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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So fresh and tasty!!! I use a little less garlic and chives since I’ll use it over a few days.
The last batch used a blend of nonfat greek yogurt and sour cream (to feel slightly better about how much I consume on a daily basis) and it was still delicious.
My first instinct was to use fresh dill vs dried, but I do think that dried dill works better as a traditional ranch. Fresh dill competed with the salad.
This recipe does not call for the “Ranch Dressing” packet as an ingredient. Was it accidentally left off or is this really made without it? Thank you!
Correct, the salt, pepper, and herbs mimic what you’d find in the ranch dressing packet. Hope that clarifies!
Amazing and Herby!
I made this to dip your buttermilk chicken tenders in (I will make tonight) and I was not disappointed!
It was easy to make; I used fresh dill instead of dried as it was all I had on hand.
I’m something of a ranch snob (being from the South, we put it on everything) so trust me, you won’t regret making this!
My kids love ranch dressing and I have just never been a fan of any store bought version. I had been searching for the perfect recipe and decided to give this one a try since all of Jenn’s recipes never fail to amaze me. Wow! I honestly had thought of using fresh dill but since I had dried dill at home and usually like to test the recipe as is before tweaking, I went ahead and used dried. This did NOT disappoint and I think using fresh dill is not necessary, I will continue making this recipe as is. I’d also like to point out that as others have mentioned, I love that this recipe does not have a large amount of mayonnaise which I’ve disliked in other recipes. Do not change a thing in this recipe, I love how simple it is but bursting with flavor!
OMG! This is such a delicious and balanced salad dressing! All the proportions are just perfect and yet allow for a little adjusting (I didn’t have the optional tabasco but I added a few sprinkles of chipotle powder). So yummy and the lemon juice put it right over the top for my tastebuds. I POURED it over a small baked potato and pretty much licked the plate! I also love Jenn’s homemade Caesar Salad dressing. You can’t go wrong with these recipes!!
I’ve tried many homemade ranch recipes and this one was the most simple and delicious. It was so easy, that my daughter put it together on her own, with no supervision. My family loved it!
Great dressing. There’s a restaurant near me that makes a fabulous jalapeño ranch dressing so I tried to adapt this one and it turned out great. Added one jalapeño, minus the seeds and ribs, and one teaspoon of chili powder. Yum!
Best Ranch Dressing!! The first time I made it I substituted green onions for the chives because that’s what I had- it came out delicious both ways!! I made a batch for my daughter and she said it was so good, almost too good!! Thanks for the delicious recipe!!
Great dressing! I didn’t have chives so I added red onion in and it was still fabulous. Added fresh dill rather than dried as I love it.
Great dressing! I didn’t have chives app I added red onion in and it was still fabulous.
Greetings from Toronto,Canada
Super Yummy – if I call it “Buttermilk Ranch Soup” can I eat it out of a bowl 😉
The consistency for a dressing was perfect. If using as a vegetable dip I would like it to be a little thicker. Suggestions please.
Hi Melany, Glad you enjoyed! For a thick dip, replace the buttermilk with more sour cream. Hope that helps!