Herbed Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe

Active Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Yield:

1 1/2 cups

If you like store-bought ranch dressing, your life might just be changed by homemade ranch dressing. Made with tangy buttermilk and plenty of fresh herbs, it comes together with a vigorous shake in a jar. If you’re looking to level up your salad game, serve a special occasion crudité, or just dip your pizza crust, read on for all the information you need about making homemade ranch dressing.

What Is Ranch Dressing?

Ranch dressing is one of the most ubiquitous condiments in the United States, and for good reason. It’s tangy and salty, flavorful enough to make anything taste good, but mild enough that it doesn’t overwhelm your palate. The most familiar form of ranch is a salad dressing, but it's also frequently served as a dip and even a seasoning powder that can be used on everything from grilled chicken to roasted vegetables.

How To Make Ranch Dressing

Making ranch dressing is surprisingly simple. In this version, the base is made of:

buttermilk
mayonnaise
sour cream

Those ingredients are shaken with:

parsley
chives
garlic
shallot
salt
Dijon mustard
black pepper
hot sauce

These fresh ingredients, especially the herbs, take the dressing to a whole new level that feels elevated and special.

Southern Living Herbed Buttermilk Ranch Dressing — Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

How To Serve Homemade Ranch Dressing

Homemade ranch is incredibly versatile: It’s great for all the things you use store-bought ranch for, but it's fresh, herby flavor and buttermilk tang will keep you coming back.

Make it a dip for potato chips or crudité. An elevated vegetable platter is one of our favorite ways to use ranch dressing.
Dip leftover chicken or turkey in it for lunch
Drizzle it on roasted vegetables for dinner.
Toss it with lettuce, of course, for a salad that you’ll actually be excited to eat. We particularly enjoy it with a cobb salad or chopped lunch salad.

Homemade Ranch Dressing, With More Flavor

This simple ranch dressing is a great base for lots of variations. Turn it lemony with a little lemon juice balanced with honey, or add blue cheese and extra chives for a cheesy variation that has big steakhouse energy.

For the avocado lovers, a mashed, ripe avocado turns this dressing an appealing green color, while also adding a nice creamy texture that’s perfect for a roasted vegetable salad. Check out the notes at the bottom of this recipe for specific directions.

More Homemade Salad Dressings:

Editorial contributions by Maddy Sweitzer-Lamme.

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small garlic clove, pressed
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

Mix ingredients:

Combine all ingredients in a 1-qt. glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Cover and shake vigorously to blend.

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Chill 30 minutes. Refrigerate in covered jar up to 1 week. Shake well before serving.

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Variations for Ranch Dressing

Lemony Ranch: Prepare Herbed Buttermilk Ranch Dressing as directed, adding 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, and 2 tsp. honey to jar before shaking.
Makes about 2 cups. Active: 20 min., Total: 50 min.

Blue Cheese Ranch: Prepare Herbed Buttermilk Ranch Dressing as directed, adding 2 oz. mashed blue cheese, 2 oz. crumbled blue cheese, 2 tsp. chopped chives, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. paprika to jar before shaking.
Makes about 2 cups. Active: 20 min., Total: 50 min.

Avocado Ranch: Prepare Herbed Buttermilk Ranch Dressing as directed, adding 1 ripe mashed avocado, 2 Tbsp. minced jalapeño pepper, 2 Tbsp. hot sauce, 4 tsp. fresh lime juice; and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt to jar before shaking.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups. Active: 20 min., Total: 50 min.

Additional reporting by

Maddy Sweitzer-Lammé