Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing

You can make this creamy homemade Ranch salad dressing in minutes using fresh or dried herbs. Drizzled on your favorite salad, or used as a dip, it’s so much better from scratch!

I live in the Midwest where you can get a side of Ranch salad dressing with just about anything in a restaurant. It’s so popular here that if you want to make people gasp and clutch their pearls, all you have to say is “Hold the Ranch.”

I’m only slightly exaggerating.

Why Make Homemade Ranch Dressing?

Although my family loves Ranch dressing, there are a lot of ingredients in the bottled version. Many of them are preservatives, which makes sense because stores need to keep it shelf-stable for weeks — if not months. Others are in there to keep it fresh for up to 3 months after you’ve opened a bottle.

But we like fresh, homemade Ranch dressing so much more. Made from scratch, it just has a more vibrant flavor that brings out the best in any salad. It’s pretty awesome as a dip, too.

So, whether you want to start with fresh or dried herbs, the homemade Ranch dressing recipe below will knock your socks off. It takes just a couple of minutes to mix up, but don’t skip the 30-minute chilling time. That’s when the flavors marry to make that taste we Midwesterners know and love.

And, hey, while you’re waiting for your homemade Ranch dressing to chill, why not check out these recipes, too:

• Homemade Pimento Cheese Recipe
• Homemade Wheat Thins Recipe
• Creamy Avocado Garlic Herb Dressing
• Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Homemade Cottage Cheese

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Homemade Ranch Dressing

Your favorite creamy salad dressing made from scratch using fresh or dried herbs.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword seasoning mix

Cook Time 2 mins

Chilling time 30 mins

Total Time 32 mins

Makes 12 servings

Calories 147kcal

Author Katie Berry

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream – or buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced – or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced – or 1/2 teaspoon dried minced chives
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill leaves, minced – or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Then stir in the remaining ingredients.
• Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Stir well before use. Keep refrigerated and use within seven days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Storage

Since this homemade Ranch dressing includes mayonnaise, you need to keep it refrigerated. Use it within seven days, since it does not contain preservatives. (That goes for any recipe you use it in, too.)

I store ours in a wide mouth Mason jar, but these clear salad dressing bottles are cute, too. Just be sure to keep it covered so it stays fresh. Also, homemade Ranch dressing doesn’t contain the emulsifying ingredients of the store-bought version, so it may separate in the fridge. That’s perfectly normal — just shake it well before use.