Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
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This homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is cool, creamy, and tangy, with plenty of fresh herb and garlic flavor—and it takes just minutes to make.
Gourmet is probably not the word that comes to mind when you think of ranch dressing, but homemade is nothing like the mass-produced bottled stuff on grocery store shelves. This buttermilk ranch recipe is a variation of my classic ranch dressing and one of my go-to salad dressings, with sour cream and mayo for richness, buttermilk and lemon for tang, and plenty of garlic, dill, and fresh chives. Honestly, it’s good enough to eat straight with a spoon! Try it over a crisp green salad or as a dip for crudités, potato chips, or baked chicken wings.
“Delicious. This takes just a few minutes to make with outstanding results. A+”
What You’ll Need To Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Sour Cream, Mayonnaise & Buttermilk: These make up the creamy base of the dressing. The sour cream and mayo give it richness and body, while the buttermilk adds tang and thins it to a pourable consistency. Use good quality mayo, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s, and store-bought buttermilk rather than a homemade substitute—the flavor and consistency matter more in a dressing than they do in most baked goods.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the dressing its characteristic bite, and its flavor gets stronger as the dressing sits. If you’re sensitive to raw garlic or making the dressing well ahead, you can use a little less.
- Dill & Fresh Chives: Dried dill gives the dressing classic ranch flavor, while fresh chives add freshness and a mild oniony bite.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Adds acidity and brightness, balancing the richness of the creamy base.
- Tabasco: Optional, but a few dashes sharpen the flavors without making the ranch noticeably spicy.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Mix the dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth and evenly blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Keep in mind that the dressing will thicken as it chills and the garlic flavor will become more pronounced as it sits. The dressing keeps well in the refrigerator, so it’s a great one to make ahead; see the recipe card below for storage instructions.
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Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
- 2 cloves garlic minced (see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons dried dill
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, from one lemon
- Few dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Absolutely delicious! Yummmmm
YUM! I couldn’t even wait for the flavors to meld before writing this review. This ranch is what dreams are made of. I threw everything into a mason jar – subbing fresh chives for dried chives + garlic powder in place of fresh garlic – and gave it a big shake. One taste and just like that: I’m never buying store bought ranch ever again!
Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe – I can’t wait to try it on a bed of fresh butter lettuce… and then maybe some crispy chicken tenders….and tater tots.
Made this dressing for a socially-distanced block party yesterday to rave reviews! I made veggie cups, with the dressing at the bottom of the clear cup. Perfect for single serving dining. The only problem – I didn’t make enough! This recipe is now in my official bank of go-to recipes. So easy, and all the herbs were in my organic garden (a few pots out front.) Thank you for sharing! LOVE!
Easy and delicious! This is my go to recipe!
I was happy to see your recipe, which has a 4:1 dairy (sour cream and buttermilk) to mayonnaise ratio. It gave me confidence to try what I’ve always wanted: a Ranch with no mayo in it at all. Now, I love mayonnaise, especially in a sandwich, but find an oily mayonnaise sheen in dressing to be a turnoff. Some recipes call for as much or more mayo as sour cream, and no buttermilk. That doesn’t suggest anything at all about a ranch, where cows and dairy predominate.
I’ve also made Ranch with herbs other than dill and chives, and found it didn’t make as much difference as expected. For example, I’ve used basil and oregano to make an “Italian” Ranch. It was only a little different from, and just as good as, the “authentic” recipe.
Fantastic! Have been cooking up a storm to keep from going stir-crazy. Your recipes are wonderful, keep up the good work.
Awesome recipe! My tip – add all ingredients except chives to a 1 pint mason jar. Using the blender bottom wiz it up. Add the chives and shake.
I love this dressing! I am a big fan of the Great American Restaurant’s chopped salad (Artie’s, Mike’s American Grill, etc.). It was easy enough to replicate the salad at home, but their signature dressing was more difficult. The bottled dressings I tried were over-seasoned or just not fresh tasting. This is easy to pull together, and the flavor is amazing! Also, I borrowed your fresh corn cooking technique from your Corn, Black Bean, Avocado salad for my copycat recipe.
Loved by all and a treat from bottled dressings!
This recipe is a staple as goes well with most of the fresh veggies we are able to grab and put in a salad. I substituted 1/2 teaspoon onion powder for the green onions as that is all I had on hand. Thank you for this tasty recipe and for enabling this time to be a little more pleasant.