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.
We love dipping pizza in ranch and these spicy chicken bites are awesome with ranch on the side too.
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.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
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 Salad 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.
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
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream and milk until smooth.
- Add the dill, parsley, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Add the lemon and whisk again. Pour into a jar and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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
- ¾ – 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!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 9/15/11 – recipe notes and photographs updated 7/15/21}
Rann Sanders says
I will definitely be trying this. I really love jalepeno ranch dressing. How would you go about adding jalepeno to this recipe?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Rann! I’d dice some jalapenos finely and add them to the dip. If you’re using canned/jarred jalapenos, you could also substitute the jalapeno vinegar brine from the jar for lemon juice/vinegar in the recipe.
Candy Cole says
Great mixture of spices. SInce I am watching sat fats, I used Kraft light mayo and my Fat Free half in half (Aldi version) and it worked out great! It was absolutely delicious to eat with my raw veggie plate (my late night snack). I don’t care much for the dry mixes of Ranch at the stores because they contain so many added ingredients. This already made ones have so many things added to them as well and don’t have that delicious fresh made taste. I highly recommend this recipe! Try it. You definitely won’t be sorry you did.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you’ve found a way to make the recipe work well for you! Enjoy, and happy cooking.
Candy Cole says
The (not this) already made ones…. Sorry for the typo.
Pam says
I love this dressing. My herb garden is still flourishing in December in N.C! So fresh dill, parsley and chives along with minced garlic and grated onion really make it the best ranch dressing ever. Better after a day in the fridge. A little blue cheese some day sdoesn’t hurt either. Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
You are welcome, Pam. I’m glad you’re enjoying the dressing!
Mollie D. says
This recipe is amazing!! I’ve always used Ina Garten’s ranch but this one is way better! I made zero changes and it was perfect. Thank you!!
Mary Younkin says
You’re welcome, Mollie. Enjoy the ranch dressing!
Kevin S. says
This recipe is surprisingly good and very easy. Definitely way better than store bought. It also impressed friends.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad everyone loved the ranch dressing, Kevin!
Anon says
I tried. I really did. Followed the recipe. Even tried to doctor it up a little bit after the fact, but no amount of lemon or onion or dill could make this stop tasting like just a bowl of mayonnaise
Mary Younkin says
Sorry to hear that. Sometimes people have different tastes. My boys have been known to add more seasonings to the dip/dressing when they’re making it; it just varies.
Diana says
I find it incredibly distasteful and delusional that you copied Jaclyn Hills homemade ranch recipe and you’re posting it as your own without giving her any credit. This is not your recipe, Jaclyn Hill posted it on her instagram stories in 2020.
Mary Younkin says
Hey Diana, I can appreciate speaking out to protect original recipe creators. (and I’m sure Jaclyn would appreciate the sentiment if this were actually her recipe.) I published this ranch dressing recipe for the first time in 2011 and it’s been wildly popular ever since then. You can scroll through thousands of comments that have been left here over the past 12 years.
Jessica says
get a grip Diana! just leave the page if you’re that salty! what is wrong with people?!
Anita says
This reply is for Mary. I could have beaten you to the punch as I have made this with my own recipe since 2001. I had a pizza restaurant and made my own dressings. People would ask if they could buy a whole cup of it as it was the bomb. I add about 1/4 cup of freshly grated parm and 1 large clove garlic (pressed) to make Parmigian garlic ranch. You should try it if you haven’t.
Elle says
We find you incredibly distasteful and delusional!! You came to the comments disrespectful and dead WRONG to boot!
Amazing recipe Mary!! The five stars are for you!!
Diana says
I am going to be making this recipe 😁 I tried going through some of the comments to see if question was already asked but did not see it. How long does this last in the refrigerator? Thanks in advance!
Mary Younkin says
This will last as long as the dairy ingredients are good for, typically at least a week, Diana.
Larissa says
I have tried a few ranch recipes in the past, but none have ever stuck with me. This one, this is the one! Oh, it’s so delicious! I have already bookmarked it on my phone. This will now be my go to ranch recipe. It was amazing with homemade chicken tenders. 🤤🤤🙌 Thank you! I am hooked.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad it’s a hit for you, Larissa.
Regina Jenkins says
This is the best ranch dressing recipe I have ever made!! Thank you so much.
Mary Younkin says
Happy to hear it, Regina.
Nancy Eddins says
We love this recipe. I didn’t have enough sour cream so made 1/4 c with yogurt. I had powdered buttermilk so used that. Adjusted Lemon, dill, salt and pepper to taste. I can’t wait to purchase all listed ingredients for this recipe!!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you loved the ranch dressing, Nancy, and that you were able to adapt it to work with what you had. Enjoy, and happy cooking!
Susan says
Excellent recipe. Didn’t have milk, so I used cream. Even more yum.
Mary Younkin says
That sounds like a hearty addition, Susan! Enjoy the dressing.
Jodie says
I just made this dressing for the second time, and it’s delicious. The first time, I made it according to the recipe, and it was great. The second time, I made a few changes to suit it more to my specific tastes: I subbed the lemon juice for the vinegar brine from a jar of dill pickles, used 1.5x the amt of spices called for with the exception of the dill (which I kept at the recommended amount because of the pickle juice swap and because I thought it was a little dill-forward in my first batch), grated in one clove of garlic, and added an extra one quarter of a cup of buttermilk because I prefer a thinner consistency than do most people. I always try to make it at least one day before I plan to eat it because it takes a some time for the flavor of the spices to permeate the water and fats in the other ingredients. Excellent recipe as written, but also a great “jumping off place” to measure with your heart ♥️
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying experimenting with the salad dressing, Jodie. We’ve been known to reinvent this recipe several times over the years to fit the dish. Enjoy!
Kat says
I can’t wait to make it- how long does it stay good for in the fridge?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Kat. This dressing should keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Happy cooking!
Papa Joe says
Unbelievably easy! Unbelievably delicious!
Mary Younkin says
Glad to hear it! Enjoy the ranch dressing, and happy cooking.
Sarah says
I made it dairy free with dairy free sour cream and oat milk and swapped out powder for fresh garlic, dill, parsley and chives and it came out great!
Mary Younkin says
I’m happy to hear that you were able to adapt the ranch to fit your needs, Sarah, and that it was such a big hit! Happy cooking.
Masie Davis says
I made VERY minor, reasonable changes to this recipe (to make it vegan), and it was barely edible. But, my boyfriend tried it as written and said it was good. But, again, as a vegan recipe this is really awful. So, I’m torn on this one.
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Masie. I didn’t really plan for this to be a vegan recipe, and it’s supposed to be dairy-based. What did you try substituting? In any case, I’m glad your boyfriend was a fan. Happy cooking!
BRANDY MCDERMOTT says
I just made this Ranch recipe. It was delicious and will be making it more often. The only thing I personally was not a fan of was the dill over powering but that is my personal preference next time I will cut that back a little. I love the dip consistency.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you loved the ranch dressing, Brandy.
Laura says
Can I use plant milk?
Mary Younkin says
I haven’t tried using plant milk in this recipe before, Laura.