Ranch Seasoning Recipe is basically just a combination of Buttermilk Powder, dried herbs, and aromatics like Onion and garlic Powder.
Ranch Seasoning is something that everyone keeps in their kitchen. It's just so versatile in its uses! We can make so many things with ranch, like Ranch Cheddar Corn on the Cob or Ranch Cheddar Chicken Bake or Ranch Cheddar Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels or Southern Buttermilk Ranch Mashed Potatoes or Green Bean Ranch Potato Casserole
But have you ever thought about making ranch seasoning at home? It's so easy and trust me you won't be willing to go for store-bought ranch seasoning that is filled with preservatives and artificial taste enhancers, which are not exactly good for your health.
All you need are some basic pantry ingredients to make homemade ranch seasoning.

Jump to:
- What is Ranch Seasoning?
- What is the Most famous Ranch Seasoning?
- Why is Homemade Ranch better?
- What you'll need to make Ranch Seasoning?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Ranch Seasoning at home?
- How to store Ranch Seasoning?
- I can't find dry buttermilk powder! Where is it?
- BTW What is Buttermilk Powder?
- Can I make Ranch Dressing out of Ranch Seasoning?
- What Spice Gives Ranch its flavors?
- Ranch Dressing Substitute
- Ranch Seasoning Recipe
Making ranch seasoning at home is probably the easiest things to do. Just gather all your ingredients and mix it up in a bowl. And, Voila! Your Homemade Ranch Seasoning is ready.
What is Ranch Seasoning?
To understand ranch seasoning you have to first understand what ranch is. It started out as a salad dressing by a literal cowboy from Nebraska named Steve Henson.
He along with his wife invented ranch seasoning, which consisted of a unique spice blend containing buttermilk and herbs.
He sold this ranch to his customers and soon enough, this tangy dressing became a hit among everyone!

What is the Most famous Ranch Seasoning?
If you are a devoted ranch lover then you surely must have heard of the company named 'Hidden valley ranch'.
It was founded by the Man behind ranch dressing, Steve Henson. He is also credited for inventing the ranch seasoning.
He used to sell it in small pouches to his far away customers who wanted to enjoy ranch all year around.
Decades later, the Henson's have made their ranch into a multi-billion corporation! But they still maintain the same quality and taste as the original ranch, so much that people are still looking for the recipe of their ranch seasoning!
Why is Homemade Ranch better?

We understand that not everyone has the time for the effort of making their own ranch seasoning.
Especially when you can get a perfect tasting ranch seasoning from companies like Hidden valley ranch.
But do you know that these companies add a lot of chemical preservatives in their ranch?
Not to mention, they also put in the very much controversial MSG (Monosodium glutamate).
And we definitely don't need to tell how the adverse effects these chemicals can have you on your health!
Making a homemade ranch is not that difficult. All you need is good ingredients and you'll have fresh homemade ranch seasoning that can go along with every food!

What you'll need to make Ranch Seasoning?
The ingredients for ranch seasoning are pretty easily available in most kitchens.
A typical ranch dressing consists of ingredients like onion powder, parsley powder and most importantly, powdered buttermilk.
If these ingredients are not available in your kitchen pantry then don't worry. You don't need to break your bank account to buy them as they come cheap in any local grocery store.
Ingredients
Here's all that you need to make Ranch dressing:
- Powdered buttermilk. Make sure it is completely dry otherwise it'll spoil the seasoning mix
- Dried parsley
- Dill weed that is dried out.
- Chives. Make sure they are freezed and dried.
- Sea salt. You can also use regular salt, but sea salt provides more depth of flavor
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Freshly ground black pepper. Keep in mind that this is totally optional. If you don't like spice, feel free to skip it.
see the recipe card for quantities
How to Make Ranch Seasoning at home?
Making ranch seasoning will take no longer than ten minutes of your time. Just be careful with how much proportions of ingredients you add into it. You can tweak it as you like.
For example if you want a spicy ranch then add more black pepper.
If you want a ranch on more umami side then you can bump up the portion of dry buttermilk powder.
In the end it really depends on your taste preferences.
Here are two simple steps of making ranch seasoning:
- Take a large bowl and add in all your ingredients, which includes dry buttermilk powder, herbs and spices.
- Take a whisk and mix all the ingredients together. Toss them in the bowl a few times for extra measure. You want your ranch seasoning to be uniform in every grain of it. And that's it! Your ranch dressing is done!
How to store Ranch Seasoning?
Ranch seasoning just like any other seasoning needs to be stored in a cool and dry place.
Make sure to pack your ranch seasoning in an air-tight jar, preferably made of glass and not plastic.
This will keep your ranch seasoning from moisture. Store this ranch seasoning the proper way and they'll last as long as up to three months!
I can't find dry buttermilk powder! Where is it?
If you have never bought dry buttermilk powder then just look for them in the baking section of any grocery store or supermarket. It should be available there! Or you can always order online! And trust us, this is a great thing to have in the kitchen as it lasts way longer than your typical buttermilk. Just add in some water and you're ready to use it on any buttermilk based recipes like pancakes or southern fried chicken!
BTW What is Buttermilk Powder?
Buttermilk is the residual liquid that is left in the butter-making process. Buttermilk Powder is made by dehydrating buttermilk until it resembles a powder form.
Can I make Ranch Dressing out of Ranch Seasoning?
Ranch seasoning is basically your ranch dressing in a dried out format. All you need to do is introduce some liquid like water/sour cream and you can make it into ranch dressing. Just make sure you don't make it too thin as that will dampen the taste of your seasoning!
In fact, there are so many other things you can do with ranch seasoning. The fact that it is completely dry gives you more room to experiment with it. You can use it as a regular extra seasoning in your recipes or add liquid to it and make some fun dips!
What Spice Gives Ranch its flavors?
In my opinion Ranch seasoning gets its distinct taste and flavor from dried Buttermilk Powder. Seriously, dried Buttermilk powder is like a packet full of taste. It's just so good and so flavorful. And, a ranch is NOT ranch until you have a good amount of buttermilk powder.
Ranch Dressing Substitute
I know we don't have access to store-bought ranch all the time. But, I'll tell you a secret substitute that will not make you miss your favorite Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. Just use Plain-Yogurt will your herbs - (dried dill, dried parsley, dried chives) and aromatic like (onion and garlic powder).
Combine them together and that'll be your perfect ranch dressing substitute.
Ranch seasoning bought from the market is not only expensive but it is also not the best deal for your health.
So why not take just five minutes of our time to make some great ranch seasoning right at home? We hope with this guide you will be able to enjoy ranch seasoning the way it was meant to be originally without any MSG or preservatives!
Ranch Seasoning Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- ⅓ cup dried buttermilk powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 3 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 2 teaspoon dried chives
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Homemade Ranch Seasoning
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Store in an airtight container (preferably a glass container) for up to 6 months.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Combine ⅓ cup of ranch seasoning mix with ½ cup low fat mayonnaise, and ½ cup plain greek yogurt. You can replace ½ cup plain-yogurt with ½ cup sour cream. Add up to ¾ cup milk or until it reaches your desired consistency. Stir well and store it in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 15-20 minutes before serving.
Homemade Ranch Dip
- Combine 3 Tablespoon of ranch seasoning mix with ½ cup low fat mayonnaise and ½ cup plain greek yogurt, You can also use ½ cup sour cream in stead of plain greek yogurt. Add ⅓ cup milk or more until it reaches the desired consistency. Stir well and store in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 15-20 minutes before serving.
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