Ranch dressing is a cooked ranch dressing that is basically ranch dressing mixed with mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk. If you love homemade ranch dressing, adjusting this ranch dressing recipe is as simple as removing the buttermilk and replacing it with mayo and sour cream.
Ranch dressing is made of many things that vary in concentration across brands. Ranch dressing uses buttermilk and mayonnaise as a base to which seasonings are added. These include salt, pepper, and onion powder among numerous others. The ranch base is sometimes made with sour cream or yogurt for the lactose intolerant.
To make ranch dressing (instead of filling), use a total of 3/4 cup mayo, 3/4 cup sour cream, and discard buttermilk. If you want a thicker ranch, reduce the amount of buttermilk by a third of a cup and increase the amount of sour cream by the same amount.
Check the consistency and add more buttermilk a couple of tablespoons at a time if you want a more tender filling. Gently pour in the buttermilk a little at a time and stir until completely dissolved and the desired consistency. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by pouring 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a 1-cup scoop.
Acidic Liquids Are Often Added to Ranch
Even buttermilk needs some relief for this easy homemade ranch dressing, and lemon juice or white wine vinegar will do the job well. I love buttermilk ranch so we made it with buttermilk, but if you don’t have buttermilk, plain milk is still a delicious topping. I always buy real buttermilk specifically for this recipe, but buttermilk substitutes (like lemon juice with regular milk) will work here because you only use 2 tablespoons. Make your own, or if you prefer buttermilk-free ranch, omit the buttermilk and add some mayo or yogurt and a little milk.
Combine sour cream (or Greek yogurt), buttermilk, mayo, lemon juice, and dry ranch dressing in a large bowl. A modern ranch topping is usually made with a mixture of buttermilk and mayonnaise, usually sour cream, with a little vinegar. Ranch dressing is a combination of fresh cream (usually buttermilk and sour cream, and sometimes mayo) and herbs and spices. Ranch dressing is a salad dressing made with herbs like buttermilk, salt, garlic, onions, chives, parsley, and dill, and spices like black pepper, paprika, and mustard seeds.
A Brief History of Ranch Dressing
Introduced by Steve Henson around 1950, Ranch Dressing started out as a more classic buttermilk dressing with a blend of dried herbs and spices that would become Henson’s signature recipe. According to Robb Walsh of The Houston Press, ranch may have originally been a buttermilk filler favored by cowboys, since buttermilk was widely available early in the last century. In the early 1900s, buttermilk was cheap and abundant in the Lone Star State, and recipes dating back to 1937 detail fillings made with the material.
Early Texas buttermilk fillings were cooked and thickened with eggs instead of mayonnaise, as the vegetable oils needed to make mayonnaise were too expensive in Texas at the time, and commercial brands of mayonnaise were not yet widely available. The first change was to add buttermilk flavor to the dressing, which meant much less expensive plain milk could be used to make the new salad dressing.
Keep in mind that changing the seasoning changes the flavor slightly; so don’t go overboard with diluting this recipe. In particular, don’t skimp on the salt… it’s what makes all the other dressing flavors stand out. Keep these ingredients in mind as just a small amount of each gives this dressing its delicious flavor.
Common Base Choices for Ranch Dressing
Mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream form the base of the dressing recipe, while fresh scallions, dill, onion, and garlic add saltiness. To make the dressing lighter and lower in calories, you can substitute light mayo for mayo and plain yogurt for sour cream. Sour cream, mayonnaise, and buttermilk are combined with fresh herbs for a low-carb dressing that can easily be made vegan and dairy-free. I’m not saying it’s a low-fat dressing, but, buttermilk, which (despite its name) is fat-free, buttermilk makes up for the other ingredients, and you can also make a low-fat version with Greek yogurt. instead of sour cream.
To me, buttermilk and onion powder are really the signature ingredients that flavor Ranch, but obviously it wouldn’t be Ranch without all the other ingredients. Well, when you’re making Home Ranch from scratch, mysterious ingredients processed into bottled seasonings and spice bags pop out the window, making ranch not so bad after all. To make homemade ranch, combine all ingredients and refrigerate until serving.
How Best to Store Ranch Dressing
After preparing this ranch, enjoy it immediately or store it in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend. I love making a whole batch of this ranch and sharing half with a friend or stocking up on my mom’s stash. I usually make half the dressing since I’m the only rancher in my house and add it to salads at lunchtime. One of the best ways to enjoy ranch dressing is to dip super healthy vegetables (carrots, radishes, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers) into a large bowl of this creamy and dreamy dressing.
This ranch dressing recipe contains no buttermilk or MSG, just simple, affordable ingredients that taste a million times better than store-bought. If the best creamy ranch dressing is too thick, just add more milk or water to the bowl, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Substitute parmesan cheese, and be sure to store the ranch dressing mixture in the refrigerator, not the pantry. To make ranch dressing, add 2 tablespoons ranch dressing, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 3/4 cup sour cream, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice to a bowl.
