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This homemade ranch dressing recipe is fast, easy to make, healthy, and tastes so much better than the store-bought variety. This recipe is made without buttermilk, so you don’t have to worry about what to do with the rest!
You’ll also enjoy my this Creamy Pesto Dressing.
This post was originally published on December 14, 2015. I have updated the post with new photos, more clearly written directions, and more tips/suggestions.
I was never a big ranch dressing person. As far as creamy dressings go, Caesar is my #1. Ranch could never compete. This ranch recipe does. It’s the best ranch dressing I’ve ever had.
How to make homemade ranch dressing
Making ranch dressing is easy. Most homemade ranch recipes contain sour cream and mayo as a base. I also added:
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh chives
- Dried dill
- Worcestershire sauce
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Fresh cracked pepper
Add everything to a jar, give it a shake, and you’ve got a fast and tasty ranch dressing that’s so much better than the bottled variety.
Let it sit in the fridge for a while and you’ll have a great ranch dip.
Want to swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt? No problem, that will work too and save you some calories in this no buttermilk ranch dressing.
Do you need buttermilk to make ranch dressing?
No. Some homemade ranch dressings do contain buttermilk, but I decided against using the buttermilk since I had no plans on what to do with the rest, and throwing it out would be a waste.
I wanted to see if I could come up with a ranch dressing without buttermilk that didn’t seem like it was missing something, and I definitely like the results!
I decided to use both fresh lemon juice and sour cream to get that tangy taste that ranch dressing needs. I used lemon juice because it adds freshness to the dressing and isn’t quite as harsh as vinegar.
Worcestershire sauce also adds a bit of saltiness and that extra je ne sais quoi that I was looking for (probably due to the anchovies in it). Chefs put anchovies into all sorts of dishes to kick up the taste, and clearly, traces of anchovies work well in ranch dressing.
It took me a while to land on the herb combination I wanted. I prefer fresh parsley to the dried kind any day. Dried chives work fine for this dressing, but I also prefer using fresh.
Garlic is a must since this is my recipe after all. 😛 I used one large clove. I used dried dill as it’s easier to handle than fresh, and I also didn’t want the dill taste to be overpowering, and I find dried dill is quite mellow. A bit of salt and a generous amount of pepper add the finishing touches to this creamy ranch dressing.
You may also like my chipotle lime ranch dressing if you love homemade dressings and want something with a little kick!
Have you ever made ranch salad dressing from scratch? You should definitely give it a try!
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions/comments about this easy ranch dressing recipe.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped finely
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped (or 1/2 tablespoon dried chives)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep ingredients.
- Add all ingredients to a jar and shake vigorously. Alternatively, whisk them together in a small bowl.
- Dressing can be used immediately or you can refrigerate it for a few hours for it to have a thicker consistency. Enjoy on salads, as a dip, or as a spread on wraps/sandwiches. Keep refrigerated and use within a few days to be safe.
Notes
- This makes enough dressing for a few large salads (it makes about 1.5 cups).
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is the BEST ranch dressing!!!!! Look no further YUMMY!!!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 😀
I love this so much!! It was so easy to make and super delicious. Super light and creamy. Please don’t ever stop making these amazing recipes!! My husband mixed some sriracha and ate this with his burrito as a late night snack and the jar is now empty (I made this earlier today!)
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Linda! Haha I love that late night snack. I will definitely keep the recipes coming. 😉
I’ve tried several homemade ranch recipes and didn’t care for any of them. Until now! This dressing is AMAZING!!! I used to work at a bar that made anchovy based ranch and I’ve been wanting to recreate it for years. I added all of the ingredients (dried herbs as that’s all I had on hand), a splash of milk and 3 anchovy fillets to my nutri-bullet and OMG, so good! Will definitely be making this regularly and adding in a 4th or 5th anchovy as well! Thank you!
I am so happy that you liked it!! That’s awesome. I’m a big anchovy fan as well… I need to try that!
This is an amazing dressing! So light yet creamy and very fresh with all the herbs. Like you, I always prefer Caesar but this is definitely a nice change. Will be archiving this to make again and again. Thanks Natasha!
I’m so glad you liked it!! You’re very welcome!
My family will only eat Hidden Valley Ranch – until now! Made this and my family loved it. Asked if we can make this from now on because it’s better than HVR. That’s a huge compliment!!!!!
Wow, that is a huge compliment!! So happy everyone loves it! ♥️♥️♥️
I followed the recipe exactly. I only had dried herbs, so I guesstimated the proportions. I did add a couple of teaspoons of milk because I wanted to put it in a bottle on the table. It was fantastic. No need too look further for a ranch dressing recipe. This will be my go-to from now on.
Wonderful! 🙂 So glad it worked out, Lynn!
Absolutely delicious! It’s now my go to recipe for ranch dressing. My husband loved it too!! Thanks
Yay!! So happy to hear that! 🙂
How long can I keep this in my fridge?
Hi! I would keep it a week or so max.
How much parsley if using dried?
Also…have made dressing using powdered buttermilk and it was great. Looking forward to trying this recipe too.
Hi! I’d use a teaspoon or so. Hope you like the recipe. The buttermilk powder is a good idea.
Wow!!! We have made homemade ranch but this is by far the most outstanding ranch dressing ever. Easy and so delicious.
I am so happy to hear that, Jenna! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Sub for chives ? I don’t have fresh or dried 🤷♀️
Hmm… maybe a little finely chopped onion?