week or two in the fridge. (Although, ours rarely lasts that long!)
I made the ranch dressing for the first time and was pleasantly surprised of how good it tastes. Thank you for such a tasteful dressing and I will be making more. I have subscribed and I am excited about what other recipes you may have.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the dressing and the recipes, Dee!
Bloody incredible. Made it with what I had on hand — light Miracle Whip, light sour cream, and 1% milk — and it still turned out amazing. This is my new go-to for ranch sauce. Thank you.
I’m so happy that you love it, Jeff!
I absolutely love this Ranch over any I have sampled to date. How long can it be stored in the refrigerator, before it goes bad?
I’m so glad that you like the ranch, Jennifer. This will keep nicely for at least a week in the fridge.
Made your Ranch Dressing for our dinner on August/29/2020. My family LOVES HEAT, so I added pureed SERRANO CHILES!
Through the roof, Mary!
Oooh! I bet that was delicious with the peppers, Torrey.
This is the only ranch I’ll eat now. I do make a pesto variety with my own home grown basil. Oh my God, so good. With everything.
I’m so glad you like it, Jason. I bet it’s awesome with extra basil.
Have you ever used fresh parsley, chives and dill?
You bet, Liz. There is also a recipe here for a dressing made with fresh herbs. That said, you’ll just want to triple the amounts when you’re using fresh herbs. Easy peasy and absolutely delicious!
Love the homemade ranch n the stuff bell peppers
I’m so glad you like the recipes, Beverly.
THE BEST ranch dressing would contain buttermilk. FYI, that’s what you are emulating when you include the milk and lemon in your recipe. That’s what you do if you need buttermilk for a recipe and you don’t have it. It’ll do in a fix, but doesn’t replace it, as buttermilk is made from cultured cream and milk isn’t, but if you add a little lemon to your milk you can get away with it. If this is the top 20 out of 1500 of your recipes, I’d hate to see how half assed the rest of your recipes are.
Wow, Kristin, “half-assed” because I mixed lemon juice with milk in a salad dressing recipe? Sheesh. Feel free not to make it. It’s a little silly to take the time to comment and even rate a recipe that you’ve never even tasted. I’ve actually made ranch dressing with buttermilk and I prefer this. That said, you’re correct that ranch dressing typically has both dairy and an acid in it and whether it’s stirred together in the process of making the dressing or if you simply use buttermilk, it is all about making the dressing tangy and delicious. Adjusting things to your own tastes is the beauty of cooking and recipes and being able to make what you like in your own kitchen. MY version of the best ranch dressing recipe that I have shared on my own website is this one. If YOUR best ranch dressing is made with store-bought buttermilk, more power to you.