Ranch Dressing
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This homemade ranch dressing recipe is creamy, fresh, and full of herby flavor—and it takes just minutes to make.
When my kids were growing up, ranch was the magic sauce that made just about anything disappear from their plates. Making it from scratch takes hardly any more effort than opening a bottle, and the fresh flavor is well worth it. This homemade ranch dressing recipe is cool and creamy, packed with fresh dill and chives, and brightened with lemon juice, while garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of Tabasco add just the right amount of zip.
“Made this for the first time today to try out for a party and it was gone within minutes! I will never buy store-bought ranch again!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Ranch Dressing
- Sour cream and mayonnaise: Form the creamy base of the dressing. Sour cream gives the ranch its tang, while mayonnaise adds richness and body. Use a good-quality mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s, for the best flavor.
- Milk: Loosens the dressing to a pourable consistency. You can add a little more after chilling if you prefer a thinner ranch.
- Fresh dill and chives: Fresh herbs make a big difference here, giving the dressing a brighter, fresher flavor than dried herbs.
- Garlic: A small amount of fresh garlic gives the ranch plenty of flavor without overpowering the herbs.
- Lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco: Lemon adds brightness, while Worcestershire and Tabasco give the dressing savory depth and a little zip. The Tabasco doesn’t make it noticeably spicy.
- Salt and pepper: Bring all the flavors into focus.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Ranch Dressing
Mix the dressing: Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, and pepper, and whisk until smooth and creamy. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Chill and adjust the consistency: The ranch tastes even better after it has had some time to chill, which gives the flavors a chance to come together. It will also thicken in the refrigerator, so if you’d like a thinner, more pourable dressing, stir in a little milk before serving.
Ways To use Ranch Dressing
Ranch goes well beyond salads. Serve it as a dip for fresh vegetables, baked chicken wings, or fries; drizzle it over baked potatoes; or use it as a creamy spread for sandwiches and wraps. It’s also great alongside anything spicy, where the cool, creamy dressing helps balance the heat.
More Homemade Dressings You’ll Love
Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, best-quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- ¼ cup fresh chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ⅛ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Few dashes Tabasco sauce
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and milk. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, dill, chives, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Stir until evenly combined. 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.
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Made this for the first time today to try out for a party and it was gone within minutes! I will never buy store-bought ranch again!! Your recipes never disappoint.
Hi Jenn,
First of all, every dressing recipe I have made of yours has been absolutely amazing….flavors and textures are spot on! This dressing looks delish and the perfect base for a Nashville hot chicken pizza I plan to make soon. Do you think it’s thick enough as is to use as a sauce or would you cut back on the milk a bit? Thanks for all your inspiration for us home cooks!
So glad you like the dressing recipes! Yes, I’d reduce the milk a bit to ensure you have the right texture for the pizza. You can always add more milk if needed.
Hi Jenn, I am having a hard time finding fresh dill; would dried work here and if yes, how much? Thank you!
Hi Rebecca, dried will work. I’d start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste if desired. Enjoy!
I noticed two ranch dressing recipes on your website. What is the difference? One uses buttermilk and one does not…but how do they vary in taste and texture?
Hi Angela, The taste is very similar but this one is thicker and can double as a dip. The other one has more the consistency of ranch dressing in a bottle. Hope that helps!
Thank you for explaining – that was my question too!
Love all your dressings and since finding you, I have never bought a store one again. Absolute game changer 👏🙏
Best ranch dressing I’ve ever had!!!!
Out of laziness I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it was delicious! Great recipe, thank you!!
I found it too runny for a dip. Would omit the milk next time.
Can you use buttermilk for the milk?
Hi Kim, if you want to use buttermilk, I’d recommend this recipe instead (which is very similar but has a slightly thinner consistency). Hope you enjoy!
Tried this recipe and my family loved it, even my picky daughter! It tastes very good and we love it! You must try it. It is better than bottled dressing!
I really hate mayo. Is there a substitute that is comparable for this dressing?
Hi Cassie, You can use more sour cream instead of the mayo. Because using all sour cream will make it more tart, I’d wait and add the lemon juice to taste at the end. (Keep in mind that while this will still be good, it won’t taste exactly like ranch without the mayo.)
I had been looking for a delicious homemade ranch recipe and I finally found it. I don’t buy store bought dressings because the ingredients are completely toxic or the healthy/organic ones have a taste I just don’t care for. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!