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The Internet went wild in September when there was a picture of Taylor Swift eating chicken tenders with a mysterious sauce that was “seemingly ranch.”
It’s great to see that celebrities eat food just like us regular folks! However, to my surprise, it wasn’t the chicken tenders that was the hot topic of discussion, rather, it was the dip that she was enjoying her tenders with. The “Seemingly Ranch” name was so mysterious, and there was so much debate as to what Taylor’s dip of choice was! This went so viral that Heinz even made a limited edition “Seemingly Ranch” sauce!
Personally, I never understood the big deal of ranch until right now. I made my own ranch, which I will show you how to do today, and it totally changed my opinion on everything! The fresh herbs here really make the difference, and I bet you will love the thickness and creaminess to dip all of your favorite snacks! I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, how using what you have on hand can spark creativity! You’ll see that this recipe yields a fair amount, so you’ll be wanting to make lots of sandwiches and wraps and/or finger foods to use up that sauce! This can also be excellent to make if you’ve got leftover buttermilk, sour cream, and/or mayo that you should finish up! If you’ve wanted to recreate this iconic Taylor Swift meal, then check it off your bucket list as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge by following this recipe! You can get started on your cooking journey for free by signing up to my free email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!
To follow along with the steps on how to make ranch at home and the simple hack you need to do to transform it into “Seemingly Ranch,” then be sure to watch the video! If you’re not already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the bell button so you get the notifications when my video recipes go live! Let’s get started!
What is Ranch?▼
Ranch is a dipping sauce that is tangy and creamy, with the main ingredients being sour cream, mayonnaise, and herbs. It is quite versatile and enjoyed in many ways, such as in sandwiches & wraps, burgers, and snacks! I’ll give lots of serving suggestion ideas later on in this post!
What’s the difference between ranch dip and ranch dressing?▼
This is a very interesting topic as you may believe that they are the same! From what I’ve found in my research, officially, a ranch dressing is a thinner sauce because it is made with buttermilk. On the other hand, dips are thick to make them “dippable” by using sour cream and mayo. My recipe is different as I am using all three ingredients, but due to the texture, I would say that this is a dip. A thin dressing will coat greens and other add-ins for a salad nicely, but this is perfect to dunk in your snacks or use as a sandwich spread! If you’re going to make the “Seemingly Ranch” version of this recipe, the ketchup makes this even thicker!
Why Make Ranch at Home!
- Super quick to make
- Customizable with the amounts of ingredients
- Flavorful and fresh
- Endless possible use cases
Dietary Considerations
This ranch dip is:
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Low carb & Keto-friendly (if using sugar-free ketchup for the “Seemingly Ranch” variation)
Tools Needed
Ingredients for Homemade Ranch
It may seem like there’s a lot going on here for Homemade Ranch, but every ingredient is crucial and adds its own flavor to make this the best ranch you’ve ever had! Scroll to the bottom of this post or press the “Jump to Recipe” button for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card for full ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later. You can also scale the recipe so that you’ve got the right amount of every single ingredient based on how much or how little ranch you want to make!
- Mayonnaise: Essential to making the best ranch at home! You’ll get the thickness coming from this.
- Buttermilk: The other base of this ranch recipe. Buttermilk adds some smoothness to the dip, plus a nice tangy flavor.
- Sour cream: Also assists to get a dippable end-product. You can use Greek yogurt if you want, but I prefer the taste of sour cream. If using Greek yogurt, full fat would be best.
- Lime juice: Adds to the acidity of the dip.
- Apple cider vinegar: Another source of good tanginess and acidity.
- Dijon mustard: Your favorite flavor works here.
- Dried spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika. Salt is always needed to bring out the flavors, plus some freshly grated pepper adds some excellent body.
- Fresh herbs: Chives, dill, and Italian parsley (also known as flat-leaf parsley).
- Parmesan cheese: Grated, add into the dip for some extra creaminess.
- Ketchup: For the “Seemingly Ranch” variation!
How to Make Incredible Homemade Ranch
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well until combined.
Seemingly Ranch Variation
Add in some ketchup and mix well!
Serving Suggestions
- Fries: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer French Fries or Air Fryer Waffle Fries.
- Sandwiches & Wraps: Baked Cheesy Deli Chicken Sandwich, Perfect Breakfast BELT Bagel Sandwich, or a Farmer’s Wrap.
- Burgers: McAloo Tikki Burger, Crispy Panko Chicken Burger.
- Other snacks: Crackers, Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks, or Paneer Pakoras (why not!)
- Fresh produce: Celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, or cauliflower bites.
- Potatoes: Try mixing into your Potato Salad or Creamy Mashed Potatoes!
Can I Make Ranch without Buttermilk?▼
Yes, you can. Simply add more sour cream to replace the amount of buttermilk. However, keep in mind you will not get the exact same flavor and texture here.
Can I make Ranch with Greek Yogurt?▼
Sure you can to lighten the dish up, or if you already have Greek yogurt at home and want to use it up! Again, the texture and taste will not be quite the same as using full fat sour cream, so keep that in mind.
What if I Don’t Have Fresh herbs?▼
While I certainly recommend fresh herbs as you’ll get a wonderfully fresh and tasty dip, it’s fine to replace the fresh herbs with dry if you’re really in the mood to make your dip right now, but you don’t want to go to the store (totally understandable!). Due to fresh herbs being more potent than fresh, you need much less dried herbs than fresh. Simply use half of the amount of fresh herbs to dry in all cases.
Ranch Variations
- Bacon, cheddar and jalapeño: Add in some chopped bacon bits, grated cheddar cheese and chopped jalapeños to top your ranch dressing.
- Spicy: For some heat, add a dash of your favorite hot sauce.
How to Store▼
Feel free to store your dip in a mason jar or in an airtight container for easy access to spoon it out or transfer into a ramekin for serving. However, if you would like to drizzle the dip over your food, then store it in a squeeze bottle.
How Long will Ranch Last?▼
There is a lot of dairy in this recipe, so that is something to be mindful of. Typically, the dip will last as long as the lifetime of the dairy components in the dip. I would keep it for about 2 weeks in the fridge maximum if all of your dairy was fresh. Always smell and check before serving.
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