Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing and ranch dip are crowd favourites. What’s not to love? It is tangy, herbal, creamy and dreamy! This recipe brings that big ranch flavour with a lot less chemicals and fat than your bottled version – about 40 calories/ tablespoon (or less if you use non-fat greek yogurt).

Why You Will Love this Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

Well, first off, it’s ranch dressing. Like I said, most people love it. It’s flavour profile combines tanginess, creaminess, and herbal notes in a way that enhances a variety of foods from salads and raw veggies to chicken wings and burgers!

Normally, homemade ranch dressing uses mayonnaise and buttermilk as it’s base (sometimes with the addition of sour cream too). The mayonnaise provides the smooth texture and creaminess, while the buttermilk and/or sour cream imparts that tangy flavour. In this recipe, our base is Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt provides the tang you look for in ranch dressing and it is thick allowing for the dressing to be used as a dip if you are so inclined. Greek yogurt also provides protein, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics that mayonnaise just doesn’t. And there is a big calorie difference between the two: 1/2 cup full fat greek yogurt (120 cal) nonfat (70 cal) and mayonnaise (400 cal).

But I can’t be too hard on mayonnaise. I use a little bit in this recipe to smooth out the flavours (2 tbsp), but if you don’t want the added calories you really can omit it.

Now on to store bought ranch dressing, it comes with a myriad of ingredients, most of which our bodies would probably be happier without. So why not whip up your own Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing where you can control the flavour profile and calories, and feel good about what you are serving yourself and your family and friends.

Equipment Needed

This is a pretty basic recipe. All you really need is a small mixing bowl, measuring spoons, measuring cups, and a spoon to mix it all together. But if you don’t already have these in your arsenal, you can click on the links in this paragraph to find some on Amazon. Disclosure: as an Amazon affiliate, I receive a small amount of compensation from qualifying purchases at no expense to you. This helps support my work and allows me to bring more yummy recipes your way.

Ingredients

• Greek Yogurt, plain – the base of the dressing. Provides the creaminess and tang. I used full fat, but you could use a non-fat.
• Mayonnaise – a small amount helps to smooth out the texture and flavours. (can be omitted if you are calorie conscious)
• Dried parsley – herbal notes in dressing
• Dried chives – herbal notes in dressing
• Dijon mustard – for that je ne sais quoi flavour.
• Lemon juice – provides a little more tang and freshness, and helps with preservation.
• Garlic powder and Onion powder – provides savory depth and contributes to the umami taste
• Pepper and salt – seasonings to balance the flavour
• Granulated sugar or honey – just a small amount to balance the flavours, can be left out if you would prefer.
• Water or milk can be added if you would like to thin out the dressing.

Making Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

1. In a bowl combine all the ingredients except for the water and salt.

2. Stir together until well combined.

3. Taste to determine if you want to add salt or a little more sugar.
4. You can stir in a teaspoon of water or milk to thin out the dressing if you want to use as a salad dressing. Keep adding and mixing in until you get the consistency you want.
5. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour or longer to allow the flavours to meld.
6. Enjoy thick as a dip or thinned out as a salad dressing

Notes

• If you are in a rush you can serve this right away, but giving it 30 minutes to an hour allows the dried herbs to hydrate and all the flavours to meld together.
• If you have fresh herbs on hand you can use them in place for the dried herbs, just double the amounts.
• Feel free to add other herbs to your liking. This dressing would also be nice with dill.
• If you don’t have any fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar can be a good stand-in.

FAQs

• What should I serve with my Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing? If you keep it thick, it makes a great dip for raw veggies like carrots, celery, cucumbers, peppers etc. You could also dip plain chips, French fries, and chicken wings in it. If you want to thin it out, it makes a lovely salad dressing.
• How long can I store this dressing? Your dressing should last as long as the expiry date on your yogurt. Be sure to keep it in the fridge in an airtight container.
• How did ranch dressing get it’s name? It actually got it’s name from a plumber and his wife Steve and Gayle Henson. They bought a ranch in 1954 in California and named it “Hidden Valley Ranch”. They later opened a steakhouse there which become renowned for it’s salad dressing. I’m sure they would have rather been renowned for their steaks, but it looks like they did all right with the salad dressing 😉.