Homemade Stupid-Simple Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Recipe ⋆ by Pink (2024)

FAQs

What is the main ingredient in Hidden Valley Ranch? ›

If Ranch is your favorite, take a look at what's in the leading ranch dressings and then see which brands are Closest To Homemade®. HIDDEN VALLEY FAT FREE RANCH >> THE FIRST FIVE INGREDIENTS ARE WATER, BUTTERMILK, CORN SYRUP, MALTODEXTRIN AND SUGAR.

The difference comes in what you combine the seasoning mix with to make either a dip or dressing. Ranch dressing is typically made with milk and mayo, while ranch dip is typically made with sour cream.

Even when a restaurant does start with premade ranch, they will often fold in extra fresh herbs, and maybe even more buttermilk, to lighten and bring in some brighter flavors that can be lost in shelf-stable bottling.

The ranch packet has a fresher taste, because you add your own mayo and milk. Even though all the herbs and spices in the mix are dried, they rehydrate quickly and leave you with a product that feels homemade. This version of Hidden Valley Ranch is more flavorful than the bottled version and much, much thicker.

While many restaurants use mass produced ranch mix, they often add it to a higher-quality base. This might include milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or mayonnaise. So when you notice that the ranch in a restaurant tastes better than the bottled dressing from the store, what you're really tasting is delicious, creamy fat.

The ingredients in the seasoning packet have changed a bit since Henson first wrote the recipe and in particular, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is now one of the ingredients.

Clorox, Hidden Valley's parent company, is dealing with a cyberattack that has affected the dressing's production. So stores for months have had trouble stocking what some people call America's favorite dressing.

You can use the same ranch seasoning mix to make dips and dressings! The difference is the other ingredients. Ranch dressing has a thinner consistency and is usually made with buttermilk.

Make your own homemade ranch dressing mix, using just a few basic ingredients, for much cheaper than the store-bought packets! Plus, there's no artificial fillers, chemicals, preservatives or extra sugars!

What is the secret to restaurant ranch? ›

The secret to restaurant style ranch dressing are the ingredients. You can't use just any type or brand of mayonnaise or any type or brand of ranch powder. You have to use McCormick Mayonesa and Restaurant Style Hidden Valley Ranch powder. And, do not use regular milk.

The Seasoning Packets Family

We energized the magical Ranch blend of buttermilk, garlic and onion flavors with a heavy dose of mild chilies and red peppers.

Most of the dry ranch seasoning mix ingredients are simple and likely already found in your pantry. Onion powder, onion flakes, dill, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried chives give this delicious seasoning mix its flavor!

To be honest, a lot of restaurants just mix a TON of mayonnaise with some buttermilk and the Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix and call it a day. It's delicious, don't get me wrong! But I think if you actually saw how much mayonnaise was in restaurant ranch, you'd be like … oh. That's … a LOT.

Ranch dressing is a savory, creamy American salad dressing usually made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs (commonly chives, parsley and dill), and spices (commonly pepper, paprika and ground mustard seed) mixed into a sauce based on mayonnaise or another oil emulsion.

This product contains bioengineered ingredients, also known as GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms, and has been labeled in accordance with the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. Bioengineered foods or ingredients have changes introduced into their DNA through genetic engineering.

The ingredients in the seasoning packet have changed a bit since Henson first wrote the recipe and in particular, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is now one of the ingredients.