Homemade Ranch Dressing
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Ranch Dressing is a Midwest staple! We serve it with chicken wings, put it on salads, serve it with fried cheese curds, top our burgers, and the list goes on and on. This ranch dressing recipe gives you all that fresh flavor you would expect from a supper club, without having to have fresh herbs to make it (don’t worry, I do offer all all the fresh herb amounts as well).
Sure, whipping up a batch of homemade ranch takes a little more time than just twisting off a cap and pouring. Trust me, once you’ve tasted the cool, creamy, herby zing of this freshly made ranch, there’s no contest—homemade ranch wins every time.
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Plus, making your own homemade ranch dressing means that you control what goes into it! The flavor and the consistency are all dialed into your preferences.
RANCH DRESSING INGREDIENTS
The ingredients in this case are mostly pantry-friendly. I want this to be readily available to anyone at any time. That being said. I also want to make sure this is as easy and adjustable as possible. so substitutions and explanations are included to help you make this YOUR perfect dressing.
SOUR CREAM
Sour cream is creamy, tangy, and delicious. It forms the base of this ranch dressing and gives it that creamy zing you expect.
Want a higher protein substitute? Try equal Parts Greek Yogurt. Just note that this can actually be a little looser than sour cream so cut back on the cream/milk
RICE WINE VINEGAR
Rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar) is less acidic with a delicate, mild, and somewhat sweet flavor vs plain white vinegar. These notes are exactly why I use it with heavy cream vs just simply doing buttermilk. Rice Vinegar gives it a perfect tang that also helps with the use of dried herbs.
HEAVY CREAM
Heavy cream just slightly thins everything out to yield a more drizzly texture. You’ll see in the recipe, that I offer a range in the amount added for the addition of the heavy cream. This way you can make this dressing thicker or thinner as desired.
If you don’t have heavy cream you can use half and half or even milk. Just note that both are thinner than heavy cream, so start with 2 tablespoons then add a tablespoon at a time to achieve that desired consistency.
MAYONAISSE
This ranch dressing needs that little bit of mayonnaise to achieve that classic, perfectly rich, and creamy texture you expect from a Midwest Supper Club Ranch.
DRIED HERBS VS FRESH HERBS
Dried herbs tend to have a deeper, spicier flavor than fresh herbs. I chose to use dried herbs in this recipe to give you a pantry-friendly option that anyone can make at home at any time.
Fresh herbs can make this classic dressing taste more gourmet and can even give it a slightly different flavor. This is why when I made this recipe I made sure to give you options to use whatever you have on hand. If you have fresh dill, but everything else is dried, go that route.
FRESH HERB SUBSTITUTIONS
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh dill
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh chives
GARLIC AND ONION POWDER
I almost always add garlic powder and onion powder together. They just go hand in hand and really bring out the best in each other. In this case, they also bring this dressing to a whole new level of deliciousness.
LEMON JUICE
The lemon juice ramps up the tang, like expect from a ranch dressing.
SALT AND PEPPER
Like with any recipe, the sea salt enhances the other flavors. The ground white pepper offers a delicate, earthy heat and mild floral aroma, which I love in this creamy dressing. It’s not as intense as black pepper, but you can use black pepper instead if you prefer.
JENN’S TIP
- With the cream/milk, it’s best to side on the error of caution. So start with ¼ cup of heavy cream, then add in a tablespoon at a time until up to another ¼ cup of heavy cream if you desire a thinner, more drizzly consistency.
- This dressing tastes great immediately, and even better after resting for about 10 minutes.
MAKING RANCH DRESSING
Making ranch dressing is as easy as 1-2-3.
- Put all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl
- Combine all the ingredients thoroughly using a small whisk.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge.
COOKING WITH KIDS
DISCLOSURE: Please keep in mind that the following tips are general and are meant to be suggestive. I personally use these strategies with my own kids, who are all unique even within my own family of five. Therefore, please regard these as suggestions or ideas. If you feel that your child requires more or less assistance, then go with what you and your child are comfortable with. Ultimately, you know your child best.
*This one involves some cooking so unless you’re comfortable with them at a stove, here are a few things all kids can help with:
STORAGE DETAILS
Dressing can be stored in an 8oz food safe jar or small condiment containers with lids for easy portioning.
- Stored in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
- I do not recommend freezing it.
MORE THAN A DRESSING!
Obviously, a classic salad or a wedge salad is always a good choice. You can also serve it with chicken wings or my personal favorite, some freshly fried beer batter cheese curds.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Homemade Ranch Dressing
Fall in love with this simple recipe to make creamy ranch dressing from scratch! Made with readily available ingredients like dried herbs, it tastes amazing and yields about 1 cup of dressing for easy portion adjustments.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup American mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream (see Notes 1 for substitutions)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream depending on your desired consistency (See Notes 2 for details on use and Notes 3 for substitutions)
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (See notes 4 for fresh amounts)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed (See notes 5 for fresh amounts)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (See notes 6 for fresh amounts)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chives (See notes 7 for fresh amounts)
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (add more to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper (See notes 8 for fresh amounts)
- 1 to 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (adjust to taste)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (adjust to taste)
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together with a whisk.
- Taste. Here is where you would add up to 2 more teaspoons of lemon juice if you would like more zing, and/or more pepper to kick it up a notch, or if you think it is “missing something” try a little more salt.
- This dressing tastes great immediately, and even better after resting for about 10 minutes. Any leftovers can be kept in a jar or other food-safe container for 5 to 7 days. I do not recommend freezing it.
Equipment
Yellowstone Ceramic Round Bowl, Rip Collection
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Walfos Small Whisk set of 3 (5+7+10in)
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Le Parfait Super Jar, Canning Jars, 250mL/8oz/Half Pint
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- Equal Parts Greek Yogurt (just note that this can actually be a little looser than sour cream so cut back on the cream/milk)
- Start with ¼ cup of heavy cream, then add in a tablespoon at a time until up to another ¼ cup of heavy cream if you desire a thinner, more drizzly consistency.
- Milk (Note: start with 2 tablespoons vs ¼ cup)
- Equal Parts White Vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh dill
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh chives
- Equal Parts Black Pepper
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: dressing
- Method: one bowl
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
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