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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I liked it, the family thought it was a little too “buttermilky.” Made it exactly as written. Didn’t thicken up as much as I had hoped. Used it as a dipping sauce for fried chicken tenders.
I have substituted Greek yogurt (strain it in a fine sieve if it’s a bit watery) for the buttermilk. Makes a lovely dip for crudites etc. I also use celery salt and less garlic, just a personal preference. Hope this helps!
What a great, easy recipe. The flavors were so bright and fresh compared to the sour, chemical-tasting stuff you get off the store shelf. Really liked the chives and dill, but make sure to use fresh chives. The only modification was just a bit of sugar. I’m embarrassed for all the times I served ranch out of a bottle. Thanks for the recipe!
Love it! This is an example of a recipe that gives proportions that allows the cook to ‘own’ it in a way that suits his/her personal taste. Thank you for providing the ‘bones’ of the recipe. It is easy to make one’s own dressings. And after freshly prepared, the bottle just does not cut it!
Made this once again and had to add – this is the most delicious ranch dressing we have ever had. Perfect blend of ingredients. It will elevate your salad to grand heights!! Love it!
I used to love ranch until I stopped eating soy and now I can’t get over the taste of it in every store bought ranch I’ve tried. Absolutely love this recipe for its ease and deliciousness. Made exactly as written and love it. Thank you so much for sharing this!!
It tasted a little sour to me. I ended up added an extra 1/4 cup of mayo. Then it tasted bland. Added about 20 dashes of green Tabasco and mustard powder. My dill and chivers were dried, not fresh. I added a bunch and kept tasting.
This is super easy and very tasty. I did my
salad and put on the dressing and served with smokey grilled chicken skewers on top. It was delicious with the buttermilk dressing. I served extra dressing to dip the chicken in.
Jenn, this recipe was out of this world!!! I made it for a staff party, and everyone loved it. I used fresh dill, fresh lemon juice, and fresh garlic (my buttermilk had gone horribly bad, so I used soupy plain yogurt which was fine (not Greek)). Really, everyone was not only surprised I made the dressing myself, but that it was so tasty. Thank you for such a phenomenal recipe. This is about the sixth buttermilk recipe I have tried. I will look no further. There is no other that actually tastes correct. You nailed it. THANK YOU.
Good dressing but the Garlic was too strong and made the dressing spicy so I tossed out the first batch and made another with no garlic. It’s better! Thanks! I definitely prefer this over bottled ranch.
Some people just don’t like garlic…I understand. For me, the recipe is perfect with garlic, which I love, and would not be to same without it. To each her own!!!!
um what can you substitute for the dill bcs i don’t have that
Thank you
Hi Abdul, I think tarragon would work as well.