While I made homemade ketchup a couple of weeks ago, I think I’m going to unofficially dub this week as “condiment week.” First up is another American classic: ranch dressing. For some it conjures up memories of childhood salads and vegetable dips. To me, it’s the perfect accompaniment to baby carrots.

Most people buy it in a bottle or get the packet of dry mix that you combine with sour cream. This recipe is basically the fresh version of the dry mix – fresh chives instead of dried chives, fresh garlic instead of powder, etc.

Honestly, I was shocked at how much this tasted like the store bought version. It was incredibly easy to make (chop herbs, mix into sour cream and mayo and voila! you’re done) and it only has 7 ingredients. I got the original recipe from the Pioneer Woman, who encourages everyone to take the recipe as a guide and adjust the ingredients until you get the ranch dressing that “makes your skirt fly up.”

To make it easier to adjust ingredients, here’s what they each do for the dressing: The mayo gives the creamy texture and tangy flavor, while the sour cream thickens and has a fairly mild flavor. If you want to use buttermilk in place of regular milk, it will give even more tangy flavor, but won’t thin it out as much (so if you want a really pourable dressing, use regular milk – I did mostly because I didn’t want to go to the store to buy buttermilk).

Recipe:

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman

1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 C Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 T chives, finely chopped
1 C mayonnaise
1/2 C sour cream
Milk or buttermilk as needed (I used around 4 T regular milk)

Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt on top of minced garlic. With a fork, mash garlic and salt until it becomes a paste. Place paste in a bowl with the chopped parsley and chives. Add mayonnaise and sour cream to bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Slowly mix in milk until you reach desired consistency. Add additional salt to taste. Store in fridge for up to 1 week.

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20 Comments on Homemade Ranch Dressing

Wheels
May 11, 2011 at 12:39 pm (14 years ago)

Looks soo good!
Wheels recently posted More House-piration!
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- Stephanie
  May 13, 2011 at 12:43 pm (14 years ago)
  
  Thanks Wheels!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen
May 11, 2011 at 5:55 pm (14 years ago)

Love this!! This is great!!
Katrina @ In Katrina’s Kitchen recently posted Malted Milkshake
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- Stephanie
  May 13, 2011 at 12:43 pm (14 years ago)
  
  Thanks Katrina! Malted milkshakes sound amazing btw!
Sandra
May 11, 2011 at 6:41 pm (14 years ago)

Easy breezy and fresh, woo-hoo!!!!
Sandra recently posted Tres Leches- That’s A Whole Lotta Milk
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- Stephanie
  May 13, 2011 at 12:43 pm (14 years ago)
  
  Haha thanks Sandra!
Jennifer (Delicieux)
May 11, 2011 at 8:04 pm (14 years ago)

Another wonderful recipe and so easy too! I love how you make all the things most people would purchase at a store without a second thought.
Jennifer (Delicieux) recently posted Chilli- Lime &amp Smoked Paprika Pita Chips
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- Stephanie
  May 13, 2011 at 12:44 pm (14 years ago)
  
  Thanks Jennifer! It’s fun to challenge the assumption that you have to buy certain things – you really don’t have to!
Angie@Angiesrecipes
May 11, 2011 at 9:22 pm (14 years ago)

I adore ranch dressing! Homemade is even better!
Angie@Angiesrecipes recently posted Chiffon with Dulce De Leche Whipped Cream and Blueberries
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- Stephanie
  May 13, 2011 at 12:44 pm (14 years ago)
  
  Definitely Angie!
Liz
May 12, 2011 at 9:21 am (14 years ago)

Wonderful!! So much better than bottled…thank you!
Liz recently posted Chocolate Pots de Crème with White Chocolate Whipped Cream
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- Stephanie
  May 13, 2011 at 12:44 pm (14 years ago)
  
  Thank you Liz!
BestOodles
May 12, 2011 at 1:20 pm (14 years ago)

I love Ranch dressing, I would dip with many of my fried items including French fried!
Reply
- Stephanie
  May 13, 2011 at 12:45 pm (14 years ago)
  
  I agree – ranch dressing is perfect for deep fried foods, as well as fresh veggies. It’s versatile!
Magic of Spice
May 13, 2011 at 8:23 am (14 years ago)

What a fun idea…I love ranch dressing especially as a veggie dip 🙂
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- Stephanie
  May 13, 2011 at 12:45 pm (14 years ago)
  
  Me too, I think using it as a veggie dip is my favorite way to eat ranch dressing.
Hester aka The Chef Doc
May 15, 2011 at 9:03 am (14 years ago)

Oooh, I have all these ingredients in the kitchen! You know what I’m going to do today 😉 Thanks so much for sharing!
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matt
June 2, 2011 at 8:27 pm (14 years ago)

Love the recipe! if you know of any good restaurants that have good ranch let me know on bestranch.wordpress.com

Also your bbq recipe mixed with the ranch one would also be great!
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