Name: Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 ¼ cups mayonnaise; 1 cup plain kefir ((or buttermilk)); 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tsp minced garlic; ¼ cup finely chopped chives; 1 Tbsp lemon pepper; ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp sweet paprika; A pinch granulated onion; A pinch cayenne pepper; A pinch dried oregano

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This is the best homemade buttermilk ranch dressing recipe, period. The best that I’ve ever tried, that’s for sure. I am not a big ranch dressing fan but this one really tickled my taste buds. I love its taste.

With what you can use this ranch dressing

It’s super versatile too and is good as a dressing for salads as well as a dipping sauce for fried, roasted and grilled meats and vegetables. Try it with fried green tomatoes, you will love it.

You can also use it as a sauce for chicken sandwiches. I've also had success serving it with my roasted vegetables, fried eggplant and fried green tomatoes. I’ve also used this ranch dressing as a dip for my extra crispy Buffalo wings, air fryer French fries and more. The options are limitless and it never ceases to amaze me. It’s so good!

How is this ranch dressing different?

I find many ranch dressing sauces to be a little overpowering, perhaps a little too fatty, and a little too zesty. This ranch dressing is different. It’s perfectly balanced. It’s good at complementing in the most subtle way, enhancing food flavor without taking anything away or overpowering it. I first tried it at Dinosaur BBQ in Buffalo, NY and loved it. Needless to say, this recipe is the adaptation of their recipe with some tweaks. It's the best! You can find the original one in their Dinosaur BBQ’s cookbook.

While being subtle, it has a robust flavor with many different components to tickle your taste buds in different ways. It has a slight kick from the cayenne pepper, a little bit of brightness from the red wine vinegar and a slight pungency coming from the fresh garlic and chives.

Tips to make this buttermilk ranch dressing taste its best

For optimum results, try using the best quality mayonnaise and buttermilk you can find. Better yet, try using kefir in place of buttermilk, I like it a lot and to me it tastes better that way.

Variations

If you like Greek yogurt, try substituting kefir/buttermilk with a cup of yogurt. The ranch dressing will be a little thicker, which works very well when using on grilled meats. Or, go with a 50/50 mix of buttermilk and sour cream in place of kefir. Finally, you can also try and substitute kefir/buttermilk with 3/4 cup of sour cream and 1/4 cup heavy cream for a creamier ranch version.

Finally, every time I make this ranch dressing it’s never enough. It just quickly disappears. Keep that in mind and keep the ingredients ready to whip up more if needed. Better yet, double the recipe if you expect a company and want everything to go without a hiccup.