The ranch is very easy to make and it tastes so good. To get its full taste it is much better to prepare it at home. But despite being so simple recipe, a lot of things can go wrong while preparing it. Among all those blunders one of the worst things that could happen is that your ranch can turn out too thin. Here our concern is, how to thicken ranch dressing?
To thicken ranch dressing, mix 1/4 teaspoon of xantham gum as per cup of ranch you have made. Xantham gum is a wonderful thickening agent and does not affect the original taste of the ranch. Some other methods for thickening the ranch may include the addition of mayonnaise, cream cheese, sour cream, or Greek yogurt in the ranch.
A thick buffalo sauce, for the recipe to thicken your sauce click here
How to thicken ranch dressing?
To thicken ranch dressing I tried these methods:
- Mayonnaise
- Greek yogurt
- Sour cream
- Cream cheese
- Xanthan gum
- Corn starch.
I have performed all of these methods, and I will tell you how much to add these ingredients to get a nice thick ranch dressing.
I will also discuss some of the other methods that I haven’t tried yet but that would prove beneficial for you as well.
Table of Contents
How To Thicken Ranch Dressing by using Mayonnaise?
The basic ingredient of most ranch dressings is mayonnaise and buttermilk. These ingredients are mixed with a lot of other seasonings. Mayonnaise is available in the thick form, while buttermilk is usually runny. So, if you want to thicken your dressing, then simply add more mayonnaise. For 100ml of thin sauce, I added 60g of mayonnaise to make it a bit thicker and to get a ketchup-like consistency in the ranch dressing.
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese works well as a thickening agent for ranch dressing. A small amount of cream cheese goes a long way, so you don’t need to add an abundant quantity of cream cheese to the ranch dressing. I added 15g of cream cheese for 100 ml of dressing. It is required less than the mayonnaise or yogurt options.
How To Thicken Ranch Dressing by using Xanthan gum?
Xanthan gum was something that I’d never used before. So, it was a bit skeptical and a new thing for me. But when I used it. I was very impressed by the results. It is a tasteless ingredient, so that’s why it didn’t alter the flavor and taste of the ranch at all. You should add the xanthan gum in its powder form in the ranch dressing. You mustn’t add too much because you’ll end up with a sticky, gummy ranch dressing.
For each cup of ranch dressing, add a ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum in it. This amount will give a significant thickening effect in the ranch dressing, so just adjust this according to the level of thickness you need in your ranch dressing.
Greek Yoghurt
An amazing alternative to mayonnaise is greek yogurt. It is healthier than mayonnaise and it also adds a nice tang to the ranch dressing.
Greek yogurt is thicker than original milk but it is thinner than mayonnaise. If you want to use this as a thickening agent then you will need to add a LOT of greek yogurt to the ranch dressing to get significant thickening. But in case you just want to get a slightly thicker dressing, then greek yogurt will do the trick and it will give you better results.
I added 70g for 100ml of my ranch dressing. This took my ranch dressing from soup-like to ketchup-like.
Sour Cream
Sour cream is quite similar to Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. It will thicken your dressing, but you’ll need to add a heavy amount of it to see a significant difference in the thickness of ranch dressing.
For 100ml of ranch dressing, I added 50g of sour cream. The sour cream I had used for my ranch dressing was pretty thick in texture.
Corn Starch
Corn starch is a well-known thickening agent. It is used for the thickening of hot sauces. But there was conflicting information about its usage in cold sauces.
Some sources say that it would work and some say that it wouldn’t work in thickening the ranch dressing.
I tried the cornstarch in two different ways:
- straight from the packet where it was available in powder form
- I also used it in a slurry form (1 part cornstarch to 1 part water)
The addition of cornstarch in both of these forms neither made any noticeable difference to the thickness of the ranch dressing. It is better to heat the cornstarch if you want to make it worthy.
Heat activates the working mechanism of cornstarch. When it is heated above 180 degrees it will start scratching and it will also start swelling and so it will absorb water. This process is starch gelatinization. This is the process that thickens the sauce organically without affecting the taste of ranch dressing.
How To Thicken Ranch Dressing via Chia seeds?
Chia seeds have a gelatinous consistency in themselves. They thicken the sauces and dressings when they are added to a liquid.
They’re subsequently used as a substitute for eggs in the production of pancakes or muffins. They are used in such things because of their thickening ability.
Add a teaspoon of chia seeds at the time of the seeds until the ranch dressing reaches your desired consistency level. These seeds on average take a few minutes to work better so be patient and give them proper time. Keep on adding each tablespoon 2-3 minutes after the last one.
How To Thicken Ranch Dressing? Other tips for making a thick ranch dressing
These are a few tips for the next time when you will make your ranch dressing. So it won’t end up being too thin again.
Prevention is a key to success.
Put it in the fridge
The ranch dressing will get thicker in the fridge because all the creamy components of the ranch dressing will mix and firm up tightly. If you think that your sauce is too thin, and you have enough time, then first leave it in the fridge overnight and see how it is in the morning.
If your ranch dressing is still too thin, then go ahead and add something to it to make it thicker.
Avoid the blender for mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is an emulsion and its overprocessing or overheating can cause the emulsion to break which leads to its thinning massively.
This is a very easy procedure and it can be easily done in a blender or food processor. Adding all your required/desired ingredients into the blender and blitzing it for too long will give you a super-thin and very delicious dressing.
Instead of the above procedure, first, add the mayonnaise and a small amount of the buttermilk to the blender, and then add the herbs and spices into it. Blend this mixture for a few seconds to chop up all the herbs properly.
Then pour the dressing into a bowl and add the rest of all the ingredients into it. You can whisk all these ingredients by hand until everything is not nicely mixed up with each other.
Start without milk and add slowly
Instead of adding all the ingredients at once in the blender, take start with the mayonnaise, herbs, and spices. Mix all of these ingredients well, and then slowly add them to the milk/buttermilk until you reach your desired consistency level of ranch dressing.
Make sure you put your ranch dressing in the refrigerator for a while for better results and the best servings.