4 Simple Ways to Thicken Ranch Dressing

This simple recipe for ranch dressing is easy to make and will save you time and money over the store bought version.

Homemade ranch tastes amazing on a variety of foods. From salads to veggies to pizzas, to french fries and much more. Making your own is easy and fast, and it lets you better control the ingredients and flavors.

No matter what kind of ranch dressing you prefer, make sure to use a ranch that’s thin, so the flavor and consistency will stick to your favorite foods.

If you want to thicken it up, try a few different ways. In this article, we’ll quickly review the ingredients of ranch dressing and then discuss a couple of techniques for thickening it up when you make it yourself. So that way, your home-made ranch is ready every time.

What Are the Ingredients of Ranch Dressing and How Is it Made?

What are the ingredients of ranch dressing? In order to understand how to thicken ranch dressing, we first have to know what’s in it and how that mixture of ingredients combine to make ranch dressing.

And then, let’s see how we can mix and match these components to make our own dressings and other sauces. No matter what food you’re talking about, homemade is almost always better, all the way around.

Ranch dressing is no exception. Homemade ranch dressing is typically made from a combination of a few standard ingredients:

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Greek yogurt. Regular milk or buttermilk. Lemon juice. Spices, typically including dill, garlic, onion powder, parsley, pepper, and salt.

Some recipes also call for apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or other seasonings to add some spice or more flavor.

If you want a recipe for making a simple ranch dressing, all you need is milk, sour cream, and mayo. Mix these ingredients together and you’ll have your own homemade version of a classic.

1. Give it Time

It’s easy to thicken homemade ranch, with relatively simple ingredients that you may have already at home. However, for it to be ready to serve, it must chill for a period of time.

There are many different things that you can do to make your own ranch dressing, and you should definitely follow the directions from your recipe on how long it should be refrigerated before serving.

However, if you add a couple tablespoons of mayo, it’s really easy to make a thickened version of your favorite salad dressing.

It might be getting too cold outside for the ranch to set overnight. You may be storing the ranch in a cold environment.

If you’re planning to serve your ranch for a special meal or occasion, you may want to consider serving the ranch at an ambient temperature before you actually serve it.

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Ranch dressing can last for days in the fridge, but if it gets too thick or watery, it’s time to throw it out. If you don’t, then you’ll waste all your efforts making a great dressing.

2. Use Xanthan Gum

The second thickening agent is xanthan gum. You can buy xanthan gum in the grocery store or online. It’s also included in many processed foods. Xanthan gum can be added to the chicken stock to make your dressing much thicker.

Examples of thickeners include starches such as cornstarch, tapioca, flour, and more, as well as gels and gums, and fats. One of the best options for thickening ranch dressing is xanthan gum.

Xanthan Gum is a popular thickener for sauces and dressings. It is also a common food additive. Xanthan gum has no flavor and adds the right amount of thickness to a dressing or sauce.

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Although xanthan gum is a natural substance, it is highly processed and it may have some side effects. It could cause an upset stomach if you add too much, and the long-term health benefits aren’t clear.

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3. Add Cornstarch

You probably don’t have xanthan gum lying around the house, but you might have cornstarch. The next best option for ranch dressing is cornstarch. Mix the cornstarch well with equal parts water until it is dissolved and forms a thick paste.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture at a time to the chicken salad. Continue to add more to the salad until it’s desired consistency. Taste the dressing as you go and add more salt and pepper as needed.

4. Add Mayonnaise

The thickness of any homemade ranch dressing is about achieving a balance between solid and liquid ingredients.

If you’re making ranch dressing, don’t throw in the mayonnaise with the other ingredients. The mayonnaise will add even more to the already substantial dressing.

This is because the mayonnaise is already a dominant flavor in ranch dressing. That said, you can only add so much mayonnaise before you ruin the overall taste of the ranch.

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Before you know it, you’re adding more salt and pepper, then more of the other spices, and finally more sour cream and milk; you still have the consistency problem, and now your dressing won’t even fit in your container!

Thickening Ranch Made From a Seasoning Packet

We’ve used a ranch packet to make thickened ranch dressing in the past, and we used to buy that kind of packet, but it turns out they’re not that good, so we’ve moved to a more traditional method of making our own.

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If you diluted the flavor of the dressing, you wouldn’t know exactly what spices had been added in order to create the dressing. You might have to go out and purchase an extra packet of the ingredients. This is one more reason why homemade is typically preferable.

How to Thicken Store-Bought Ranch Dressing

Are you looking for a delicious way to thicken store-bought ranch dressing? Here are 8 simple steps to help you achieve the desired thickness. 

1. Start by mixing together 1 cup of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of sour cream. 

2. Add 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. 

3. If you want a thinner dressing, add more sour cream or mayonnaise, depending on your preference. 

4. Store Ranch Dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

5. When you’re ready to use it, just mix together 2 tablespoons of Ranch Dressing with 1 tablespoon of milk or water and enjoy!

What If My Ranch Is Too Thick?

What If My Ranch Is Too Thick? You needed to thicken up your ranch dressing, but you went too far. It’s not an uncommon mistake, and it is certainly able to be fixed. The easiest way to thin out your dressing is to add some kind of liquid.

You could certainly add more milk or buttermilk, but the problem with this method is that it’ll alter the flavor of the ranch so much that it’ll be hard to determine if the difference between what you originally put into the dish is actually worth the change in flavor.

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If you’re using a creamy salad dressing or topping, you might want to thicken it. You can use flour, or another thickener like potato or tapioca starch.

Related FAQ

How do you make ranch dressing thicker?

When making ranch dressing, adding a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise can make it thicker. However, this method can also create a sour taste.

Another way to thicken ranch dressing is by using heavy cream or sour cream. Just add a tablespoon or two of either to your recipe and you’ll have a delicious and thick ranch dressing.

How do you thicken runny dressing?

There are a few ways to thicken runny dressing. One is to add more ingredients, such as buttermilk, flour, or egg.

Another is to mix in softened butter or oil until the dressing is thick and smooth. A third option is to heat the dressing until it thickens slightly, then cool it before serving.

Which ingredient thickens the cooked dressing?

A common ingredient in many dressings is oil. One study found that adding a tablespoon of oil to a vinaigrette decreased its thickness by almost half. However, there are other ingredients that can also thicken dressings.

One such ingredient is flour. Flour can be used to help thicken sauces and gravies, as well as dressings. It acts as a thickening agent and can also lend a layer of flavor to the dressing.

How do you thicken salad dressing with cornstarch?

How to thicken ranch dressing with cornstarch:

Serve your salad dressed with a tangy, creamy, and irresistible cornstarch-thickened ranch dressing. To make this perfect summer salad topping, simply whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/2 cup of cold water until the starch has been completely dissolved.

This solution can then be used to thicken any salad dressing or dip recipe that you may have on hand. Simply add the desired amount of cornstarch mixture to your desired amount of liquid and stir until smooth.

For example, if you want a thinner dipping sauce, use only 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch mixture while if you want a thicker dressing, use 2 tablespoons. Plus, this miraculous thickening agent is also vegan-friendly so you can feel good about using it in all sorts of dishes!

How do you thicken runny coleslaw?

Coleslaw is one of those salads that can be easily turned into a disaster if the dressing isn’t thickened up. The usual way to thicken coleslaw dressing is to use mayonnaise, but this can be a bit heavy and not very healthy. Here are some other tips for thickening your coleslaw dressing: 

-Add in some sour cream or yogurt. This will add richness and thickness, without adding too many calories or fat.

-Mix in some cornstarch or arrowroot powder. These both work well as thickeners and will help to keep the salad voluminous and crunchy.

-Try using grapeseed oil or avocado oil as your base oils. These are high in healthy fats, which will help to create a thicker dressing that still tastes delicious.

What is a natural thickening agent?

A natural thickening agent is an ingredient that helps to thicken ranch dressing. Thickening agents can be found in a variety of foods, such as mayonnaise and soup. They work by causing the mixture to form a thick, stable emulsion.

What can I use as a thickening agent?

There are many thickening agents that can be used in ranch dressing. Cornstarch, arrowroot powder, and tapioca starch are all common options. These agents work by causing the moisture in the ingredients to bind together and make the dressing thicker.

Is baking soda a thickening agent?

Baking soda is a popular thickening agent used in many dishes. It can be found in baking powder and baking soda, which are both mainly made of sodium bicarbonate.

Sodium bicarbonate is a type of salt that reacts with acid to produce carbon dioxide and water. This reaction makes baking soda an effective thickener because it helps to bind water molecules together. 

Baking soda can also help to leaven bread dough and make cakes light and fluffy. In foods like ranch dressing, it works as an emulsifier to keep the oil and water mixture mixed together.

This mixture becomes a liquid when stirred, but if left alone will thicken over time due to the carbon dioxide released from the baking soda.

How do you thicken cold sauce?

Baking soda is a common thickening agent found in many recipes. It helps to create a creamy or lump-free sauce or dressing. While baking soda is not technically an ingredient, it can be used as a thickener in many recipes.

Does cornstarch thicken cold liquid?

Does cornstarch thicken cold liquid? Cornstarch is a common thickener used in many recipes. It can be used to thicken liquids, dressings, and sauces. 

Cornstarch has a couple of things working against it when it comes to thickening liquids. First, it has a low viscosity which means that it flows easily through small holes in themixing vessel. Second, cornstarch absorbs water quickly which makes it very wet and heavy. 

Both of these factors can cause problems when trying to thicken a sauce or dressing quickly. If the sauce is too wet, the cornstarch will not be able to bind well and will start to separate from the other ingredients.

Can xanthan gum be used to thicken salad dressing?

Xanthan gum is a common thickening agent used in salad dressing. It has a number of properties that make it ideal for this application, including the ability to form a semi-solid gel when mixed with liquids, low cost, and FDA approved as a food additive.

While xanthan gum can be found in many grocery stores and pharmacies, it is often not the most affordable option. In some cases, alternative thickeners may be more affordable and effective. 

The most common uses for xanthan gum include as an emulsifier in salad dressings and as a binder in puddings and cake batters. Xanthan gum can also be used to thicken sauces, gravies, frosting, jello, whipped cream, and ice cream.

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