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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Making salad dressing at home is an easy way of saving a few bucks. It’s also an excellent opportunity to emulate your favorite dressings, in this case, the creamy and flavorful Ranch dressing served at Chili’s. That’s one serious ranch dressing; I’m sure you’ll agree.
So, what goes into this pearly white and heavily seasoned dressing? Find out below!
As a plus, I’m telling you how to make Chili’s ranch dip, best enjoyed with a dozen hot wings, if you know what I mean.
To make this dressing, we’re combining mayo and buttercream for the base. This way, you get a creamy and a bit oily dressing that’s just delicious over salads but also grilled veggies and even fried whole fish.
The flavor comes from powdered onions and garlic, together with a combination of dried herbs. I use chives, oregano, tarragon and parsley, but you can play around with these.
All dried herbs are special, and they all give the dressing a unique personality. Season with salt and pepper, and you’re done. Your own Chili’s ranch dressing ready in ten minutes.
To make the dip, don’t use buttermilk but sour cream. Buttermilk is too runny for a dip. Also, the sour cream will give the dip the loveliest tang! That’s what you want in a dip, an explosion of flavor.
This dressing is pretty versatile. It’s delicious on salads, for sure, but be careful. It might overpower the most delicate ingredients. Drizzle this one into chicken or fish salads that carry more weight.
As mentioned above, a good ranch dressing is also wonderful with grilled veggies, fried fish, soups, roasts and even marinades.
There are just so many flavors in the Ranch that it can completely transform a meal into something extraordinary.
And here’s a final tip. Combine the dry ingredients in larger quantities and store them for future use. Every time you want some ranch, you just have to bring out the buttermilk and mayo!
For the ranch dry mix, combine the garlic, onion, chives, oregano, tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper. Store in a container in the pantry for future use.
To make a salad dressing, in a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise and the buttermilk with one tablespoon of ranch dry mix and drizzle over your favorite salad.
For a dip, substitute the buttermilk for sour cream.
