Name: Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup buttermilk; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives; 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped dill; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 2 large garlic cloves (pressed through a garlic press); 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

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This Buttermilk Ranch Dressing recipe is rich, creamy, and packed with flavor from freshly pressed garlic and fresh dill and chives.

Ranch dressing is one of those versatile condiments that pairs well with pretty much anything.

Salads? Of course.

Sandwiches dipped in it? Yup.

Chicken tenders? You bet.

Pasta Salad? SO good!

Chicken wings? Duh!

Pizza? Even pizza!

I like my buttermilk ranch dressing to have a bit of a bite to it, and this recipe does not disappoint. It gets its bite from the zing of the buttermilk and the zestiness of the garlic.

The chopped dill and chives give the dressing an incredibly fresh flavor that can’t be beaten. Why have boring ranch when you can have this amazing buttermilk ranch dressing instead?!

Recipe Questions Answered:

How to make homemade buttermilk ranch dressing?

This dressing couldn’t be any easier to make.

First, add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl.
Next, you whisk until the dressing is smooth and combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Finally, chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Does ranch dressing need to be refrigerated?

Yes, absolutely. This dressing has a slew of dairy products in it: sour cream, buttermilk, and mayonnaise to be exact. Dairy needs to be refrigerated to keep bacteria from forming. As a general rule, salad dressings with dairy in them cannot sit out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

If you’re serving this at a summertime barbecue where the food is kept outside, then I’d say this can stay out no longer than 1 hour. To extend the time that it can stay out during parties, I like to pour the dressing into a glass salad dressing container that I then put in a dish of ice cubes.

How long does homemade buttermilk ranch last?

The dressing will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. I do not recommend freezing it, because after it thaws it will separate and become chunky. Yuck.

What salad goes best with buttermilk ranch dressing?

This dressing is great on any type of salad. I personally find myself putting it on more than just salads (think chicken tenders, chicken wings, and even pizza!).

With that said, I often put this Buttermilk Ranch on a simple salad made up of the following ingredients:

romaine lettuce
cherry tomatoes
homemade croutons
hard boiled eggs
sliced reddish
crumbled bacon
sliced carrots
sliced cucumber

Cook’s Note – Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

The longer that this dressing sits in the refrigerator, the more intense the garlic flavor will become. If you don’t love a ton of garlic flavor, then cut back on it.
The dressing will thicken as it chills in the refrigerator.
Additionally, if garlic gives you problems, then you can absolutely omit it from the recipe.
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, then you should use my buttermilk substitute recipe. All that you need is just milk and either lemon juice or vinegar.

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links.

Cook’s Tools:

mixing bowl
whisk
dressing container

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