Wingstop’s Ranch Dressing Hack
There are a lot of things referred to as “liquid gold” – honey, argan oil, or even gold in liquid form – literally. For me, well, it’s ranch dressing! 😀 I remember seeing clips of Courtney Cox chugging an entire bottle of ranch, and I’d say, I could relate to her, like really!
I use ranch dressing on anything. It’s the best ranch for chicken wings (so perfect with buffalo – I’m preaching to the choir, I know). Salads, tacos or quesadillas, popcorn shrimp, and fresh veggie cuts are just some of the perfect pairings for ranch. Did I just hear my stomach growl?
If you’re new to this type of dressing, ranch is a sauce or dressing commonly used on salads. The sour cream and mayonnaise serve as emulsifiers, while herbs such as chives and dill add flavor.
The final product is a unique and delicious blend of all of these ingredients. In the end, all the components are tossed together, or even emulsified in an oil, to form a sauce or some sort of “oil suspension” as I often refer to it.
What Is The Signature Restaurant Ranch Recipe?
The distinguishing factor between the restaurant mix and the regular ranch mix is the dairy used. The constituents for most bottled ranch dressings are oil, eggs, and dairy products, although in less proportions, plus they have more additives to increase their shelf life.
Wingstop may have set the bar when it comes to restaurant-served ranch. They are very consistent with their dressing: it has a nice flavor, and complements their buffalo wings quite well. My mix uses powdered ranch mix, one produced by the famous Hidden Valley.
In these packets, salt, buttermilk, herbs, and spice are the primary ingredients. In the recipe that I will be sharing, you’ll see that the components are very much the same.
My Version Of The Famous Wingstop Ranch Recipe
What makes an amazing bowl of ranch dressing?
Here are the ingredients behind any DIY ranch dressing recipe’s success:
- For an instant bowl of dressing, I use the premix by Hidden Valley Ranch, which is literally magic waiting to happen. Just make your choice of dairy, seasoning, and herbs, and you’ll have a good bowl of ranch dressing in just a minute.
- I often resort to using full-fat mayonnaise, because it is just so full of flavor. If you need to adjust according to your dietary requirements, you can also use vegan mayo.
- Adding heavy cream or sour cream to your mixture yields a flavorful and rich ranch dressing. You may also use buttermilk. If you have no buttermilk on hand, create your own by placing a tablespoon of vinegar in a measuring cup, and then filling it with milk up to one cup’s measure.
- Let it sit for a few minutes, you will also notice the milk starting to curdle. Instant buttermilk!
The Vegan Version
Not just for vegans, but for those who are lactose intolerant, or have related allergies to eggs. I am happy to share some products that you can use to substitute the dairy components in the recipe.
For the mayonnaise, you might want to check out Chosen Foods Vegan Avocado Oil Mayo which has a very creamy and silky finish. Two other options that you can try are Hellmann’s Vegan Mayonnaise Jar and Best Food’s Vegan Dressing and Spread.
You may substitute heavy cream with non-dairy whipping cream, such as 365 by Whole Foods Non-Dairy Whipped Topping, or you can also try folding in some Reddi-wip Non-Dairy.
If you wish to experiment with flavors and textures, you may opt to use sour cream instead of mayonnaise, or you can replace half of the required quantities of mayonnaise and cream with a total equivalent of sour cream. Vegan versions of this are Forager Project Dairy-Free Sour Cream, or check out the one by Kite Hill Plant-Based Sour Cream which is also really good!
Kitchen Tools That Might Come In Handy
Creating your own ranch dressing is technically a one-step process: mix everything together! On the other hand, why not use a few tools to make sure you yield the best result and make your meal preparation as smooth as ranch dressing? (I think I went too far with that line, but okay. LOL)
Use your hand mixer to incorporate all ingredients into one, smooth mixture. I would also suggest using a nice whisk that can also help you in mixing. Of course, what’s mixing without a great bowl?
The ones that I linked to have a pourable spout that can even lessen any drips or spills on your kitchen top. To make sure nothing goes to waste, use a silicon spatula so that not a single drop of that honest-to-goodness ranch dressing shall be left on the bowl. For storage, I highly recommend quality mason jars that are airtight and durable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Wingstop Ranch Made Of?
Sour cream, mayonnaise, fragrant spices and herbs, are a common ingredient in Wingstop Ranch. While “tastes are tastes” (regardless of their exact meaning), you might want to give my recipe a try, and feel free to adjust it to suit your tastes.
What Ranch Tastes Like Wingstop?
Hidden Valley ranch seasoning sachets are the closest you can get to recreating the Wingstop ranch experience (and taste).
How Long Can You Keep Wingstop Ranch?
For optimal freshness, store the dressing in the fridge for one week. To preserve quality and freshness, store pre-made dressing in airtight containers. If you can whip up a batch just for immediate consumption, that would be most ideal for quality.
What Kind Of Ranch Do Restaurants Use?
For inventory purposes, I believe restaurants choose bottled ranch dressings that are more stable and can be kept for a much longer time.
Conclusion
I’ve tried creating my own ranch dressing, and it was delicious! So, I hope you can try my recipe, too! What will you be serving it with?
Do you also have your own ranch dressing recipe? Here’s hoping you give this recipe a shot, and feel free to let me know what you think.
We have more recipes lined up, and I can’t wait to share them all with you here. Until next time, keep safe and happy cooking!
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