5 Seriously Tasty Ranch Dressing Upgrades

There are a few things that come to mind when you think of America. Baseball is certainly one of them. Country music would be another that places high on that list. And of course, you can’t forget ranch dressing. That’s right. That creamy condiment that belongs on salad, but for some reason it’s weaseled its way into so many other dishes as of late. There’s a good reason we seem to have arrived as a ranch renaissance. Or, a “ranchaissance,” if you will. The rich and tangy condiment adds both a wonderful texture and flavor to whatever you douse it in, so it makes sense that it’s making more appearances on menus everywhere. 

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Obviously, making ranch from scratch at home is going to taste better than shelling out money for the store-bought stuff at your local supermarket. Homemade always trumps prepackaged. But, regardless of which way you choose to rep your ranch, there are several easy, cost-effective upgrades you can give the sauce to make it even tastier. So, the next time you either whip up a batch yourself or snag some from the store, give these simple hacks a try. You might think your ranch obsession can’t get any more extreme, but these tricks will totally flip the script on that opinion.

Fresh Herbs

This trick is really geared towards the bottled ranch at the supermarket. Obviously, if you’re making the sauce at home, you’re going to use fresh herbs, so the flavor will taste bright either way. But, for the ranch stuck inside those Wishbone bottles, an easy way to give the impression that it hasn’t sat for weeks on some dusty grocery store shelf is to chop up fresh herbs and add them in. A little bit of dill, parsley, and chives can seriously boost the flavor.

Worcestershire

Any time you need a savory kick of umami in a dish, Worcestershire sauce is the liquid superhero that swoops in to save the day. Worcestershire has a deep, salty flavor that really punches you in the palate and makes you crave more. It’s so powerful that you only need a few dashes of it to have a big impact. Add it to your next shopping list if it’s not in your pantry already. 

Hot Sauce

If you love spicy foods, it only makes sense to kick your ranch dressing up a few notches with hot sauce. Then you have one condiment that works the magic of two. No matter what your favorite hot sauce is, it’ll work wonders mixed with ranch. Just remember to add it a little bit at a time so your ranch doesn’t end up too hot to handle.

BBQ Sauce

BBQ sauce comes in so many varieties nowadays and it’s the perfect condiment to give ranch a bold, elevated flavor. You can choose a BBQ sauce that’s smoky, sweet, tangy, or a combination of all three to combine with ranch to make a complex sauce perfect for dipping just about anything in.

Bacon

Everything is better with bacon. Foods are literally wrapped in bacon to make them even better (we’re looking at you, scallops). So, it only makes sense that ranch goes from good to great with some chopped bacon added in. But do yourself a favor and don’t use the rubbery bacon bits from the store. Get some high-quality strips and sizzle them at home for a savory ranch upgrade any bacon enthusiast will fawn over.