I love Hidden Valley Ranch dressing! I’d love it on my salads, as a dip for my veggies, grilled cobb and a whole lot more. Until I ran out of one on a Saturday afternoon. Of course, I won’t drive down to the store and get trapped in LA traffic just for a bottle of ranch. And so I decided I’ll need to make my own ranch. Oh boy, I gave myself a huge pat on the back after it turned out as a hit. 😉
Ranch Dressing Recipe
Do you know that ranch dressing is THE best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992? It took over Italian dressing and from then on it becomes a staple in most American homes. Ranch dressing was said to be developed in the 1950s by a plumber named Steve Henson. Steve and his wife then opened up Hidden Valley Ranch – a tourism ranch – in Santa Barbara County, California where they serve homemade ranch dressing to their guests. It became popular and they began selling it in packages for customers to take home. Today, we come to know Ranch Dressing as a type of salad dressing made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs and spices mixed with a mayo-based sauce. And we love them on salads, chips, grilled meat and so much more.
Ranch Dip vs. Dressing
There’s actually a little difference between a ranch dip and dressing. Ranch dressing tends to be thinner and pourable as they are used on salads. This homemade ranch dressing here is pretty thick but still pourable enough on salads. But if you’re going for a dipping sauce, you’ll want to have it a little thicker. To thin out this ranch, add whole milk, water or canola oil. Make sure though to add sparingly and adjust the flavor when needed. Keep in mind that adjusting the dressing will alter the flavor a bit; so don’t go all out in thinning out this recipe.
What’s in a Ranch Dressing?
Greek Yogurt & Sour Cream. Both Greek Yogurt and Sour Cream adds creaminess and tanginess to this salad dressing. I decided though to use 1/4 cup each of these two instead of going all out with sour cream for a healthier option. Sour cream actually has higher fat and calorie content while Greek yogurt adds more protein in this dressing with lower calories. You may go full Greek Yogurt, but, of course, that would alter the taste of this recipe as it is surprisingly tangy.
Fresh or Dried Herbs. I use fresh chives, parsley and dill for this homemade ranch dressing. Fresh herbs tend to have spectacular flavor and texture on this dressing.
Buttermilk Ranch. This homemade dressing is pretty great compared to those regular ranch dressings. That buttery note from buttermilk totally bumps up the flavor which complements well with the mayonnaise. If you don’t have buttermilk, you may substitute buttermilk by mixing whole or 2% milk with lemon juice or vinegar. Tip: To substitute buttermilk, for every 1 cup of milk, mix it with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes until it curdles before adding it to the dressing ingredients. Hot Sauce. Yes, this salad dressing here has its nice little kick by adding half a teaspoon of hot or sriracha sauce. Feel free to leave it out if you don’t want some heat in in this dressing.
How Long Will Homemade Ranch Dressing Last?
This homemade dressing could last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Just make sure you store it in an airtight container or those squeeze bottles with lid. Aaaand don’t forget to put a marker on the bottle to indicate expiration date.
What to Serve with this Ranch Dressing
Aside from veggies, you can serve this ranch dressing here to various other dishes like these ones below:
Chicken Tortilla Pinwheels Jalapeno Poppers Baked Crispy Chicken Wings Sausage Balls Samosa Recipe Southwest Chicken Salad
Ranch Variations
Like a lot of other recipes, this ranch dressing can also be customized and tweaked to your liking. Below are just some of the popular variation of this popular salad dressing: Chipotle Ranch – add some chipotle powder into the mixture Avocado Ranch – mash one avocado and stir it into this dressing Blue Cheese Ranch – toss in crumbled blue cheese Miso Ranch – for that umami flavor, add in a tablespoon of miso (a Japanese essential ingredient) in a tiny portion of this dressing before incorporating it to the entire ranch dressing Smokey Ranch – add a few dashes of smoked paprika for that nice touch of smokey flavor
How To Make Ranch Dressing
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, parsley, dill, garlic, onion powder, mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper until fully blended.
Gently pour in the buttermilk a little at a time and mix until fully combined and at desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with baked chicken, fish or any veggies of your choice.