Buttermilk Ranch Dressing with Sour Cream
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This buttermilk ranch dressing with sour cream takes just five minutes to whisk together. The sour cream gives it body, the buttermilk makes it pourable and adds a nice tang, and the herbs, garlic and lemon ensure it has that familiar ranch flavor.
I originally made this with dried chives because I didn’t have fresh ones. It still worked well, although I prefer using fresh chives when I have some. I also like to add a little Tabasco for a kick.
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing with Sour Cream at a Glance
- Total time: 5 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Cuisine: American
- Main ingredients: Sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, dill, chives and garlic
- Prep method: Whisking, with no cooking required
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for several days
Why You’ll Love It
- It only takes a few minutes: There’s no cooking and you can mix everything in one bowl.
- It works as dressing or dip: The sour cream and mayo give it enough body for dipping and the buttermilk thins it enough to pour.
- You can adjust the tang: The dressing’s got zesty lemon juice and you can add a little vinegar too if you like.
Ingredient Notes
- Sour cream: This makes up part of the creamy base and gives the dressing enough thickness to use for dipping as well as salads.
- Buttermilk: This loosens the sour cream and mayo mixture while adding the cultured dairy tang of buttermilk ranch.
- Mayonnaise: I originally used low-fat mayo, although regular mayonnaise works too.
- Dill: The recipe uses dried dill, so it’s something you can keep in the pantry and use whenever you make ranch.
- Chives: Fresh chives are my preference when I have them but dried chives work.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic gives the dressing plenty of flavor and it gets stronger after the dressing’s been refrigerated overnight.
- Lemon juice: To add acidity before you decide whether the dressing needs any additional vinegar.
- Tabasco: I like adding a few dashes for a mild heat but it’s optional.
How to Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Whisk the sour cream, buttermilk and mayonnaise together until smooth, then add the herbs, garlic, lemon juice and seasonings. Taste the dressing before adding the optional vinegar because some mayo brands are tangier than others. And add the Tabasco last if you’re using it.
Why Buttermilk Works in Ranch Dressing
Buttermilk gives ranch dressing acidity while also thinning the sour cream and mayo into the right consistency so you can spoon or pour it over your salad. It’s also good in other creamy dressings. I use it with pesto and aioli in my stetson salad dressing.
Substitutions and Variations
- Regular mayonnaise: Use regular mayo instead of low-fat if that’s what you normally buy.
- Dried chives: Replace the fresh chives with the dried amount given in the recipe card.
- No vinegar: Leave it out if the lemon juice and mayonnaise already give the dressing enough acidity.
- No heat: Skip the Tabasco for a completely mild ranch dressing.
- Thicker ranch dip: Refrigerate the dressing before serving it because it thickens up in the fridge.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl: Use a medium mixing bowl with enough room to whisk everything together without splashing the dressing over the sides.
- Balloon whisk: This makes it easy to combine the sour cream, buttermilk and mayonnaise into a smooth base.
- Measuring cups: You’ll need these for measuring the sour cream, buttermilk and mayonnaise.
- Measuring spoons: These are needed for the dill, chives, lemon juice, onion powder and seasonings.
- Garlic press: I find a garlic press easiest here because it gives you very finely crushed garlic that mixes easily into the dressing, although a sharp knife and cutting board would also work.
- Citrus juicer: A small juicer’s good for squeezing the lemon and helps keep the seeds out of the dressing.
- Cutting board: Use this for chopping the fresh chives and preparing the garlic if you aren’t using a garlic press.
- Chef’s knife: A sharp knife makes it much easier to chop the fresh chives finely.
- Airtight storage container: Keep the ranch covered in the refrigerator if you’re making it ahead or storing leftovers.
What to Serve with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Use this as the dressing for one of my garden salads or add it to a mason jar salad. It also works with my shrimp salad in place of bottled salad dressing.
For dipping, serve it with carrots, celery, cucumber, bell pepper strips, chicken wings or anything else you normally pair with ranch.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Keep the ranch in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.
- Make ahead: You can prepare it ahead of serving. Give it a good stir before using because it becomes thicker in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend that you freeze this dressing because sour cream and mayo can separate after thawing.
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing FAQs
Buttermilk ranch includes cultured buttermilk as part of the creamy base. It adds acidity and also makes a sour cream and mayonnaise base more pourable.
Because mayonnaise and sour cream firm up in the refrigerator and the dried herbs absorb some of the moisture as the ranch sits. Stir it well before serving. If it’s got thicker than you want for salad, a small splash of buttermilk will loosen it.
Fresh minced garlic continues flavoring the dressing while it sits in the refrigerator. If you’re making the ranch ahead, expect the garlic to be more noticeable the following day.
Easy Ranch Dressing from Scratch
I like this ranch with plenty of garlic, dill and chives. It’s good on salads and also works as a dip once it’s thickened up in the fridge. If you like creamy homemade dips, you might also want to try my creamy blue cheese dip.
Creamy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing with Sour Cream
Ingredients
- ½ cup (125ml) sour cream
- ½ cup (125ml) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon (60ml) low-fat mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives or ½ tsp dried chives
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Dash of vinegar
- Few dashes of Tabasco
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Balloon whisk
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Garlic press or sharp knife
- Citrus juicer
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Airtight container for storage
Method
- Add the sour cream, buttermilk and mayonnaise to a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add the salt, black pepper, dill, garlic, chives, lemon juice and onion powder. Whisk until evenly combined.
- Taste the dressing. Add a dash of vinegar if it needs more tang and add Tabasco if using.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed. Stir well before serving.
Notes
- I usually use fresh chives although dried chives are absolutely fine if that’s what you have.
- You can use regular mayo instead of low-fat.
- Taste the dressing before you add any vinegar, as some mayo brands are pretty tangy.
- Give the dressing a stir before serving if it’s been in the fridge for a while. I often find the garlic tastes more prominent the next day.
