Homemade Ranch Seasoning Recipe

The other day we went to Trader Joe’s and in the new products area there was this RANCH SEASONING BLEND.

I absolutely love ranch. I’m the person who orders ranch dressing with a side of ranch. Ranch is so creamy, so herby, and so flavorful. I was really excited to see it in a seasoning blend because I can ranch-ify everything! Ranch popcorn, ranch mozzarella, ranch bread!! Yes, forget garlic bread, what about ranch bread?! Thick slices of toasted white bread slathered in butter and doused with ranch seasoning. OMG I haven’t made it yet but I am going to right now.

Anyway, I bought two bottles, just in case and then I wanted to reverse engineer it because I’m always scared that they take things off the shelf that I love. So, here we are. This is perfect for you if you don’t live anywhere near a Trader Joe’s and still want your Trader Joe’s ranch seasoning blend. I did a double blind taste test with Mike and he said it was virtually indistinguishable.

(this post is not sponsored btw)

What is ranch dressing?

Ranch is an American salad dressing, invented at the end of the 1940s. It’s the most popular dressing in American and Hidden Valley Ranch both invented it and are still the number one leading brand of ranch dressing. It’s made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, and herbs and is used for both salads and dipping.

What is in ranch seasoning blend?

The back of the label says: buttermilk powder, garlic, onion, salt, sugar, dried dill, black pepper, dried green onion, and dried chives.

Ranch seasoning blend ingredients

The key to ranch seasoning is that everything is in its powdered form so it clings to things easily as well mixing into a smooth sauce.
buttermilk powder – this is what gives the seasoning it’s creamy signature ranch flavor.

• garlic – you want granulated garlic instead of powder because granulated garlic is a bit more coarsely ground.
• onion – ditto on the granulated onion instead of powdered onion.
• salt – just a touch of salt to highlight the other flavors.
• sugar – yup, there’s sugar in ranch. It’s why it tastes so good!
• dill – a little bit of dried dill for color and a fresh citrus-y flavor.
• pepper – a little bit of black pepper of just a hint of warmth.
• green onion – dried green onions pack a little punch of fresh onion flavor. They usually call them spring onions and you can find the dried ones in the section near the salad dressings or online.
• chives – dried chives a little bit more onion flavor, but on the milder side. They sell these near the salad dressing and online.

Buttermilk Powder

Buttermilk powder is simply buttermilk that has been dehydrated. It’s great for shelf stability and for adding tang to things like powdered seasoning mixes. You can use it in baking and for things like fried chicken. It’s great for people who buy buttermilk but never use up the whole carton because with the powder, you can make the exact amount of buttermilk you need. It’s pretty amazing and a powerful pantry staple! You can buy it in grocery stores, usually near the milk powder, and online. https://amzn.to/3jWd7BQ

Why ranch seasoning instead of ranch?

For me, I love the fact that it’s a powdered seasoning blend and not a dressing because you can put on things that you wouldn’t normally pour ranch on. Popcorn with ranch dressing is soggy but popcorn with ranch seasoning is perfection. Plus you can toss it in your bag and sprinkle it on EVERYTHING to add a bit of ranch flavor. I’m actually not a huge fan of ranch dressing on salads because it tends to make the leaves soggy. But ranch seasoning? It’s seriously, it’s so good.

How to make ranch seasoning blend

It’s as simple as:

1. Gather your ingredients
2. Mix
3. Enjoy on everything

Ranch Wings

If you love dipping hot wings in ranch sauce you’re going to DIE over how good these ranch wings are. The buttermilk in the ranch perfectly browns in the air fryer and adds tang and tenderization. These ranch wings were the best wings I’ve made in the air fryer, no joke.

They were juicy on the inside, golden and burnished on the outside and coated in finger licking ranch seasoning. They reminded me of a naked buttermilk fried chicken sans breading. I didn’t dip them in ranch because they were perfect as is, but if you do choose the ranch dip route, you’re a ranch hero!

Ranch wings recipe

serves 2
prep: 5
cook: 20

1 lb wings
1 tbsp neutral oil
2 tbsp ranch seasoning
1 tsp baking powder

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and toss generously in oil.
2. Mix the baking powder with the ranch seasoning and toss to coat the wings evenly.
3. Spray the air fryer basket with oil or lightly brush with a thin coat of oil. Arrange the chicken in a single layer and air fry at 400°F for 15 mins. When the 15 minutes is up, flip the chicken and air fry for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken immediately. Enjoy!

Trader Joe’s ranch seasoning blend ideas:

1. ranch carrots – I saw this one on Tiktok, tried it and was blown away. Basically, take a bag of baby carrots, douse it in ranch seasoning, toss it and enjoy. Ranch carrots! You can also just dip your carrots in the ranch seasoning too.
2. ranch vegetables – in the same vein as the carrots, try ranch seasoning on all cut up vegetables. Think bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes, anything you would have on a veggie platter.
3. ranch bread – just like garlic bread but with ranch! Toast up a slice of your best bread, slather it with butter and sprinkle on the ranch.
4. ranch eggs – sunny side up, over easy, scrambled, or boiled, ranch make eggs better.
5. ranch pasta – like aglio e olio but with ranch instead of garlic and pepper flakes.

You can even use this ranch seasoning to make ranch dressing! Just mix

• 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp ranch seasoning blend

If you love ranch, try:

• Jalapeño Bacon Ranch Mini Twice Baked Potatoes
• Breadsticks with Homemade Pizza Sauce and Homemade Ranch
• Green Grilled Cheese and Ranch Dippers

Happy ranch-ifying everything!
xoxo steph

Ranch Seasoning Recipe

Ranch is so creamy, herby, and flavorful, and this ranch seasoning blend version lets you ranch-ify everything!

Serves 12

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Active Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup buttermilk powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder specifically granulated garlic
• 1 tbsp onion powder specifically granulated onion
• 1 tbsp dried dill
• 1 tbsp dried green onions
• 1 tbsp dried chives
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions

• Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and store in a jar in an airtight container. Use liberally on everything!
  

Notes

makes 1/4 cup

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Ranch Seasoning Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 tsp)

Calories 17 Calories from Fat 2

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.2g0%

Saturated Fat 0.1g1%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 208mg9%

Potassium 70mg2%

Carbohydrates 2.9g1%

Fiber 0.3g1%

Sugar 1.8g2%

Protein 1.2g2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.