Real Ranch Dressing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do restaurants make their ranch taste so good? ›

While they may have their proprietary versions of homemade ranch, most will include buttermilk, onion or shallot, and garlic, plus herbs like parsley, dill, and chives.

Who Invented Ranch? Around 1950, Steve Henson unknowingly made history when he whipped up a unique mixture of dry herbs and buttermilk. Originally a plumber, Steve came up with the concoction while working briefly in Anchorage as a construction worker and part-time cook for his crew.

It's no secret that Hidden Valley Ranch is a staple ingredient in many homemade ranch dressings, but did you know that restaurants also rely on this classic brand? According to several chefs I spoke with, Hidden Valley Ranch provides the perfect balance of tanginess and creaminess that customers love.

Keep tasting as you go, adding more salt, if needed… Or more chives. Or more parsley, or more dill…or you could go out on a limb and add any or all of the following: white vinegar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, a dash of Worcestershire, paprika, fresh oregano, or Tabasco.

While many restaurants use mass produced ranch mix, they often add it to a higher-quality base. This might include milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or mayonnaise. So when you notice that the ranch in a restaurant tastes better than the bottled dressing from the store, what you're really tasting is delicious, creamy fat.

The flavor is obviously incredible, and what makes it superior to other ranch dressings is that it tastes fresh. So many of these chains have pre-packaged ranch that is lame and uninspiring, but Jet's tastes like they make it at their store, even if its not.

According to the New York Times, ranch dressing gets its signature taste from three distinct, yet equally important elements: Creaminess, herbs, and allium (that is, onions and garlic). The cream base can be various things, from sour cream to buttermilk and mayo.

According to the Santa Barbara Independent, the condiment was created by Steve Henson, who worked as a plumbing contractor in Alaska in 1949 and fed it to his crew. After Henson retired, he and his wife, Gayle, settled at Hidden Valley Ranch near Santa Barbara, California, in 1956.

Over the years, Steve had been perfecting his signature salad dressing, a tangy blend of buttermilk, savory herbs and spices. His ranch guests couldn't get enough of the stuff, and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing was invented.

Because while some restaurants do use a bottled shelf stable dressing, what you are referring to is a powdered ranch mix (typically the Hidden Valley brand) that the restaurant cooks add milk/ buttermilk and sour cream to make their dressing.

Why is Wingstop ranch so different? ›

What Makes Wingstop Ranch Stand Out? Wingstop's Ranch is distinguished by its harmonious blend of buttermilk, mayonnaise, dill, and a medley of spices. The resultant concoction is a velvety, flavorful sauce that pairs exquisitely with a variety of dishes, transcending beyond just wings.

This bottle's no joke. It's covered in 75 carats' worth of jewels, making it valued at $35,000. You could almost buy three brand-new Nissan Versas for that. But Hidden Valley knows you can't put a price tag on love, be it the holy matrimony kind or the condiment-you-drizzle-on-everything variety.

This might seem obvious, but you can add a lot of flavor to ranch dressing by adding more of what's already in it. I love adding lots of fresh herbs, extra garlic, or even lemon zest.

Runny dressing is usually a sign that when mixing the dressing, they put more buttermilk than the recipe called for. Either that or they didn't put in enough mayo.

A: I found flavor is pretty much the same but the new original container I just got has more salt: homestyle 45 mg vs original 60 mg. I can taste the difference. Great product for either version.

What makes ranch ranch? It's a combination of creaminess (from buttermilk, sour cream, sometimes mayonnaise) and herbaceousness (often parsley, thyme, dill), plus a long pull of allium (onion and garlic) and a shot of black pepper.

Restaurant chefs know how to balance flavors

The key to a good sauce is allowing these flavors to coexist in harmony, "A good sauce should be balanced, no matter what kind of sauce it is," says Allison Zinder.

What Makes Wingstop Ranch Stand Out? Wingstop's Ranch is distinguished by its harmonious blend of buttermilk, mayonnaise, dill, and a medley of spices. The resultant concoction is a velvety, flavorful sauce that pairs exquisitely with a variety of dishes, transcending beyond just wings.

What brand of ranch does WingStop use? WingStop makes its own special blend of ranch dressing using mayonnaise, buttermilk, and ranch seasoning. Where does WingStop get their ranch? WingStop makes its own ranch dressing at each restaurant.