Homemade ranch dressing is amazing. The stuff from the store has a funny aftertaste, I think, and the cute little seasoning packets are still very expensive. It turns out you can make ranch at home in about 5 minutes, with ingredients you’ve probably already got, and for about half the cost of buying it.
Mix all the ingredients together and chill in the fridge:
1 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream or buttermilk (or more if you want it runnier)
1/2 t. each dried chives, parsley, and dill weed
1/4 t. each garlic powder and onion powder
1/8 t. salt and pepper
Note: Buttermilk does give a consistency more like store-bought ranch, but it tends to thicken within a few days. I stick to sour cream since the flavor is about the same and I always have it on hand.
This ranch does work well as a dressing or a dip because of its thickness. Bonus: It’s healthier than the store-bought kind!
We use ranch for dipping vegetables, pizza, stromboli, and chicken nuggets. Honestly, it’s the only salad dressing I’ve ever really liked on actual salads. Oil and vinegar taste pretty good on a sub sandwich, and Thousand Island is acceptable for a Reuben, but ranch reigns supreme for everything else.
Find recipes for salads here.


Homemade Ranch Dressing or Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon chives dried
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley dried
- 1/2 teaspoon dill weed dried
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together and chill for at least an hour before serving.1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk, 1/2 teaspoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon dill weed, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper