Myhomemade ranch dressingproves you can make restaurant-quality ranch at home. Always perfectly tangy, creamy, and worth the few minutes it takes to make. Don’t just take my word for it; check out the reviews from people who’ve made it themselves!
Table of Contents
You’ll be making this Easy Ranch Dressing Recipe over and over again
Homemade ranch dressing always tastes fresh, creamy, and easy to customize with your favorite herbs. Everyone who makes this recipe loves it! Here’s what one Pinner said:
“First time making homemade ranch, and I needed a recipe on the fly – this absolutely delivered! This recipe is really a great base, and then you can add more seasonings as you want, and that’s awesome. Highly recommend it!”
Best Homemade Ranch Dressing Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients!! It really is so super easy to put together.
Mayonaise
Sour Cream
Salt and pepper
Seasonings
Enough milk to make it the consistency you like.
How to make Homemade Ranch Dressing
The easiest way to make this ranch dressing (and any salad dressing) is in a jar. I add all the ingredients to a jar and just shake them all up. It’s fast and easy and if you have a mason jar pouring spout (affiliate),you can serve it or use it right out of the jar. Genius and so easy!
The base for homemade ranch is made from sour cream and mayonnaise, which is then thinned out by milk. Add the milk slowly so that the ranch stays as thick as you’d like. If you do thin it out too much, add a bit more sour cream and mayonnaise.
Ways to use this recipe for Ranch Dressing
The options are endless!! I love to put this on salad, of course, but it’s also fantastic for dipping fresh vegetables, chicken tenders, and even pizza.
I also love to serve it with my oven BBQ chicken, use it when making bacon ranch pizzas, and substitute it for the gorgonzola dressing on my steak salad with it if I have people who aren’t fans of stinky cheese.
How long is Homemade Ranch good?
This is a super common question! Since ranch dressing is made of dairy products, you’ll want to use it before the earliest “best by” date found on them.
Usually, this is the milk, but always double check and write the date on the container the homemade ranch dressing is kept in.
Ranch dressing got its name from Hidden Valley Ranch, a steakhouse in California where it was believed to be invented.
How was the original ranch dressing made?
The first ranch dressing that was sold was packets of dry ingredients to mix into sour cream and buttermilk.
Is ranch dressing gluten free?
Yes, this ranch dressing is gluten-free but I can’t speak for all ranch dressing recipes.
Does homemade ranch taste better?
I might be biased but I do think that homemade ranch tastes better. A few commentators on Pinterest agree as well! “I will never buy bottle dressing again.”
Is homemade ranch healthier than store bought?
It probably depends on which ranch you buy. You can find the estimated nutrition facts below the recipe card.
Looking for more delicious salad dressing recipes??
I work in a restaurant and the ranch we serve is hidden valley ranch. Although, you can buy it in the bottle or you can buy the package and make it yourself, the two taste a lot different. We actually make it fresh with the package (it's so much better that way) and you can do that at home.
While many restaurants use mass produced ranch mix, they often add it to a higher-quality base. This might include milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or mayonnaise. So when you notice that the ranch in a restaurant tastes better than the bottled dressing from the store, what you're really tasting is delicious, creamy fat.
Who Invented Ranch? Around 1950, Steve Henson unknowingly made history when he whipped up a unique mixture of dry herbs and buttermilk. Originally a plumber, Steve came up with the concoction while working briefly in Anchorage as a construction worker and part-time cook for his crew.
The USDA states that creamy salad dressings should be used within three months of opening, and commercial dressings are also given a lifespan of three months max. This seems to be the definitive lifespan for ranch.
Even when a restaurant does start with premade ranch, they will often fold in extra fresh herbs, and maybe even more buttermilk, to lighten and bring in some brighter flavors that can be lost in shelf-stable bottling.
The ranch packet has a fresher taste, because you add your own mayo and milk. Even though all the herbs and spices in the mix are dried, they rehydrate quickly and leave you with a product that feels homemade. This version of Hidden Valley Ranch is more flavorful than the bottled version and much, much thicker.
Speaking of condiments, stir in some barbecue sauce or pesto. Basil pesto is great, but I actually prefer dill pesto here. Since ranch seasoning already has a good amount of dill, it simply amplifies it. (If you're wondering if dill pesto is simply basil pesto with dill instead of basil, you are correct.)
Traditional ranch is made from sour cream, mayonnaise, dried herbs (usually dill, parsley, and chives), garlic powder, and onion powder. Buttermilk versions have, as you guessed, the addition of buttermilk and tend to be a bit thinner.
This bottle's no joke. It's covered in 75 carats' worth of jewels, making it valued at $35,000. You could almost buy three brand-new Nissan Versas for that. But Hidden Valley knows you can't put a price tag on love, be it the holy matrimony kind or the condiment-you-drizzle-on-everything variety.
Manufacturing of the mix was later moved to San Jose, then Colorado, and then to Sparks, Nevada, in 1972. In October 1972, the Hidden Valley Ranch brand was bought by Clorox for $8 million, and Henson retired. Kraft Foods and General Foods introduced similar dry seasoning packets labeled as "ranch style".
In a lot of European markets, ranch dressing is called “American dressing” and Cool Ranch is called “Cool American”. The brand was sold to Clorox in 1972 for $8 million. In 2017 the brand made over $450 million.
The Importance of Fresh Herbs and Spices: The use of fresh dill, garlic, and other herbs imparts a depth of flavor that dried counterparts cannot match. These components are pivotal in achieving the signature Wingstop taste.
Ranch should be refrigerated after opening because it contains perishable ingredients like buttermilk, which has a high moisture content and is prone to spoilage. Since perishable ingredients can become unsafe to eat after two hours at room temperature, refrigerating this dressing is essential to keep it fresh.
Ranch normally has a pleasant smell, so if it develops any kind of foul odor, it's likely past its prime. If you can't determine its quality from its texture or smell, you can also taste the dressing to see if it still tastes high quality.
Naturally Fresh, Inc. is a producer of dressings, sauces, marinades, dips, oils, and vinegar. The company also manufactures dressings, sauces and dips for a number of different restaurants and institutions, including Hooters.
Address: Suite 369 9754 Roberts Pines, West Benitaburgh, NM 69180-7958
Phone: +522993866487
Job: Sales Executive
Hobby: Worldbuilding, Shopping, Quilting, Cooking, Homebrewing, Leather crafting, Pet
Introduction: My name is Golda Nolan II, I am a thoughtful, clever, cute, jolly, brave, powerful, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.