Creamy Garlic Dressing with Buttermilk & Herbs

This creamy garlic dressing with fresh cilantro is so easy to make yourself. In about 5 minutes or less, you have a creamy, homemade salad dressing that’s perfect for pizza, fresh veggies, and salads. It’s the perfect salad dressing for garlic lovers!

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Want the best flavor for your salad without a lot of fuss? This Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing recipe is the perfect dressing or dip, made with simple ingredients in just minutes!

Since the days I worked in catering when I mixed up huge vats of ranch dressing, I’ve been making my own salad dressing recipes at home. A little buttermilk, mayo, and a few herbs and seasonings are all it takes to make something amazing!

This Creamy Garlic Dressing is the perfect riff on the classic ranch dressing. With fresh herbs like cilantro and ground cumin in packs the flavor without being too much. After all, you want to enjoy your favorite salads without a lot of fuss.

Why Make This

It’s quick! You can mix up this Creamy Garlic Dressing in just a few minutes, making for a fresh tasting dipping sauce or dressing that beats any store-bought dressing, without a dough. It mixes up so quickly; it’s a great recipe to have a child prepare.

It goes with so many things. The secret is certainly in the sauce! This garlicky dressing is delicious to accompany an Easter Veggie Tray or to drizzle on Grilled Shrimp Tacos. It’s super tasty with Fried Chicken Strips or atop our Copycat Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad Recipe. And it’s perfectly scrumptious on a simple green salad, too.

You can save money. You can save money making your own dressing because it’s cheaper than store bought dressings. You can also avoid food waste as you can make as much or as little as you like, avoiding wasting those half-bottled of dressings in the fridge.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this creamy garlic dressing recipe:

mayonnaise – You can use your favorite mayonnaise; I prefer homemade mayonnaise or Best Foods/Hellman’s. It’s add a great creaminess and flavor. If you need another option, feel free to use sour cream or Greek yogurt instead.

buttermilk – Adding buttermilk adds amazing flavor, a great tang and texture. Culturing your own buttermilk is an easy way to stretch your grocery dollar. I do not recommend making a buttermilk substitute of milk and lemon juice. The texture is just not right. Instead consider whisking yogurt with milk instead, if you can’t get cultured buttermilk. Remember you can also freeze extra buttermilk that you won’t use right away.

garlic – You need 2 cloves of fresh garlic, crushed. If you don’t love raw garlic, you can use roasted garlic for mellower flavor. If you’re in a pinch, you can use garlic powder.

fresh herbs – I use fresh cilantro in this creamy dressing but you can use another fresh herb, like fresh dill, basil, thyme, or oregano. Follow this tipe to keep cilantro fresh.

spices – I used cumin and black pepper to really round out the flavor of this dressing. You might also add onion powder and/or paprika.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how quick and easy it is to make this creamy dressing:

• In a small bowl or jar, combine the mayonnaise and buttermilk. Whisk until smooth.
• Adjust the amount of buttermilk until the dressing is the desired consistency.
• Stir in the garlic, cilantro, cumin, and pepper.
• Store this creamy salad dressing in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. 
• Serve as a salad dressing or dip for veggies — or pizza.

Never leave mayo-based salad dressings at room temperature for more than two hours. Promptly store leftovers and consume within 4 days.

FAQs

More Great Garlic Recipes

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This post was originally published on July 17, 2009. It has been updated for content and clarity.