Skip The Drive-Thru: Make Dairy Queen Ranch Dipping Sauce At Home

There's a strong chance that you associate Dairy Queen with its popular ice cream creations known as Blizzards (I certainly do). But the fast-food chain also slings an entire menu of savory foods, like its chicken strips that I was a big fan of growing up. With those crispy chicken strips, you might order another menu item that fans think is all the rage: Its ranch dipping sauce.

Personally, I'm a fan of honey mustard with my chicken tenders, but customers online can't stop talking about DQ's ranch — and for good reasons like its flavor and consistency. So how do you make it at home? Apparently, Dairy Queen uses Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning, which means it's incredibly easy to make at home. The seasoning contains ingredients like dried onion and garlic, so it will result in that traditional ranch flavor that you expect from the sauce. All you need in addition to a package of the seasoning is either buttermilk or mayonnaise, which you likely already have at home.

It only takes a few simple steps to make the ranch dipping sauce similar to the Dairy Queen drive-thru. For every packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning, former or current employees claim you only need a cup of buttermilk and a cup of mayonnaise. Others report that regular milk is used, which provides a less tangy flavor. You can use a little more (or less) milk or buttermilk to achieve the consistency you want. To kick it up a notch, add garlic powder, sour cream for a thicker sauce, lemon juice for acidity, or a dash of your go-to hot sauce for heat. Or put in a little more effort and make our homemade ranch powder recipe to skip the packaged option. Regardless, all you need to do is put all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until it's combined.

If you need some serving suggestions for that Dairy Queen-inspired ranch, Tasting Table has you covered. Serve it with our classic chicken tenders as a dipping sauce, just like you might eat it at Dairy Queen. Or skip the deep frying and make our air fryer chicken nuggets recipe instead. Of course, any leftover ranch can be used on your salads as a dressing. Just be sure to use the homemade ranch dipping sauce within two weeks of making for the best taste and quality.