I love ranch dressing. There, I said it. As a kid, I adored Hidden Valley, but as an adult, I only get excited about made-from-scratch, real-deal ranch dressing. This recipe is exactly that.
Earlier this year, as I navigated my first trimester, I found myself craving my favorite comfort foods. Naturally, I made my own ranch dressing and happily drizzled it over my salads, and my pizzas, and even my quesadillas (why not?).
This ranch dressing recipe is the end result of my experimentation. It features fresh herbs, real buttermilk, and a creamy sour cream base. It tastes gourmet, and it’s certainly not too heavy. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Does Ranch Dressing Have Mayo? Yes. Mayonnaise plays a significant part in creating that distinctive ranch flavor, and it also lends body to the dressing. Lighter options like yogurt are delicious, but yogurt won’t give the same smooth texture and full body.
Garlic and Lemon Juice
One clove of garlic sends this dressing over the top. It’s just right. Add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice to ramp up the tang.
Salt enhances the other flavors. Please be generous with the freshly ground black pepper. It’s another key element in classic ranch dressing flavor.
Watch How to Make Ranch Dressing
This dressing is super fresh and made entirely from scratch. Here’s what you’ll need:
Sour cream forms the base of this ranch dressing. It’s creamy, tangy and delicious.
Buttermilk offers some additional tang and thins out the sour cream and mayonnaise to yield a drizzly texture. You’ll see that the recipe offers a range for the buttermilk, so you can make this dressing thicker or thinner as desired.
For the best flavor in dressings, I recommend using real buttermilk rather than DIY buttermilk substitute, which is better suited for baked goods. In a pinch, though, you can get by with milk instead. You’ll likely want to use the full amount of lemon juice to make up for the buttermilk’s sour flavor.
This ranch dressing needs just a little bit of mayonnaise to achieve the perfect rich and creamy texture.
Fresh herbs make this classic dressing taste gourmet! Dried spices just don’t compare. Use a combination of fresh parsley, cilantro or dill (ideally, use a combination of the two) and chives.
NEW! JUST Mayo and JUST Ranch Review & Taste Test
FAQ
Does ranch have mayonnaise?
Is ranch just garlic mayo?
Is ranch made with mayo reddit?
Is ranch basically sour cream?
What is ranch mayonnaise?
Mayonnaise is a condiment made from eggs, oil, and vinegar. It’s often used as a spread on sandwiches, or as a dip for vegetables or chips. Ranch mayonnaise is a type of mayonnaise that’s been flavored with ranch dressing mix. The most common way to make ranch mayonnaise is to combine 1 cup of mayonnaise with 1 envelope of ranch dressing mix.
Is Ranch a Mayo based dressing?
The main ingredients of ranch dressing are vegetable oil, water, and egg, which is the same as mayonnaise. This confirms that ranch is a mayo-based dressing with added ingredients, including buttermilk and dried flavors such as onion and garlic.
What is the difference between ranch and Mayo?
You’ll learn that Ranch and mayo, while often associated with each other, have distinct differences in ingredients, nutritional content, and uses. The primary components of ranch are similar to mayo, but ranch includes buttermilk and added flavors like dried garlic and onion.
What is the difference between mayonnaise and ranch dressing?
Mayonnaise is simply an emulsion of eggs and oil, and ranch adds some additional ingredients like buttermilk and spices to give it a unique flavor. Ranch dressing is often used as a dip or spread, and it can also be used as a marinade. Ranch dressing is low in fat and calories, and it is a good source of calcium and vitamin D.