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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}
My grandpa absolutely loves ranch dressing. Its the only thing he'll put on his salads. We've started a pretty strict diet recently and calorie count is a huge factor in it. Would substituting the mayo and sour cream as well as the milk with low/non fat change to much of the flavor? I think it might thin it out to much. I'll have to give it a try. Gotta find something we can have that he'll enjoy…
If you are accustomed to using those LF/FF products, the difference in taste will likely not bother you. I no longer use fat-free products myself, but I did make this for years using LF and FF mayo and sour cream. It's definitely worth a try. Good luck!
Guess what Mary, i love ranch dressing but just do not use it much so I made a dry spice mix with the ingredients you listed. It is now my marinade spice rub that i use on fish and other dishes! Just a sprinkle over the fish, some soy sauce and sugar or honey and into the oven!
I am making this tonight and i think maybe using the greek yogurt in it… Wish me luck
Yummmmmmmmmm! This sounds great! Thanks for posting your recipe! 🙂
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Lee Ann
Crochet…Gotta Love It! Blog
here's a simpler version.. 1 cup mayo…1 cup butter milk 1 package hidden valley ranch dressing mix done deal cridrics reve…
Isn't it amazing when people do not follow the recipe and then says it was no good. Go figure. This dressing great. I make it all the time.
I have congestive heart failure and on a very low sodium diet. Love salads and dips which are a heart patients worst enemy because they are very high in sodium. This recipie seems like a two tablespoon serving will be less than 1/3 of the sodium content as a store bought brand. Less if the salt is omitted. I estimate your recipie will be around 90mg per serveing as opposed to 300mmg to 400mg for store brands.
Try substituting greek yogurt for the buttermilk – makes it much thicker
I make this every couple of weeks. We love it.
I made this and it was great. Thanks!
In my opinion the brand of mayo makes a difference also. I always use Hellman's Mayo!
Had buttermilk left over just made it and my daughter loves it thnx
Saw this posted on a friend's facebook page. I am a huge fan of ranch dressing, not the bottled kind but the kind you make with buttermilk and a package of Hidden Valley Ranch. How would you say this compares?
I made the hidden valley version for years before making this one. I wanted something that would taste like that without the packaged mix. We all prefer this one now. I hope that helps!
I have no access to buttermilk. Has anyone tried this with homemade buttermilk (using vinegar, lemon juice etc.) or yoghurt. I use yoghurt when baking cakes and cornbread, but I've never tried it in something that's not cooked.
Yes, homemade buttermilk is fine for this. I very rarely buy buttermilk. Just add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk a few minutes before mixing it in. It works great! (I usually just use regular milk for this recipe though and add the lemon at the end, until it is as tart as I like it to be.) Hope that helps!
I did not read all the posts. But I was thinking about trying with silk and veggian sour cream. I'm very lactose sensitive the older I get. What do you think?
It sounds like a fabulous recipe, with all the herbs and such that I like in ranch dressing. I can't wait to try it! I, too, will used milk soured with lemon juice, unless I happen to think about getting buttermilk at the store. But usually, the soured milk works fine in place of buttermilk when I've tried it in other recipes. Would also use nothing but whole fat products for maximum taste. And calories, haha, but who cares — gotta splurge on some things!
I am on a low sodium diet, would it be ok to leave out the salt?
You certainly can leave out of the salt, it's worth a try for sure.
I'm sitting here drinking my coffee and pinning your recipes!!
People amaze me. "Real" ranch, as most people are used to, tastes like tons of salt and chemicals. Guess if that is what you are going for then you should stick with "real" ranch and leave the good stuff to everyone else!
Also, regular milk and regular mayo is preferred for the recipe's success? How much lemon do you typically use? I want to give this recipe a try and want it to come out right.
Yes, I use regular mayo and whole milk. I like my ranch fairly tangy, so I typically add about a tablespoon of lemon juice and sometimes a splash more. I'd add a couple teaspoons, stir it all together and taste it. Enjoy!