We Tasted 7 Ranch Dressings & This Is the Best!
Like most Americans, I absolutely love ranch dressing. The taste is delicious, and it's a condiment that I always have on hand at home because it's so versatile. Whenever I make a big salad for lunch or a side salad for dinner, ranch dressing is my go-to. It also doubles as a tasty dipping sauce for everything from veggies to buffalo wings to chips.
But as with pretty much every other food and condiment, not all brands of ranch are created equal. I tried seven different ranch dressings, both on my salads and for dipping. Here's how they rank, listed from worst to best based solely on taste.
If you're an Italian dressing lover, check out The Best & Worst Italian Dressing on Grocery Store Shelves—Ranked!
Newman's Own Ranch Dressing
I ordinarily love Newman's products, so I expected that their ranch dressing would rank towards the top of my list. It turns out that even Newman's Own gets it wrong sometimes. The texture is way too thin, even if you only plan to eat it in salads. Using this brand as a dipping sauce is not an option. It also doesn't have a strong ranch flavor, and it seemed like the ingredients were out of proportion. There's way too much vinegar and it has a chemical-like taste to it.
Trader Joe's Organic Ranch Dressing
Trader Joe's was another unpleasant surprise. As with the Newman's Own dressing, the consistency is an issue. It's thin and almost watery, so it doesn't work well with salads or for dipping. It also lacks the strong ranch taste that we all know and love. The flavor was bland and a bit sour, so I wouldn't recommend this brand and won't buy it again.
Wish-Bone Ranch Dressing
Wish-Bone's ranch didn't blow me away, but it's a solid option if you're in a pinch. It's creamy and smooth—the texture is slightly thinner than other brands I tried, but it's not watery, so I'd recommend it to people who prefer a thin texture. I'd also rate the taste as "good" but not "great." It's a little too sweet and lacks the herb flavoring that makes ranch so delicious.
Kraft Classic Ranch Dressing
Kraft's ranch dressing is a solid, affordable option. It has a great creamy texture that makes it perfect for both salads and dipping. The taste wasn't my favorite, though. I thought it was a little too sweet and needed more garlic and onion flavoring to balance it out. Still, this ranch was a decent option.
Olive Garden Parmesan Ranch Dressing
I was a little skeptical about this brand because I'm not a huge fan of Olive Garden (except for those irresistible breadsticks). But I was intrigued by the parmesan-flavored option, so I decided to give it a try. I loved the taste; the amount of parmesan used was just right because it doesn't give the dressing a "cheesy" taste, which was my concern. But it does make the dressing more flavorful in a good way if you like parmesan. The consistency is also perfect—it's not too thick on salads, but it makes a great dip.
Ken's Steakhouse Ranch Dressing
I loved everything about this dressing, from the texture to the flavor. It has a perfect consistency, and the flavor is rich and delicious. I'd recommend Ken's Steakhouse to anyone looking for a tasty, affordable ranch dressing option.
Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing
I'd heard a lot of great things about Hidden Valley dressing, but I hadn't tried it until this experiment. It lived up to the hype and then some. I've been converted: Hidden Valley is officially my new go-to. It has an amazing, creamy texture that makes it perfect to put on salads, wings, burgers… you name it! It hands-down has the best flavor of all the dressings I tried. In fact, I found that the taste is the same caliber as the ranch dressings I've eaten in high-end restaurants—only this one is available for a super affordable price.
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