Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Seasoning

Homemade buttermilk ranch dressing: it's such an American staple, isn’t it? We use it on our pizza, as a dip for crudités, to enhance steamed vegetables, and even in lieu of ketchup for French fries.

It’s just as much a core condiment as mayonnaise and mustard, yet we often purchase storebought ranch containing artificial flavors or additional sugars to compensate for its lack of fresh taste. Instead, opt for a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing that’s better than anything available in grocery stores.

 As a true ranch dressing connoisseur (and yes, that is a thing), I decided to embark on the homemade ranch dressing seasoning pursuit. This meant experimenting with—and taste testing—several different spices and variations until the ranch flavor was just right.

Using this recipe, you can easily make your own ranch dressing seasoning. Make your own homemade buttermilk ranch dressing or use it to season meat and veggies!

Ingredients for ranch Dressing Seasoning

To get started making homemade ranch dressing seasoning, you will need the following ingredients:

• Buttermilk powder
• Dried parsley
• Dried dill weed
• Dried chives
• Garlic powder
• Dried minced onion

How to Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix

Ranch dressing recipes use different liquids, such as whole milk, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, sour cream, plain yogurt, mayonnaise, and kefir.

For this recipe, I use a one-to-one ratio of buttermilk to Greek yogurt for a thicker, tangier ranch dressing. If you don’t have or like any of those ranch dressing foundations, you can substitute one or both using these one-to-one ratio substitutions.

Substitutions

• Whole milk + Mayonnaise
• Kefir + Plain yogurt
• Buttermilk + Mayonnaise
• Whole milk + Greek yogurt

Add Your Favorite Herbs and Spices

This recipe uses seven herbs and spices, but I encourage you to experiment with each one’s intensity. For example, I prefer mine with a bit more garlic and chives, but you might find that you want a little more dill flavor and less onion flavor.

• Try a pinch of cayenne pepper for a seasoning with a kick.
• Swap your black pepper for lemon pepper for a bit more tang.

Where to find ranch dressing seasoning ingredients

Dried chives are an essential element of this recipe; if you have trouble finding them, look in the spice section among the bags of dried herbs.

You might not have buttermilk powder stored at home. It’s another addition that is crucial to my pantry stock! Not only is it the base of ranch seasoning, but you can also utilize it for various uses.

• Homemade pancake mix
• Flavoring dips
• Meat rubs
• And… making buttermilk!

Blending Your Ranch Dressing Herbs

I use a mortar and pestle, but you can use a spice grinder if you have one. Many ranch seasoning recipes call for onion powder, but I find that I prefer the more robust onion flavor you get from dried minced onions. Onion powder will work just fine if you choose to use this instead!

The chives, parsley, and onion flakes are fairly chunky, so they are the only herbs that need pulverizing. However, grinding all of the dry ingredients together helps blend everything and create a fine seasoning that’s easily distributed in liquids or as seasoning.

What Else Can I Make with Ranch Dressing Seasoning?

ranch seasoning can be transformed into more than just classic homemade buttermilk ranch dressing or dip. Try these variations:

1. Chipotle Ranch Dip

Using the recipe below, add one tablespoon of adobo sauce, which yields about one cup of ranch dressing. For some extra heat, add one finely chopped chipotle pepper.

2. Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing

For every one cup of prepared ranch dressing, add the juice of one lime, one tablespoon of chopped cilantro, ½ avocado finely mashed, and ¼ cup of your favorite salsa verde (I really love the Herdez Guacamole Salsa). Drizzle over your favorite summer salad and serve with sliced avocado for the perfect pairing.

3. Pork Chops with Ranch Dressing Seasoning

Turn your pork chops into zesty ranch pork chops with your ranch seasoning blend! Lightly coat boat sides of each pork chop with ranch dressing seasoning before roasting. Then, enjoy juicy, ranchy pork chops!

4. Season Chicken Breast, Thighs, or Wings

Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of ranch seasoning on a plate and use to coat chicken before grilling or baking. Try this with some chicken wings and serve with Buffalo dipping sauce for a reverse classic appetizer.

5. Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Peel and dice three Yukon gold potatoes and bring to a boil in salted water. Once the potatoes are soft enough to easily break in two using a fork or tongs, remove from heat.

Reserve one cup of the water and drain the rest. In the pot with leftover water and potatoes, add 3 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning. Mash or whip using a whisk until smooth or your preferred consistency. This will yield about six servings.

6. Roasted Red Ranchy Potatoes

Dice red potatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Depending on the number of potatoes you're using, toss them in 1-2 tablespoons of seasoning. Roast for 25 minutes at 400 degrees and serve with Greek yogurt or ketchup for dipping.

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing FAQs

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