All you need are simple ingredients and your favorite kind of pickle to make tangy dill pickle ranch dressing for the ranch lovers in your life.
I am one of those people who puts ranch dressing on just about anything. Pizza? Yep. Salad? Absolutely. French fries? It’s a must-have. If you are a pickle fan like me, use dill pickle ranch dressing to replace traditional ranch dressing on salads or serve it as a dip for sweet potato fries, chicken wings, and air fryer buffalo chicken tenders.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mayonnaise: Use full-fat mayonnaise as a base for the ranch dressing. Plus, it complements the tangy flavor of dill pickles. I suggest using the good stuff like Duke’s or Hellman’s.
- Sour Cream: Adding full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt thickens the dressing and provides a slightly tangy flavor.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a necessary ingredient for the best-tasting ranch dressing. If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, that’s okay. All you need is regular milk and lemon juice. Pour the milk into a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and squeeze a teaspoon of lemon juice over the top. Stir and set it aside for 10 minutes to create homemade buttermilk. It won’t have the same thickness as store-bought buttermilk, but it will do the trick!
- Pickle Juice: Balance the creaminess of the dressing with a small amount of dill pickle juice or pickle brine for extra dill pickle flavor.
- Pickles: Add chopped dill pickles and stir them into the creamy dressing for textural variation. Alternatively, you can process the dressing in an immersion blender or food processor.
- Garlic: I suggest using four garlic cloves, but measure with your heart.
- Dill: Bring the homemade dressing to the next level with fresh dill. You can use dried dill, but it won’t have the same fresh flavor.
- Spices: Taste and season the dill pickle ranch dressing with garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Additions and Substitutions
- I prefer dill but experiment with your favorite pickles, including sweet pickles like gherkins, spicy pickles, or bread and butter pickles.
- Remove the legwork and replace the homemade spice blend with a packet of ranch seasoning.
How to Make Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, and pickle juice in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl.
Step 2: Add pickles, garlic, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine and transfer the dressing to an airtight container.
Tip: Transfer the dressing to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor and consistency.
Expert Tips
- Create the perfect consistency by adjusting how much buttermilk and pickle juice you include. Add less for a creamy dressing and more if you prefer a thinner sauce.
- Let the dressing sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the dressing thicken and flavors combine.
Whip up dill pickle ranch dressing and serve it with one of these appetizer recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Crafting a batch of homemade ranch dressing is a breeze. Lucky for you, the tangy sauce goes with almost anything.
Pickle lovers can serve dill pickle ranch dressing with fried pickles, fried chicken sandwiches, and fried green tomatoes. Drizzle the dressing over green salad recipes such as Savannah chopped salad, vegetable chopped salad, or Cobb salad. Feature the ranch dip on a vegetable crudite with fresh veggies.
Serve the condiment on the side with chicken strips, potato skins, home fries, mac and cheese balls, and corned beef and cabbage egg rolls. You can also spread the dressing onto chicken spinach wraps and BLTs or use it to finish hearty meals like Instant Pot Mississippi pot roast.
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container or mason jar. Homemade ranch dressing will last for one week. Be sure to shake the dressing well before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
Make buttermilk in minutes using regular milk and lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. Combine the ingredients and let them sit for about 10 minutes. You can also increase the amount of sour cream you include or add cream of tartar, Greek yogurt, or plain kefir.
Can I use store-bought ranch dressing?
Sure, but it won’t have the same fresh-tasting flavor! Start with your favorite ranch salad dressing and add pickle juice, chopped pickles, fresh garlic, and the suggested spices. I recommend tasting and adding the ingredients as you go until you get the flavor you want.
More Homemade Dressings:
Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing
- Whisk
- Liquid Measuring Cup or Small Bowl
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- ¼ cup dill pickles, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves finely minced
- ¼ cup fresh dill finely chopped
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper coarse ground
- Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, and pickle juice in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl.
- Add pickles, garlic, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine and transfer the dressing to an airtight container.Tip: Transfer the dressing to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor and consistency.
- Create the perfect consistency by adjusting how much buttermilk and pickle juice you include. Add less for a creamy dressing and more if you prefer a thinner sauce.
- Let the dressing sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the dressing thicken and flavors combine.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.