Homemade Ranch Dressing: A Chef’s Take on a Classic
If you’re here because you’re Googling “ranch dressing” while holding a bottle of Hidden Valley and wondering if it could be better, welcome! You’re in the right place. As professional chefs (and proud Canadians), we’re here to tell you that ranch dressing isn’t just a condiment. It’s a movement. A creamy, tangy, herby, snack-dipping, salad-drizzling, secret-weapon-of-a-sauce kind of movement.
In our kitchen, ranch has always been more than a sidekick. And today, we’re giving you the ultimate guide: our go-to recipe, our favourite ways to use it, and some behind-the-scenes ranch philosophy from Chef Jody & Chef Kirstie.
A good homemade ranch dressing belongs in every kitchen. It’s creamy, tangy, packed with real ingredients, and infinitely better than anything that comes from a bottle. Our Homemade Ranch Dressing is fresh, preservative-free, and versatile, perfect for salads, dipping, or drizzling over anything that needs a little extra flavour.
What Ranch Dressing Means to Us
Chef Kirstie’s first real ranch moment? At the dinner table, trying to make my mom’s slightly over-roasted chicken more exciting (sorry, Mom). She remembers grabbing a bottle of store-bought ranch and dipping the chicken just to make it juicy again. From that moment, she knew this sauce was magic.
These days, ranch is more of a guilty pleasure: a way to make your veggies exciting, your fries outrageous, and your fried chicken unstoppable. And if you haven’t tried it on roasted potatoes or drizzled over nachos, you’re seriously missing out.
Anyone can stir together mayo and seasoning, but our ranch recipe hits different because it’s built like a proper sauce. It uses three key creamy bases:
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Full-fat sour cream
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Hellmann’s mayo
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Our favourite: Harmony Organic Buttermilk which makes a huge difference
Then we brighten it up with fresh chopped herbs, a hit of dill pickle juice (you’ll never go back), and a whisper of smoked paprika. That smoky undertone gives it an addictive edge. Also: we never blend the mayo—it loosens up the dressing too much. Just whisk it in gently.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 Minutes
- Yield: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Hellmann’s mayo
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 cup full-fat Buttermilk
- 4-5 sprigs Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 4-5 sprigs dill, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp dill pickle juice
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
Instructions
- Simply shake everything together well in a jar. If you’re going the blender route, don’t add the mayonnaise until the very end.
- Stores for 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
Ranch Reinvented: Variations We Love
We’re not afraid to riff on the classic. Depending on what’s in the garden or fridge:
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Add just parsley, or just chives, whatever you’ve got
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A spoonful of horseradish makes it bold
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A dollop of grainy mustard adds zip
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Crumbled blue cheese? Congratulations, you’ve made a new dressing entirely
Recipe Substitutes & Variations for Ranch Dressing
If you’re out of an ingredient or need to modify the recipe, here are some easy swaps:
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- Mayo Substitute: 35% cream or Mexican crema
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- Sour Cream Substitute: Use plain yogurt or crème fraîche for a similar texture.
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- Dill Pickle Juice Alternative: Try lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for acidity.
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- Fresh Herbs Replacement: Use 1 tsp dried parsley and 1 tsp dried dill if fresh isn’t available.
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- Spice It Up: Add a dash of hot sauce or extra cayenne for more heat.
- Potato Salad! Make a super quick & easy Ranch Potato Salad!
Real-World Ranch: From Classes to the Grill
We’ve built entire cooking classes around ranch. In one class, we taught students how to meal prep salads using our homemade ranch. Another fan-favourite class featured ranch as the base for a killer Alabama white BBQ sauce, which is incredible with pulled pork.
We even use it as a chicken marinade, and it works brilliantly. Try brushing it onto grilled chicken or mixing it into a pulled pork sandwich. You’re welcome.
Canadians vs Americans: A Cultural Divide
Let’s talk ranch identity. In the U.S., ranch is practically an institution. It’s thick, it’s white, it’s slathered in generous gobs on salad. In Canada, it plays a subtler role. We think of it more as a dip than a dressing. We respect its power, but we don’t drown our romaine in it. Usually.
Store-Bought vs Homemade
Honestly? We’re not even trying to compete with bottled ranch. That stark white, overly sweet stuff just tastes…fake. Plus, consumers today are savvier. They’re reading labels. They’re noticing the thickeners and fake flavours. Homemade ranch tastes like food, not chemicals. And it’s not hard to make.
Chef Jody & Kirstie’s Favourite Pairings
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Crispy potato wedges
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Pulled pork sandwiches
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Fried chicken
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Veggies that need a little love
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And yes, even burgers and grilled fish
Ranch Dressing Is Like…
…your best friend. Cozy & cool, always there for you, and ready to shine at any occasion.
The Ranch Commandment
Always use full-fat. Or just go buy the bottle. Light mayo and sour cream usually contain stabilizers and additives that ruin the flavour. If you want to lighten it up, use Greek yogurt. It’s clean and tangy, and plays well with others.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re dunking a carrot stick or drizzling it on nachos, ranch dressing has range. It’s creamy, herby, a little nostalgic, and incredibly versatile. And once you try the homemade version, there’s no going back.
This isn’t just a dressing. It’s a kitchen essential. A flavour delivery system. A vibe.
Go make it. Keep it in the fridge. Put it on everything!
Ways to Use Homemade Ranch Dressing
More Recipes to Try!
Looking for more homemade dressings and dips? We’ve got 10+Homemade Dressings for you here!
