If you do an internet search, you’ll see of a bunch of memes that poke fun at how much people really love Ranch (especially Homemade Ranch Dressing). There are a couple of problems with the typical commercial Ranch Dressing you’ll find (whether it’s at the restaurant or store-bought). With the store-bought ranch dressing, the product tends to be a lot more sour because the companies who mass produce them add a lot more acid in order to extend their shelf-life. With restaurant-style ranch dressing, they literally use a Ranch Dressing packet with store-bought mayo to make it. In this post, I am going to share my recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing is that all-natural, without all of the commercial preservatives.
Key Ingredients for Homemade Ranch Dressing
This particular recipe for Homemade Italian Dressing is your standard emulsion of acids and fats with a blend of herbs and spices all found in your pantry or neighborhood supermarket. That said, what makes this recipe stand out from the rest is the use of Lime Juice, Greek Yogurt and Tarragon.
- Lime Juice: You will find that most Homemade Ranch Dressing recipes, and even those you find at the store or served at restaurants, are made with Lemon Juice. However, for my recipe, I prefer to use Lime Juice in place of the Lemon Juice. While it is true that both Lime and Lemon Juice gives the dressing a zesty flair, the thing wiht Lime Juice in particular is that it tends to be more acidic than Lemon Juice (as proven with its sharper and more bitter flavor profile). For this reason, it actually gives the Ranch Dressing an even punchier kick, versus the comparatively mellow and slightly sweet Lemon Juice. I’d go as far as to call this my showstopper!
- Greek Yogurt: Traditionally, you will find Homemade Ranch Dressing recipes that call for adding sour cream to the dressing. There are a number of reasons for this. For one, the tanginess of the sour cream helps to neutralize the richness of the Mayonnaise with its sharp tang. Also, its thick, semi-solid consistency also helps the dressing to maintain a “sturdy” body and not be too runny. Greek Yogurt accomplished much of the same things as well, which is why it works as a 1:1 replacement. But the main reason I prefer using Greek Yogurt in my recipe is because it has a higher protein content as well as a lower fat content, which makes it a healthier alternative.
- Tarragon: This is a somewhat unusual ingredient, but it is one that I find really elevates this Homemade Ranch Dressing in a number of different ways. Also known as a leafy and tender perennial plant, Tarragon is a type of herb that is most commonly used in dishes and sauces of the French cuisine (such as Bearnaise sauce). That said, what I love that it really helps to cut down on the sharpness of the Vinegar and Greek Yogurt in the dressing. It gives the dressing a somewhat sweet but licorice-like undertone that makes it feel / taste lighter than it would if it were excluded. A lot of recipes calls for Parsley, but I believe this is the superior alternative!
And that’s all there is to it! This Homemade Ranch Dressing pares well with all sorts of food. It is most commonly enjoyed as a dipping sauce for a variety of foods, such as chicken wings, chicken tenders, mozzarrella sticks and even pizza. It is also the most popular dressing of choice for leafy green salads. By the time you finish reading this post, you will also be a pro at making this dressing yourself and you’ll have your family & friends begging to make it all the time!
Tips for Making this Recipe
Season the salad. Sounds a bit weird, right? After all, you’d think the dressing itself would be the seasoning for the salad. Well believe it or not, the reason restaurant salads taste so good (besides their dressings some make in-house) is because they also tend to add salt and pepper directly to the leaves before serving you, after washing and drying the leaves of course. What this tends to do is build flavor from the ground up with the salad, so that way the dressing isn’t doing all of the heavy lifting. It is currently something you can give a try as well when you use this Homemade Italian Dressing with your salad (it should make a huge difference!).
Add more greek yogurt or emulsion base if too thin. The nice part about cooking is at the end of a day, it is an art form and not a science. I mean yes, understanding how ingredients interact and using precise measurement are certainly of vital importance to ensure food comes out the way it should. But cooking is an art form to the extent that we can always take any food we want and make it our own. In the even the dressing happens to be too thin for your liking, all you would need to do is add either a bit more of the emulsion base or greek yogurt until the Homemade Ranch Dressing reaches your desired thickness.
Allow dressing to rest before serving. While this is not strictly required, and this Homemade Italian Dressing recipe tastes perfectly fine if you serve it immediately, I do recommend allowing it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hours. This will give time for all of the spices/herbs that were added to complete meld with the acids & fats in the dressing as well as fully bloom, taking it to a whole ‘nother level. Assuming you’re making the viniagarette-style Italian Dressing though, the ingredients will have to tendency to separate since they were never entirely emulsified (which is how it should be) and you may have to shake it some more to blend everything together again.
Add more milk if too thick. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are some folks who don’t too much care for dressings that are so thick that you can practically scoop it like onion dip. It might be sufficient if you’re specifically eating the type of food that you’ll be dipping, such as those dishes listed above (party wings, chicken nuggets, mozzarrella sticks), but if you’re looking to serve the Homemade Ranch Dressing with a standard green leaf salad, a more pourable consistency may be desired. This recipe attempted to strike a balance between both extremes, but if it’s still too thick for your liking, simply add a splash of milk until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the White Wine Vinegar for Red Wine Vinegar?
For this Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe, I don’t recommend it. Not only is Red Wine Vinegar more acidic than White Wine Vinegar, but if anything, the Red Wine Vinegar is also more acidic than Apple Cider Vinegar. Not to mention, you will be imparting an even stronger fruity note into the dressing that can overpower the other ingredients.
Can the Whole Milk be substituted for Buttermilk?
While it is a ingredient you will find in most other recipes, I find the use of Buttermilk to be problematic. The main reason why is because the Buttermilk that you typically find in your neighborhood tends to be wildly inconsistent. It is typically either way too watery or it is way too thick, which will translate to the Homemade Ranch Dressing having a poor texture. By using the combination of ingredients in thsi reicpe, you have full control of your dressing’s consistency. That being said, I don’t recommend it.
Can I use Olive Oil?
I don’t recommend it. The main reason I advise against using Olive Oil is because it tends to have a very potent “olive” flavor that can overpower the other ingredients in the Homemade Ranch Dressing. For this recipe, it is my recommendation that you use any neutral-tasting oil of your choice in order to make the emulsion base.
Can I freeze this Homemade Ranch Dressing? And if so, for how long?
I don’t recommend it. It is true there are some Homemade Ranch Dressing you can freeze (even as long as 2-3 months!) and you should be able to re-emulisfy them if they were to separate once they thaw in the refrigerator overnight by vigorously shaking them. The problem with this recipe is it includes dairy products, which have the tendecy to curdle while frozen. But the bigger concern is the oil. What tends to happen is the freeze/thaw cycle will break down the oil in the dressing and cause it to go rancid pretty fast. That is another reason why I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
How long can you store this Homemade Ranch Dressing in the refrigerator?
As long as the Homemade Ranch Dressing is stored in an airtight container or bowl, it should be safe to eat for at least 7 days. After 7 days, it may begin to lose its flavor & texture. Once 14 days have passed, I would advise that you dispose of the dressing as it may no longer be edible.
Try These Other Recipes
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Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe
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Easy Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
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Best Beef Gravy Recipe
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Best Chicken Gravy Recipe
Easy Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
Equipment
- 2 Mason Jars (optional)
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Large Spoon
- 1 Food Processor
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
Ingredients
- 2 Extra Large Egg Yolks
- 1 TBSP White Wine Vinegar
- 1 Cup Neutral-Tasting Cooking Oil
- 3/4 Cup Whole Milk Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 Cup Whole Milk
- 1 TBSP Lime Juice
- 1 TSP Dried Dill Weed
- 1/2 TSP Iodized Salt
- 1/2 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1/2 TSP Onion Powder
- 1/2 TSP Dried Tarragon
- 1/2 TSP Dried Chives
- 1/2 TSP Dried Mint
- 1/4 TSP Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 TSP White Granulated Sugar (optional)
Instructions
- For emulsion base, add egg yolks to food processor and process on low speed for 20 seconds
- After 20 seconds, pause the food processor and remove top, then add white wine vinegar.
- Replace top on food process and process egg yolks with vinegar for additional 20 seconds.
- After an additional 20 seconds have passed, slowly drizzle cooking oil thorugh small opening while processor is still on, until all of the oil has been added.***
- Once all of the oil has been added and all of the ingredients have been emulsified to make a Mayonnaise-like base, turn off processor and transfer the emulsion base into a large mixing bowl.
- Add greek yogurt to bowl with emulsion base, then fold together until well combined.
- Add milk to bowl with dressing, then fold until well incorporated with the emulsion base & greek yogurt
- Add herbs/spices then mix together until well combined with the other ingredients
- Add Lime Juice then mix together until well combined with the other ingredients
- Add Sugar to taste up until 1/2 TSP (optional)
Video
Notes