Name: Creamy Dill Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 cup mayonnaise; ½ cup buttermilk; 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice; 1 tablespoon fresh dill (finely chopped); 1 teaspoon dried dill; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon onion powder; Salt (as needed)

Skip to Recipe Rate this Recipe

Add us as a trusted Google source

This creamy dill dressing comes together in one bowl in less than 10 minutes. It’s tangy, packed with dill, and works just as well as a dip as it does on a salad.

Dill dressing being stirred with a spoon.

We started making this dressing years ago as a way to add more fresh dill to our homemade ranch dressing. Over time, it turned into its own recipe.

Now we stir it into our dill pickle pasta salad, spoon it over side salads, and serve it as a dip whenever we want something with a little extra brightness.

The buttermilk and mayo base makes the dressing tangy and rich, while the seasonings and pickle juice add plenty of dill flavor.

Why We Use Fresh and Dried Dill

Fresh and dried dill each bring something different to the dressing. Dried dill gives it a stronger herby flavor, while fresh dill adds some brightness.

Dill pickle juice adds some acidity and a hint of vinegar that help set this dressing apart from basic ranch. Fresh chives or parsley also taste fantastic in this if you have some in the fridge.

Make the Dill Dressing

Add the buttermilk, mayonnaise, fresh dill, dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, and pickle juice to a bowl.

Top down view of ingredients for dill dressing in a glass bowl.

Whisk everything together until the buttermilk and mayonnaise are completely combined. The dressing should look smooth and creamy.

This usually takes less than a minute by hand. A hand blender also works.

Top down view of dill dressing in a large bowl.

Taste Before Adding Salt

Taste the dressing before adding any salt. The buttermilk and pickle juice already have some saltiness, so you may need very little or none at all.

It’s much easier to add more salt than it is to fix an overly salty dressing.

Ways to Use Creamy Dill Dressing

Pour the dressing into a jar or covered container and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve. The dill flavor becomes more noticeable as the dressing sits.

Use it on romaine, spinach, mixed greens, or as a dip for celery, carrots, green beans, and sliced bell peppers.

You can also stir it into potato salad or pasta salad. Sometimes we use it in our dill pickle potato salad instead of plain mayonnaise.

It’s also good drizzled over roasted potatoes or served with air fryer onion rings and crispy fries.