Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between buttermilk ranch and regular ranch dressing? ›

The regular seems to have more of a note of acidity, while the buttermilk is obviously meant to be more creamy. I find that the more acidic original pairs much better with most foods than the creaminess of the buttermilk, even though the buttermilk is still tangy.

While many restaurants use mass produced ranch mix, they often add it to a higher-quality base. This might include milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or mayonnaise. So when you notice that the ranch in a restaurant tastes better than the bottled dressing from the store, what you're really tasting is delicious, creamy fat.

Stored in a well-sealed container in the fridge (assuming you began with fresh sour cream and buttermilk) your buttermilk ranch dressing should keep for up to two weeks. Help it stay fresh by not dipping anything directly into the container that you're storing it in—for example, a half-bitten carrot.

Ranch dressing is a savory, creamy American salad dressing usually made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs (commonly chives, parsley and dill), and spices (commonly pepper, paprika and ground mustard seed) mixed into a sauce based on mayonnaise or another oil emulsion.

Even when a restaurant does start with premade ranch, they will often fold in extra fresh herbs, and maybe even more buttermilk, to lighten and bring in some brighter flavors that can be lost in shelf-stable bottling.

Most restaurants don't buy pre packaged ranch. They buy hidden valley seasoning and mix it themselves with ingredients they already have.

Because while some restaurants do use a bottled shelf stable dressing, what you are referring to is a powdered ranch mix (typically the Hidden Valley brand) that the restaurant cooks add milk/ buttermilk and sour cream to make their dressing. I agree it is far better tasting.

Is left out ranch dressing okay to eat? No, no, no. Ranch dressing has plenty of ingredients that are an easy breeding ground for foodborne pathogens, and may have some of their own waiting to reproduce. If your dressing has set out for more than 2 hours, toss it.

Ranch dressing usually contains dairy products such as milk or buttermilk, which can spoil and lead to the growth of harmful bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli. Even if the dressing looks and smells fine, consuming expired dressing can still put you at risk of food poisoning or other health issues.

Can I freeze buttermilk? ›

You can freeze buttermilk, and you absolutely should if you don't think you'll use it up before it expires. It should stay good in the freezer for about three months — about two and a half months longer than refrigerated buttermilk.

Even though the buttermilk ranch dipping sauce had many fans, the popularity was apparently not enough, and the sauce was axed to make room for the new-and-improved garlic and herb ranch (among others like the smokehouse barbecue and zesty buffalo sauces).

8oz Garden Herb Ranch Sauce

An 8-ounce, squeezable bottle of this creamy buttermilk ranch sauce with savory garlic, onion, and herb flavors.

As mentioned, if you don't have buttermilk, you can use kefir instead. Or, in a pinch, you can make your own homemade buttermilk substitute with regular milk and white vinegar. This is very easy to do: Combine 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice) with enough milk to make 1 cup.

Buttermilk ranch is much thinner than a typical ranch “dip” because the buttermilk thins it out. I make a version of both and they use the exact same dried herbs. Quick tip: for a dip consistency, just leave out the buttermilk, dub sauce and vinegar in this recipe.

It's no secret that Hidden Valley Ranch is a staple ingredient in many homemade ranch dressings, but did you know that restaurants also rely on this classic brand? According to several chefs I spoke with, Hidden Valley Ranch provides the perfect balance of tanginess and creaminess that customers love.

“Ranch” dressing is made from buttermilk, slightly soured. It tastes like slightly soured buttermilk or yoghurt. Commercial “Ranch” dressing usually has a lot of other flavorings, often artificial.

Dairy Queen - New Hidden Valley Ranch made IN HOUSE!