I have a confession – I’ve never warmed up to Ranch dressing. Everyone I know loves it…but not me. Sometimes I think I’m a lone holdout. Until now. It’s this Easy Home Made Greek Yogurt Ranch that has converted me!
Easy Home Made Greek Yogurt Ranch
Well, I think I love this Ranch Dressing. And I love it all year round and love it even in the dead of winter since it’s made with only dried herbs. It has a lot of personality. It’s zippy. It’s herby. And it has a tangy richness that you are never gonna get from a bottle or a jar.
About Easy Home Made Greek Yogurt Ranch:
Do you know what else I love about this dressing? I know what’s in it without having to have a chemistry degree. That makes me so happy! Have you ever looked at what’s in most bottles of Ranch? You don’t want to go there. And that’s just one of the many reasons I make, not just Ranch, but all my Salad Dressings at home.
It’s the kind of thing that traumatizes me, all those chemicals. To be fair, other things traumatize me more, but this one I can easily do something about – and so can you, it’s super simple to make this dressing.
Other reasons to make your ranch? Homemade will almost always beat out bottled or jarred, even those fancier ones from the produce aisle, in taste, quality, and price. The same holds true for almost every dressing out there.
You might find bottled dressings that are cheaper but don’t compare to the quality of homemade. Technically you could “dumb down” a recipe to compete with those lower-quality dressings but why?
If you’ve found your household needs multiple dressings, a Ranch for the kids, and something more sophisticated for the adults, you might find this dressing a fabulous compromise. It’s fresh and creamy and all that Ranch should be, but often isn’t.
I love this thicker, richer ranch dolloped on my Irish Pub Nachos.
Irish Pub Nachos
Making The Salad Dressing:
This Ranch is just a simple matter of stirring the herbs and spices into the yogurt, adding a touch of vinegar, and then thinning it to your desired consistency. Let it sit for 20 minutes at least and up to an hour if you can wait so the herbs and spices rehydrate and mingle.
Use the seasonings and herbs to your taste. I’d suggest mixing with the minimum amounts (unless you know you like REALLY zesty) and let it sit for about 20 minutes, then taste and adjust. You can always jot down YOUR ultimate amounts.
It’s super easy to multiply all the dry herbs and spices out, pop them in a jar and have them on hand for your own Ranch “Mix.” There are no artificial (or otherwise) anti-caking agents so make it and use it; don’t expect it to sit on the shelf for months and months like a commercial packet might.`
About the Ingredients:
Yogurt: Greek yogurt is key for a nice, thick, creamy ranch. It does have to be diluted a bit so you might wonder why start out with something thicker like Greek yogurt instead of regular old yogurt (which is thinner to start with) but it makes a difference in taste and texture. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, put your plain yogurt in a paper towel-lined strainer over a bowl to catch the whey that will drain out, and leave it in the fridge for an hour or two before using.
Vinegar: There are two choices: white vinegar with a bit more neutral flavor and apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar will be a little more distinctive. Experiment with other kinds of vinegar if you’d like.
Buttermilk: The recipe calls for buttermilk to thin the dressing to your desired consistency. It can be bought or a substitute made by placing a teaspoon of vinegar in a measuring cup and topping off with milk to the 1/3 cup mark. Set it aside for a few minutes. You can also just use milk; the Greek yogurt and the vinegar have enough tang to carry the flavor home.
Seasonings:
Most of the seasonings in your Home Made Ranch are often in a pantry or inexpensive to buy. The dried parsley, dill, and chives are tender herbs.
They do not retain their color and potency for a long time, maybe a year or possibly two. If you don’t use those herbs regularly, buy them in smaller amounts.
Storing Easy Home Made Greek Yogurt Ranch:
Your Ranch will keep for several days in the fridge, although it may need to be stirred together if the yogurt separates. For optimal freshness, and to limit exposure to air, place it in a container not much larger than it will fit in with just a bit of room to stir together if needed.
It goes without saying (although I am going to say it) that working clean and refrigerating promptly is going to directly affect how long recipes like this will last in the fridge. This makes about 1 1/4 cups and is easy to make so small batches aren’t an issue. The recipe can be increased.
Homemade Ranch Mix & Ranch Dressing
An Alternative:
I have a recipe on my site for a Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix (photo above) with instructions on how to use it in a dressing. The mix contains buttermilk powder as well as herbs and seasonings and is meant to be turned into a dressing by adding it to a mix of mayonnaise and sour cream. You may find that dressing is closer to the famous commercial bottled dressing.
The Homemade Ranch on this page is the one that has made a convert out of me. It is the fresh taste and the texture of the Greek yogurt base that has won me over; I much prefer it over the mayonnaise versions of Ranch Dressing.
Saving Money on Easy Home Made Greek Yogurt Ranch:
The highest-priced ingredient is the yogurt. Look for the best value and purchase large cartons of decent, not top-of-the-line, plain (preferably full-fat) yogurt with live probiotics.
It’s versatile and can be eaten as well as cooked or baked with in both savory & sweet dishes, and can sub in for sour cream. (Tip: add fruit, jelly, or jam to plain yogurt to make your own flavors.)
Easy Home Made Greek Yogurt Ranch
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/4 cups 1x
- Category: Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt (any fat content will work fine but full fat preferred)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
-
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
-
1/2 to 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup buttermilk, hold back some and add until you have the consistency you’d like
Note: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, just use milk, fat content up to you. Add in just like the buttermilk, holding some back.
Instructions
Mix all ingredients except buttermilk. Slowly add buttermilk, holding back a little , stirring and adding more as you wish, gauging until the ranch reaches the consistency you want. Let sit for 20 minutes. Stir, taste and adjust to your liking.
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I’ll be bringing this recipe to Fiesta Friday, hosted this week by Sarah @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed and Liz @ Spades, Spatulas, and Spoons
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