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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!
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 to find a trusted scratch recipeto work from:
I substituted half a cup of finely minced sorrel for the lemon, used freshly pulled garlic (leaves & bulbs) and fresh dill, omitted the milk because fresh herbs had more liquid, omitted black pepper because fresh garlic is so harsh, and used Japanese style mayonnaise.
That sounds great, Joel. I’m glad you like the recipe!
So very very good. So much better that store bought.
I’m so glad you like the dressing, Kim!
First time making it and it’s too thin for my liking. Next time I’ll reduce the milk. Good flavor 🙂
Kinda mid… it’s really watery and not really that flavorful…
Sorry to hear it wasn’t a hit with you, Sally. If you try it again, I suggest reducing the milk for a thicker dressing if that’s more your style.
This ranch dressing is phenomenal! Made it twice now for my family. Everyone raved. First time was exactly as the recipe said, the second time I tweeked the seasoning a little for our tastes. We have used it for chicken-bacon-ranch wraps, dipping sauce, and for salads, and I will never go back to store-bought now.
I would say that it may help that we have access to fresh local buttermilk, because I couldn’t bring myself to sub regular milk at this point. If you have real buttermilk available, I promise you that is the way to go.
I’m so happy to hear that you love it!
Question actually….Is this “salad dressing”- ie ‘Miracle Whip’ or Real Mayo being used, please and Thank You. Looking forward to trying this!
Thanks! I didn’t have dried chives so I added dried tarragon and smokey paprika. I also added more aour cream so we could use it as a dip. Cheers!
I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying it, Bridie!
So yummy!! My family absolutely loved this recipe! I chose to add a little extra of the dill weed. Perfect for salad dressing or dipping veggies! It was better than restaurant ranch dressing!
I’m thrilled it is a hit, Suzanne.
Thank you for providing this great recipe! It’s a shame I’ve waited all this time to make my own homemade ranch dressing. The difference between store bought and homemade is astounding. I even had to make some substitutions based on what I had at home. I actually used Greek yogurt, 2% milk, and lime juice instead of the lemon or vinegar. I adjusted the seasonings to taste. Even with the substitutions, I still wanted to lick the bowl 😋😆. Awesome recipe 👏.
I’m thrilled you like it so much!
Way too runny !
The beauty of homemade dressings is that you can adjust that to your tastes, Kim. Adding less milk will deliver a thicker dressing.
I lost this recipe a few yrs. ago, but FOUND it today on your site. This Recipe is really great, it pours nicely & isn’t too thin or too thick.. I put it in a Ranch Dressing Bottle I purchased at the store.. Homemade Ranch Dressing is what we prefer now!!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let us know you love it, Dee! Homemade Ranch really is hard to beat and it’s so easy to make, too!
My boyfriend told me if I could make him a homemade ranch – he is obsessed with ranch – that was the best he’s had then he would propose to me. It’s only been a week so I’ll give him more time to keep that promise but this was the recipe I chose and it was a hit! I wasn’t a ranch fan before trying this but now I am because it is like crack. I also made a spicy version with garlic chilli oil, tapatio, and cholula which is chefs kiss.
What a GREAT story, Kat! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know I made a Ranch believer out of you! Please check back in to let us know if he proposes!
This is my go to to make a great ranch dressing. I tend to tweak it each time and lately I’ve been adding garlic scapes.
mmmmm I LOVE garlic scapes! I bet they’re terrific in this dressing, Dave.
I feel it deserves mentioning that using milk vs buttermilk creates a completely different flavor profile. Milk really deviates from the classic “ranch” flavor. A coworker brought this recipe to work and used buttermilk and it was so good. Unfortunately I live in a pretty rural area so without driving 35 minutes just to a store that *might* have buttermilk, I was forced to use the milk+lemon juice substitute. I also used some delicious homemade mayonnaise. The milk made the ranch a bit too watery, which I should have foreseen since buttermilk is thick. So it should really be reduced to 2-3 tablespoons of milk. Then even by increasing the spices and salt I felt the ranch dressing was just missing something (which of course would be the buttermilk). So it was good with the milk+lemon juice substitute, but I’d probably choose a classic bottle of ranch dressing over making this with milk. Although it wasn’t *that* far off the mark, and is still a delicious substitute when there is no ranch available. (Recipe is 5 stars with the buttermilk, 4 stars with milk), and I would have given 4.5 if possible.
Mary, this recipe is amazing. Followed it to the T. Made my wrap delicious. I also have some left over for other days. Cannot wait to try some of the other recipes you have linked above.
I’m so glad you like it, Michele!
This dressing is excellent. I substituted the plain vinegar as suggested, and used minced onion and coarse sea salt as those were the available options I had in my kitchen. The dressing turned out great! It’s a bit on the thinner side but that’s how I like it. Other reviewers commented on that but that’s the beauty of making your own… you can adjust to your liking. Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe. It got my husband’s approval which is very hard to get.
I’m so glad you and your husband are loving the ranch dressing, Jamie. Happy cooking!
Absolutely delicious! Way better than the packets and so easy. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Karen!
Such a great recipe! As an expat, I miss ranch dressing and love how quickly this comes together when I’m having those cravings. I swap full fat greek yogurt for the sour cream (since that’s not easy to source in Malta) and it comes out perfect every time. Thank you!
I’m thrilled you’re enjoying the ranch, Ashley!
Great recipe. I added the buttermilk in a tablespoon at a time after the lemon juice. Three tablespoons was just right for me. Very good over grilled salmon on a bed of mixed green salad.
I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying the ranch, Patricia.
I’m curious what kind of mayo you are using. This is the one ingredient I feel is key. I’ve been searching for a delicious ranch recipe!
I typically use Hellman’s or Best Foods, Kelsie. I hope you love the ranch.
There’s not even a competition between homemade and bottled ranch. This is my go-to recipe for sure. And like it’s already been stated you can make it thicker or thinner depending how you like it. Personally I love the consistency this recipe creates as is
I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying the dressing, Joe.
So easy and a million times better than store bought. Can’t beat the freshness and bright tang to this buttermilk ranch! This time I used fresh herbs, and Japanese rice vinegar because that what I had on hand. So good!
I’m thrilled you love it, Sandy.