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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Delicious! If you want to use it with Mexican dishes I add some lime juice and put it on my tacos instead of plain sour cream. So yummy!
I used the buttermilk “leftover” from making butter, added a splash of apple cider vinegar, used plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream (to up the protein content), and added some fresh parsley and green onions because they needed to be used up and it was fantastic.
Oh, and I put a splash of honey instead of store bought mayo, it cuts the tang without excessive sugar.
Delicious! Beats bottled dressing hands-down!!
This is my husband’s favorite dressing. Thank you, Jenn.
This is a brilliant dressing! So nice to have a homemade dressing with fresh ingredients and no additives.
This is my go to homemade salad dressing recipe, I cant get enough of it! Can I just drink it….no seriously. It is that good!
🤣
I’ve been searching half my life for a good buttermilk salad dressing. Every recipe seems to have a plethora of added herbs. I wanted something fresh to put on tender salad greens. This one is perfect! Reminds me of my childhood. Thank you so much! I’ve tried a few other of your recipes; all are great.
Hi Jenn,
Would this work as a dip for a crudités platter? If we wanted to have a thicker dip should I just add the buttermilk a little at a time until we get to the desired viscosity? Thank you!
Hi Shannon, If you’d like a dip, I’d recommend this ranch dressing which is very similar, but a bit thicker.
Thank you!!
I’m a big fan of ranch, as long as it doesn’t come in a jar and this is insanely good!
Made it once before with dried chives since that’s all I had and tonight used the fresh – much better! I was low on sour cream so used 1/4 cup sour cream with 1/4 cup Greek yogurt – no Tabasco…superb! Another big hit from Jenn!
I have made this so many times. It is wonderful! Tonight I am out of lemon, can I substitute lime juice or vinegar?
Sure, Christy – I’d go with vinegar. Enjoy!