Buttermilk Ranch Dressing is a magical thing. It’s served in the fanciest of restaurants and also along side dino nuggets at lunch hour. My kids will literally eat anything if they have ranch to dip it in. And I’ll be honest; I will too. I grew up in a house where there was a pitcher that was constantly filled. It sat on pretty much every table of every meal we ate. It was always the Hidden Valley seasoning packs that I still love today. But there’s no bottled Ranch dressing that competes with this recipe – it’s the BEST! It’s also so, so easy. Like, really easy. I keep most of this stuff on hand so it’s quick to whip up.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Mayonnaise and buttermilk – I use a classic base of tangy buttermilk and mayo. While I use reduced-calorie mayo in a lot of my cooking, I don’t recommend it here. It definitely changes the flavor and it’s simply not as good. You can adjust the amount of buttermilk you use to get the consistency just how you like it (thinner, thicker, etc.). Feedback from readers suggests that its’s worth it to use a good name-brand mayonnaise here like Best Foods/ Hellman’s.
- White vinegar
- Dried parsley
- Dried dill
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried chives
- Black pepper
- Seasoned salt – like Lowrey’s. If you don’t have this, just sub another salt.
- Dry mustard
How to Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- You can make this in a blender, or a bowl. I usually toss it in the blender, but either way works!
- Literally just put all ingredients together and either blend or whisk!
- For best flavor, allow the dressing to chill for a couple of hours before using. It will also thicken after being stored in the fridge.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 1-2 weeks for best results.
- The only thing that would make a salad with homemade ranch even better is homemade croutons, so you may want to whip up a batch of those while you’re at it. Dipping homemade croutons into homemade ranch is probably one of my most favorite things ever.
- This Basil Buttermilk Ranch Dressing is also a super-amazing variation of this dressing.
- If you’re out of buttermilk, a mixture of milk and lemon juice or vinegar can be used in a pinch at a ratio of 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to one cup of milk. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to thicken before using.
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
A quick and easy homemade Ranch dressing recipe that everyone loves!
Servings 2 tablespoon servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/8 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt like Lowreys
- 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or a bowl and blend or whisk until smooth
- For best results, let chill for 2 hours or more for flavors to intensify. Dressing will also thicken after being stored in the fridge.
Notes
- Different mayonnaise brands produce different consistencies in this recipe. I almost always use Best Foods, so for me, about the ratio listed seems to be perfect, but that same amount is sometimes incredibly thick or incredibly thin for others. So just keep that in mind. Mix everything together and then add more buttermilk until it’s perfect for you.
- All spices and herbs listed below are dried. If substituting fresh, use the ratio 1 part dry = 3 parts fresh. If using fresh herbs, blend everything except herbs first and then lightly pulse in the herbs.
- Store finished dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 1 week for best results.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 136kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 178mg, Potassium: 38mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 450IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 0.2mg
Calories: 136kcal
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Questions & Reviews
Natalie- I'd probably keep the mayo and just replace the buttermilk with sour cream. Let me know how it goes, I've actually never made it into dip!
How would you go about converting this to a ranch dip recipe? Would you just use sour cream in place of the mayo/milk? Help!
I have been trying to find a recipe for home-made ranch dressing like they serve in restaurants! I am so excited you have one! I LOVE your blog – I have so many recipes I can't wait to try! Thanks for all your hard work!
and now that i think about it, i think i added double the amount of dill. whoops! still yummy and i LOVE this! been trying to find a ranch that tastes like the kind you get at a restaurant and this is definitely it, but better!
best foods mayo is the best. all the others do not compare. imo 🙂
so i made this and it was super good except i didn't have parsley. so maybe it tasted a little too dill-y but i made fried pickles to dip in and it was DELICIOUS! thanks so much!
Do you know I have that same exact Tupperware "dressing bottle"? We have been using it for close to 20 years… We make our own "hot" sauce for tacos and keep it stored in the tupperware. I am so glad to see that they still make them!
Thanks for the ranch dressing recipe. I am the only one in our house who likes it but always seem to be the one to take salad to functions. It is much nicer to bring a homemade dressing rather than a store bought one!!
Okay, love your site! I've tried several of your recipes and we've loved them all. I made this ranch dressing a few months ago and it was heavenly. But each subsequent time I've made it since then it hasn't really measured up. I've been thinking about it, and I think I used name brand mayo (maybe Best Foods?) the first time I made it. What I have in the fridge now is just the Walmart Great Value brand. Do you think that could be the problem? Thank you!
jmojmo24 at gmail dot com
I am so glad that you posted this ranch dressing recipe. I have been tweeking to get the dressing recipe for years and just couldn't get it. That vinegar has to be the problem. I use fat free cream cheese instead of mayo (home made form powdered milk) and love the creamy texture even more.
I also culture my own buttermilk a lot to extend the quarts that I buy, I use tons of it all over the place 😉
Glad I found you blog tonight through another one!
I have been looking for a "The Best" ranch dressing and this has come close! I did add a pinch or so of sugar to make it a little sweeter. But overall, delicious!
Tomorrow I am making your Chicken Pot Pie recipe~ Love your website!
Jennifer, I'm guessing you measured something wrong. It shouldn't be thicker than any normal ranch dressing you're used to. If you ever have that problem again, just add more liquid until it's the consistency you like.