How to Make Delicious Homemade Ranch Seasoning

If you open your fridge right now, it’s a pretty solid bet that you’ve got a bottle of Ranch dressing or dip sitting there.

We don’t blame you; we love the stuff as well!

We pretty much use it with everything, whether we’re making some crispy chicken strips, roasted potato wedges, or crudities, if we’re feeling a bit guilty.

Of course, salad is always better with some creamy ranch dressing on top.

There is one thing that breaks our heart when it comes to using ranch dressing: it has tons of calories, saturated fats, and sodium.

Okay, we’re exaggerating there, but not by much. Plus, it’s really easy to go way beyond the “suggested serving portions” when you’re just squeezing the ranch dressing from the bottle indiscriminately.

Okay, so we sat down and tried to figure out how to get the delicious tangy goodness of ranch without all the calories, fat, and added sodium.

Then it hit us.

Homemade ranch seasoning.

Wait, Ranch SEASONING? Not Dressing?

Yes! Ranch seasoning instead of the dressing or dip that you’re used to.

Hear us out!

We’ve got a few compelling reasons why you should consider using a dry ranch seasoning mix rather than the condiment you’ve grown to love.

It’s Super Easy to Make

This homemade ranch seasoning mix is really easy to make, and we’re willing to bet that you’ve got most of the ingredients in your pantry.

The rest are readily available in your local supermarket.

Longer Shelf Life

Once opened, store-bought ranch dressing has about a shelf life of around 2-3 months in your fridge.

With a dry seasoning mix, however, you can extend that shelf life to around 6-8 months, provided that you store it properly.

More on that, later!

Skip All the Bad Stuff

Store-bought ranch has lots of ingredients that aren’t exactly what we would call healthy.

Sugar, fat, and sodium come to mind, not to mention any number of preservatives and stabilizers that companies use to give the ranch its creamy consistency and longer shelf life.

With homemade ranch seasoning, you know exactly what’s going into the recipe and in what amounts.

Plus, you can adjust them according to your needs or preferences.

Want to make it low-sodium?

Cut back on the salt recommended in the recipe.

Lactose Intolerant? No Problem!

A lot of people can’t even eat ranch dressing or dip because store-bought brands feature some sort of dairy ingredient, whether it’s mayonnaise or sour cream.

With this recipe, however, those who are lactose intolerant can enjoy the tangy flavors of ranch without worrying about having a restroom nearby!

Super Duper Versatile

As much as we love ranch dressing, we found it a little, well, boring after a while.

Dips and dressings can only go so far, right?

With ranch seasoning mix, however, we’ve opened up a whole new world of food flavoring options!

Boring plain popcorn during movie night?

Sprinkle a tablespoon of ranch seasoning mix and shake in a paper bag.

Boom! Ranch popcorn!

Frying up some lean fish filets (can we link the whole fish article here)?

Mix this seasoning with some cornstarch and you’ve got yourself a new type of dredge.

Garlic bread a little ho-hum for your taste?

Mix this seasoning with some softened butter and add a whole new dimension of flavor to your garlic bread.

Okay, you’ve got the Tanginess Right, but I love the Creaminess of Ranch!

Hey, no sweat! We’ve got you.

If you’re looking for that creamy flavor, simply add ½ cup of buttermilk powder to the recipe.

You can also use fresh buttermilk, which will give it a paste-like consistency that’s perfect for putting on top of roasted items like this ranch pork chop!

As the pork chop cooks, the ranch “paste” is going to melt over the chops to infuse it with tangy goodness all the way through!

Can I still make this into a dressing or dip?

Of course!

If you want to take the next step and make your own ranch dressing, you can absolutely do that.

Just take 1 T. of the final mix and combine with 1/3 cup whole milk and 1/3 cup mayo.

That will give you that classic creamy consistency that you love.

You can cut down on the fat by substituting fat-free Greek yogurt for the mayo, too!

Storage Tips, Please?

In the dry seasoning form, you can store the powder for up to six months.

Make sure that you keep it away from heat and direct sunlight.

In the dressing or dip form, treat it like store-bought ranch dressing.

Keep it in your fridge, but only for a maximum of 1-2 months.

Remember, you’re not adding any preservatives!

Once you try this delicious recipe, you’re probably going to end up having a jar of the ranch dressing in your fridge and another jar of the ranch seasoning in your pantry.

Because, you know, it pays to cover all your bases!