Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing – so easy to make, endlessly customizable, and way better than anything from a bottle. Ready in minutes, best after an overnight chill.

homemade buttermilk Ranch dressing in a jar with vegetables on a cutting board

I’m a firm believer in making your own sauces and dressings whenever you can. It’s easier than most people think, you can tweak it however you like, and you know exactly what’s going into it – no mystery ingredients, no preservatives you can’t pronounce. Ranch is one of the easiest wins out there, and once you make your own, it’s hard to go back to the store-bought stuff.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Many of the ingredients for our homemade Ranch recipe are probably already in your refrigerator and spice cabinet. Here’s what you need:

ingredients for buttermilk Ranch dressing measured out into cups

buttermilk – We believe that using real buttermilk matters here. If you don’t have it, you can add 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar to a half-cup measuring cup, and then fill the rest of the measuring cup with whole milk or heavy cream.
sour cream – Full fat is what we prefer.
mayonnaise – Use your favorite.
garlic powder
dill weed – I prefer using dried dill in this recipe, but if you happen to have fresh dill that you need to use, that’s fine also.
onion powder – Sometimes we use onion powder, and sometimes we substitute dried minced onion for more texture.
lemon juice – You’ll need about 1/4 lemon for this.
dried parsley
salt and black pepper – We usually add about 1/4 teaspoon of each, but you can add more to taste.
prepared horseradish (optional, for a little kick)

How to Make Homemade Ranch Dressing

This one couldn’t be simpler. Grab a bowl and add all of the ingredients. Whisk everything together until smooth, cover it, and stick it in the fridge overnight. This allows the flavors to really come together, and you’ll be surprised how different it tastes the next day versus when you first make it. Give it a stir before serving, and you’re in business.

Serving Suggestions

Once you’ve got a batch of this in the fridge, you’ll find reasons to use it on everything. A few of my favorites:

dipping a buffalo chicken wing into homemade ranch dressing

Chicken wings – Toss your chicken wings on the griddle or in the fryer, then serve this ranch on the side for dipping. Cools down the heat if you went spicy on the sauce.
Chicken bacon ranch sandwich – Griddle up some chicken, crisp your bacon, melt some cheese over the top, and slather this ranch on both sides of the bun. Instant favorite.
Salads – Obviously. But homemade ranch turns even a boring side salad into something people actually want to eat.
Veggie dip – Carrots, celery, cucumber slices, whatever you’ve got on hand.
Drizzled over grilled or griddled potatoes – Especially good on smashed potatoes or fries hot off the griddle.
Cheesy potato wedges – We made these cheese and bacon potato wedges when my wife was craving the Texas Roadhouse cheese fries one night. The buttermilk Ranch dressing pairs perfectly.

However you use it, once you’ve got a jar of homemade ranch in the fridge, you’ll be reaching for it more than you’d expect.