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If you’ve never made homemade buttermilk ranch dressing, now’s the time to give it a try. You’ll find yourself using this ranch on everything! This recipe is so simple and it tastes a million times better than the bottled stuff. Try it with our Classic Cobb Salad, Chef Salad, or our Buffalo Chicken Salad – you won’t believe how good it is!
Fun fact about me: I am a total ranch snob. I’m ridiculously picky about ranch dressing and refuse to settle for anything from a bottle. Honestly, even most restaurants don’t measure up. When I was a teenager working at a local pizza place, they served the best buttermilk ranch dressing ever. That’s what set the bar for me. Later, after moving to Idaho, I discovered another restaurant with incredible ranch and would buy it in bulk, though it cost a fortune. And if you’re from Utah, you know the BYU Creamery makes their own ranch from scratch (so good) and sells it in bulk, too. But between the high prices and hauling coolers of ranch back home to Idaho, I knew there had to be a better way.
Finally, I decided I had to get to work and just create my own. This was a challenge I didn’t take lightly. I needed perfection. I spent two entire days experimenting and comparing between the actual ranch from the restaurants and my own creations. From tweaking little things here and there, to doing blind taste tests with friends and family, to trying all the different methods, I spent hours testing until my recipe was the winner every time. In fact, in blind taste tests, my recipe finally beat out the restaurant ranch dressings. Now I triple this recipe and have it in my fridge at all times. No joke, if you come to my house at any given time, I guarantee you it will be in my fridge ready to go.
It is time for me to share my secrets. You ready for this?
🩷Erica
Table of Contents
- Homemade Ranch Dressing Ingredients
- How To Make Restaurant Style Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Homemade Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix
- Make a Lighter Version
- Expert Tips for Making Restaurant Style Ranch Dressing
- What to Use Homemade Ranch Dressing For
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Delicious Salad Dressing Recipes
- Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe (Restaurant Style)
Homemade Ranch Dressing Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – I recommend using Best Foods or Hellmann’s. It’s what restaurants use and they are rich, creamy, and have the best flavor for this dressing. You can also use Duke’s with similar results.
- Buttermilk – Store-bought is easiest, but you can make your own by mixing whole milk with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar if needed. It won’t taste quite the same as actual buttermilk but it works in a pinch
- Accent Seasoning – This gives the that classic flavor it needs to give you that good restaurant flavor. Accent contains MSG but it really gives the dressing that classic flavor it needs. It has gotten a bad rap in the past but the National Institute of Health (NIH) has debunked those myths in recent articles saying “Based on a critical analysis of existing literature, we posit that many of the reported negative health effects of MSG have little relevance for chronic human exposure to low doses.” There is such a small amount used in this recipe that I don’t worry about it at all. That all being said, if you are still wary, A good MSG-free option is “Spike” seasoning, but sometimes that can be hard to find.
- Dried Herbs and Spices – A blend of parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cornstarch, and just a pinch of sugar (plus optional citric acid) creates that classic ranch flavor.
How To Make Restaurant Style Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Combine all the dry ingredients (salt, Accent, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, pepper, cornstarch, sugar, and citric acid if using) in a mortar or food processor.
- Use a pestle or pulse in the processor until everything is finely ground and well blended.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and buttermilk until smooth. Add the seasoning blend to the mayo mixture, whisk until fully combined.
- Transfer to a separate container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Homemade Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix
We like to make a copycat Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix by combining the dry seasonings ahead of time. I like to double or triple the amount of dry ingredients in this recipe and store it in an airtight container. It will stay good at room temperature for up to 6 months. Combine 1 ½ tablespoons with 1 cup buttermilk and 1 ¾ cups mayo and you have instant ranch dressing.
Make a Lighter Version
Yes, you can make a light homemade ranch dressing! Instead of making this recipe with mayo and buttermilk, use plain Greek yogurt and skim milk. It won’t taste quite as rich as a full buttermilk ranch dressing recipe, but will have less calories and you’ll still have a creamy ranch dressing to enjoy on your salads.
Expert Tips for Making Restaurant Style Ranch Dressing
Grind the seasoning into a powder: Using a mortar and pestle (or a small food processor) to grind the herbs and spices into a fine powder helps them mix more evenly into the mayo and buttermilk for a smoother dressing.
Chill before serving: Let the dressing rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. This gives the flavors time to meld together.
Storage Tip: Keep your ranch in an airtight jar or container in the fridge and use within 5–7 days for the best flavor.
What to Use Homemade Ranch Dressing For
It might be easier to list what you can’t put it on. We put ranch dressing on pretty much everything at our house. Here’s a quick list of a few things we use homemade ranch dressing with (besides salad). It truly is the best ranch dressing.
- Meals – Chicken nuggets and chicken tenders, hot turkey sandwiches, homemade pizza (my kids literally can’t eat pizza crust unless it’s dipped in ranch), chicken wings, boneless buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, and pickle pizza are recipes that we can’t have without ranch dressing (seriously).
- Sides – Ranch dressing and our homemade breadtwists are the side dish you never knew you needed. I could literally eat nothing else all day and be happy. Some other great sides to dip in ranch are cheesy potato skins, fried pickles, baked zucchini chips (or air fryer zucchini fries), Air Fryer French fries, fried green beans, or parmesan crusted potatoes.
- Veggies – Raw vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, celery, and cucumbers are a perfect combination! You can even dip roasted vegetables in ranch dressing to give them a boost!
Frequently Asked Questions
It is best not to freeze ranch dressing. If you freeze it, the texture and flavor may change after it has been frozen. Fresh is best with this homemade ranch dressing to keep it a desired consistency.
Store the homemade ranch dressing in the fridge in an airtight container for two weeks. Stir when ready to serve it up.
We like to use dried herbs because they don’t change the consistency or texture of the dressing, but if you’ve got fresh parsley, fresh dill, fresh chives, etc. on hand, by all means, chop them up and use them! You can also use them as toppers to your salad and not necessarily in the dressing itself.
More Delicious Salad Dressing Recipes
Have you tried this Buttermilk Ranch Dressing? I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below and let me know how it turned out—or what you put it on! Don’t forget to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @favoritefamilyrecipes 🥗🩷
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe (Restaurant Style)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon "Accent" Seasoning (aka MSG, see notes above)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
- pinch sugar
- pinch citric acid (optional)
- 1 ¾ cup mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellmann's)
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Combine all dry ingredients in a stone bowl (mortar). If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can use a food processor instead.
- Use the pestle to grind into a fine powder.
- Combine mayonnaise and buttermilk in a bowl. Add ranch powder and whisk until well combined.
- Serve over salads or as a dip with veggies.
Can you use Miracle Whip? Instead of mayo.
Yes that should work!
I only like to use homemade ranch for salads & dips. It is the easiest to make & so much better than store bought!
Homemade ranch is the way to go!! Quick & easy & tastes great on just about anything!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! It’s really helpful and really flavorful! Will make this again!
Homemade Ranch is the absolute best! It is so simple to make to! We use it on/with everything.
So nice to have a good homemade buttermilk ranch dressing recipe!!
This was so good on our salad last night! Thank you!
This Ranch Dressing Mix is good
Dry Ranch Mix
Ingredients
1 cup dried parsley 2/3 cup garlic salt
1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers 1/2 cup dried minced onion
1/2 cup onion salt 1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder 2 Tbsp dried dill weed
2 Tbsp ground black pepper (optional)
Directions
Combine the parsley, garlic salt, crushed saltines, minced onion, onion salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dill weed, and black pepper in a sealable container; shake
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait to try it!
This is close to accent seasoning.
Homemade Emeril’s Essence Seasoning
Ingredients
1 Tbsp paprika 1 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp garlic powder 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp cayenne pepper (like it spicy, use more)
Instructions
In a small bowl, add all of the above ingredients and mix well to combine. (use the back of spoon to mash/grind the ingredients together.) Transfer to a 4-ounce mason jar or clean recycled spice jar.
This seasoning mix is not only a great accent for meats, poultry and seafood, but is also delicious on grilled or roasted veggies
I use this in a lot of dishes
No-Salt Seasoning Mix
Ingredients
1 Tbsp garlic powder 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley 1 1/4 tsp dried savory
1 1/4 tsp ground thyme 1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried sage 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Directions
Mix garlic powder, basil, parsley, savory, thyme, mace, onion powder, black pepper, sage, and cayenne pepper in a bowl; store in a sealed jar.
Thank you for sharing this!
This sounds delicious! How long can you keep this in the fridge?
It can stay up to a week 🙂
Hi can we have another substitute for the accent or spike seasoning as we cannot find it in middle east
Hmm… I am sure any kind of seasoning-type salt would work!
I have the hardest time finding Accent at my local Walmart or grocery store. What section do you find it at? I always look by the spices and seasonings. Thanks!
Hi, just a warning. Are you aware that Accent is just pure MSG? Have you ever had a bad reaction to it? It is terrible…the worse for me is the horrible migraine that comes withing 20 minutes of just starting my meal. Vomiting, throbbing pain, swirling eye blinding light, just shaking for at least 24 hrs. So, use wisely, and always ask before you order Chinese food as they use it freely! Unless it states on the menu that don’t.
You can substitute the Accent for any kind of seasoning salt. We mostly will use “Spike” to cut out on the MSG
Do you use dry parsley or fresh?
You will want to use dry– I’m sure fresh would be ok though!