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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This was so delicious. Be aware that the flavors need time to meld so make it ahead of time. It tasted okay when freshly made. Once hour later it was even better. The next day it was fantastic. So I really say make this a day ahead of time to let that garlic and dill flavor develop. Perfect recipe for me. Thank you!
Hi Jen,
Was wondering how the “Tested and Perfected” recipes differ from the ones that are not labeled as such? Thanks.
Diane
Hi Diane, Have I not labeled some of them as “tested and perfected?” If that’s the case, that was inadvertent as they are all tested (and perfected). 🙂
Oops. You are right–all recipes are labled as such. Some of the labels blended in with the picture and were not as visible. Thanks. Love your recipes!
Diane
Where are the ingredients listed?? This site is overrun by commercial pop up’s. Don’t understand how this recipe got such high ratings on this site.
It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
You scrolled right past them to get to the comments, so…
lol
Funny when people can’t find it, it’s always the authors fault or the website, but never their computer skills ?
Much too runny. Even lessened buttermilk but too thin for a dip and just runs off the lettuce. Tastes great though!
This gets thicker with age. Day 1 was thin. Day 2 was great. Day 3 you could stand a fork up in it. Patience, grasshopper!
I love all of Jenn’s recipes, this is my go-to site. Made this tonight with steak au poivre and onion rings. My husband is still raving about the salad dressing. Thank you.
Been making this recipe for a couple of years now and always do it exactly as written on this website; happy to report it’s a standard in our home and a fan favorite for the family and friends that have had it!
Before I make this……is the dill weed or seed????? Someone mentioned fresh dill competing with the dressing????
I have lots of fresh
Hi Jackie, the recipe calls for dried dill. Hope you enjoy!
I added a dash more lemon juice, and a bit of water to thin; mine was quite thick. I love the flavors! Served with a grilled lemon chicken breast and summery Romaine/garden tomato/grilled croutons salad. SO good!
I just made this and it is so flavorful and easy! I bet it will be even better in a few hours when it is time for dinner!
I’m interested in using this recipe long-term, but I need to verify what consistency this dressing is. Is it thick or thin? I’m hoping you will say on the thicker side, as I’m not a fan of super thin dressings. Thank you. 🙂
Hi Elizabeth, It’s thin enough to be able to drizzle it on a salad. If you’d like it thicker, replace the buttermilk with more sour cream. Hope that helps!
Made this dressing today and it is wonderful! It was easy to make, visually appealing and so good!
A friend gave me your Irish Cream Tirimisu recipe and that has become my “Special” dessert dish. Thanks so much.