Ranch Dressing Recipe

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ranch dressing ingredients, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Mayonnaise – I usually whip up my own homemade mayo using avocado oil, but feel free to grab any store-bought mayo you like. It works just as well!
• Sour Cream & Lemon Juice – Traditional ranch contains buttermilk (or buttermilk powder), but I don’t usually have these on hand, so my homemade ranch dressing recipe uses sour cream and lemon juice to create the same tang. You can also substitute the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt, and the lemon juice for white vinegar.
• Dried Herbs – For that signature ranch flavor, you’ll need dried parsley, dill, and chives. Got only fresh herbs? Simply triply the amount — measure in tablespoons rather than teaspoons to keep things easy. I find it doesn’t last quite as long using fresh herbs, though.
• Spices – A mix of garlic powder, sea salt, onion powder, and black pepper does the trick. Fresh garlic (2 minced cloves) and freshly ground black pepper are amazing if you have them! And you can throw in a pinch of paprika for more flavor if you want.
• Milk Of Your Choice – This thins the dressing to just the right consistency. I usually use store-bought almond milk for here, but it’s amazing with my homemade almond milk, too. If nuts aren’t your thing, any milk will do — regular dairy milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, or even something creamier, like half and half or heavy cream for extra richness.

VARIATION: Want a dry ranch dressing mix?

It’s just as quick and easy to make a dry version with similar ingredients! See my ranch seasoning recipe for instructions.

How To Make Ranch Dressing

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Combine the ingredients. Whisk the ranch dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add the milk last, gradually, until you reach the consistency you like.
2. Chill to develop the flavors. This is optional, but enhances the flavor if you have time. Once I’ve made the ranch dressing recipe, I find that refrigerating it for at least an hour makes it taste better. But you can totally enjoy it right away, too!

Storage Instructions

You can store homemade ranch dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

I don’t recommend freezing it, as it will become a separated mess. Just don’t.

I like to store this dressing in a mason jar for easy mixing and just spoon it out, but you could also use a glass salad dressing bottle or a plastic squeeze bottle.

Ways To Use It

I put this stuff on everything! Whether you’re using it as a dip, condiment, casserole enhancer, or you know, an actual salad dressing… I’m willing to bet that my recipe for ranch dressing will quickly become your go-to. Here are some ways I use it:

• Salad – The obvious! It’ll jazz up any salad like no other. It’s amazing on my BLT salad, adds oomph to my hearty chef salad, and is pretty much the champion dressing for a classic Cobb salad.
• Veggie Dip – When I want to use this ranch dressing recipe as a dip, I just make it a little thicker. It’s perfect for dunking fresh vegetables, like carrots, celery, and broccoli. I’ve also enjoyed it with fried zucchini, zucchini chips, and kale chips, and it makes up the base for my crack dip recipe.
• Wings – You’ll spot this dip in dozens of my pictures for wing recipes, because it’s the perfect sidekick for so many of them! Keep it simple with my air fried chicken wings or oven baked wings, or amp them up with different sauces. Try my garlic parmesan wings, lemon pepper wings, or the classic, buffalo wings. I even serve this sauce with my buffalo cauliflower and air fryer chicken tenders!
• Casseroles – My all-time fave is my chicken bacon ranch casserole, but homemade ranch dressing also works well with the buffalo flavors in spaghetti squash casserole.
• Soups – You might not think of ranch for soups, but it adds an extra layer of flavor to my taco soup, or drizzle it on top of buffalo chicken soup.
• Chicken – It’s for more than just wings! I use it to top my buffalo chicken salad or dunk bacon wrapped chicken tenders. And you can’t make my cheesy bacon ranch chicken without it.
• Pizza – Drizzle it on chicken crust pizza, or make a BBQ chicken pizza using your favorite BBQ sauce and ranch on top. Remember those rectangle school pizzas we all used to douse in ranch? This is like the grown-up, way tastier version of that!

More Easy Homemade Dressings

Tired of store-bought dressings with fake ingredients? Same. If you like my easy ranch dressing recipe, you’ll love some of my others that are just as quick:

Blue Cheese Dressing

Caesar Salad Dressing

Green Goddess Dressing

Ginger Salad Dressing