The best ginger dressing to buy is tangy, bold, and deeply savory, ideally with real bits of raw ginger mixed in. It’s the kind of dressing that makes plain lettuce exciting. One taste, and you can feel the flames of a hibachi grill heat your cheeks, hear the sizzle of veggies on the flattop, and smell the sweet-savory aroma of teriyaki in the air. You could even say the best ginger salad dressing is, for some, life changing. If you think that’s an exaggeration, well…maybe it is, but you should keep reading anyway.
Ginger salad was a revelation for me. I was nine years old. I went out to my first hibachi experience for a friend’s birthday. The restaurant served me the best soup I’d ever tasted (clear soup, obviously) along with what appeared to be lettuce topped with dog vomit. I’m sorry, but am I wrong? No. That’s what it looks like, thanks to all the raw ginger ground into a visually unappetizing paste. Luckily, thanks to peer pressure, I did try it—and the world immediately tilted on its axis. Tectonic plates shifted. A new era began. I, a child whose diet mainly consisted of chicken nuggets and parmesan cheese, suddenly loved salad. Well, this salad, at least.
And how could I not? The best Japanese ginger salad dressing appeals to everything salt-sadists like me really want: umami richness, a punch of acidity, and a sharp ginger bite that tickles your brain just right. Of course, there are other types of ginger dressing—like the best sesame ginger dressings and creamy ginger dressings—which, yes, we also included on this list. Whether you like it vinegary, slightly sweet, or velvety smooth, there’s a ginger dressing out there ready to change your life forever. Here’s all the best ginger salad dressing you can find at the grocery store, ranked.
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- Newman’s Own Sesame Ginger
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Unlike some of the other more common household salad dressing brands we tried for this taste test (looking at you, Ken’s), Newman’s Own gets one thing right: the ginger. The bold ginger comes through at the end, with notes of lemon and pineapple along the way. It’s fruitier than most ginger dressings, and a little on the acidic side to be too high up on this list of the best ginger dressings. But if this is the only brand of ginger dressing you can find at your go-to grocery store, you can feel good about buying it.
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- Girard’s Toasted Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
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Elegance. Sophistication. Balance. Nuance. That’s what a name like Girard inspires from a salad dressing. And guess what? Girard’s Toasted Sesame Ginger Dressing (a fanciful name for a fanciful brand) delivers just that. This has a smooth, extra oily consistency that may sound unappealing, but I promise it’s yummy. The texture is luxurious, especially with the warm toasted sesame flavor. It’s like swathing your lettuce in expensive cashmere. (Though if oily dressings aren’t for you, that’s okay—we’ve got plenty of other options for the best ginger salad dressing to buy.)
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- P.F. Chang’s Creamy Ginger Salad Dressing
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Okay, P.F. Chang’s: I see you. I tend to avoid your products, since I’ve never had a great experience inside your actual restaurant, but hats off to you here. This tastes like someone injected ground ginger into Yum Yum sauce, and I’m kinda obsessed. It’s creamy, thick, and smooth—but dairy free. The creaminess comes from the white miso paste, which also contributes some nice umami flavor. I’d drizzle this over shredded veggies, both cooked or raw. Like most of the ginger dressings on this list, it’s quite salty, though. Be careful about the other seasonings you’re using with it!
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- Pietro Ginger Dressing
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I’m not sure why this bottle of ginger dressing is shaped like a penis. I know I should start my review on more important things, like this dressing’s vinegary, salty, addictive flavor, but hey. This bottle is phallic, and that’s worth discussing. I don’t know who Pietro is, but I have a feeling I know at least one thing about him. And honestly? It’s easy to hold. Squirts easily over your lettuce, too. All pros in my book. This dressing blends rice vinegar and salted sake with a ginger puree to create a thin, slippery vinaigrette that’s really unique and to my sodium-craving taste buds. You better believe I took this big boy home with me.
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- Makoto Honey Ginger Dressing
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Makoto Honey Ginger Dressing is basically the same as Makoto’s regular ginger dressing (spoiler: our number #1), but with a dash of honey that adds a very, very subtle sweetness and buttery quality to the texture. If you’re worried the honey sweetness will be off-putting, don’t be; if anything, it’s a good alternative for anyone who finds the standard version too salty. Makoto is known for its authentic, restaurant-style ginger dressing, with big bits of raw ginger that come together as a paste for the dressing base. This version has all of that, plus a little extra creaminess and sweetness.
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- Makoto Ginger Dressing
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Are we shocked? No. Of course not. Makoto Ginger Dressing is the OG and the GOAT. (That’s some young-person lingo for you, you’re welcome.) It’s bold, salty, tangy, biting. It’s pure umami heaven (future band name, called it) with every bite. And from what I can tell from this initial taste test, it’s still the only brand that actually brings the true hibachi side dish to your home. No other ginger dressing captures that marmalade thickness and raw ginger power quite like Makoto. It’s the best ginger dressing to buy, hands down. Don’t miss out.
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Best Fruity
Best Sesame Ginger Dressing
Best Creamy
Best Salty
Runner Up
Best of the Best
Other ginger dressings we tried: Makoto Dressing Orange Ginger, Makoto Dressing Balsamic Ginger, Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette & Marinade, Ken’s Steak House Dressing & Marinade Ginger & Soy Asian Sesame, Ocean’s Halo Organic Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette & Marinade, Walden Farms Sesame Ginger Dressing
“This bottle is phallic, and that’s worth discussing. I don’t know who Pietro is, but I have a feeling I know at least one thing about him. And honestly? It’s easy to hold. Squirts easily over your lettuce, too. All pros in my book.”
I saw what you did there, Ariana. A++