The best ranch dressing is creamy, herby, and versatile. It should complement a killer salad and perfectly contrast a spicy wing. It should be a welcome addition to pizza and a sensational dip for veggies. To put it plainly, the best ranch should be able to do anything and everything.
Ranch dressing is America’s sweetheart, but finding the good store-bought options isn’t as simple as it seems. We should know—we’ve conducted three separate ranch dressing taste tests, adding products we’ve missed, recommendations from readers, and new ranch dressings that have hit the shelves since the previous year. After trying many different interpretations of ranch dressing that range from incredibly delicious to truly heinous, we know what to look for. The best ranch dressing brands should strike the perfect balance of sweetness, tartness, and saltiness. They can’t be too oily, too bland, or too much of one thing. From the best ranch for wings to the best vegan ranch dressing for vegan wings, here are the best ranch dressings you can buy right now:
- Ken’s Steak House Ranch
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This is not the best ranch dressing. One taste tester liked it, one taste tester didn’t. Honestly, we weren’t even going to recommend it because we couldn’t arrive at a consensus regarding its overall flavor and quality, but hear me out: Ken’s salad dressings are very frequently on sale at my local grocery store. If you see this on sale, you should buy it. Full price? Nah. Half price or BOGO with another Ken’s dressing (we really, really like their low fat Italian dressing). Sure, why not. This obviously isn’t a rave review, but if you want something that tastes adjacent to Hidden Valley, you won’t hate this ranch dressing. —Gwynedd Stuart
- Brianna’s Home Style Classic Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
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This ranch, quite honestly, is for the flavor-seeking weirdos. As a flavor-seeking weirdo myself, here’s what I like about it: You get bold notes of onion, garlic, and vinegar, which you’re probably more accustomed to tasting in a lighter vinaigrette, but the consistency of Brianna’s ranch is quite rich and thick. It’s not for everyone (and it’s definitely not the absolute best ranch dressing you can buy), but I appreciate the risks they took here. So much store bought ranch dressing just tastes oily, dull, and mildly tangy. They took risks with the flavor here, and I’m happy that, if anything, it certainly isn’t boring! —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Follow Your Heart High Omega Vegan Ranch Dressing
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If you don’t eat dairy, grab a bottle of this Follow Your Heart High Omega Vegan Ranch Dressing. It’s creamy, rich, and garlicky. It doesn’t have the weird, artificial twang we detected in some of the other vegan ranch dressings we tried, although this does taste a bit more like blue cheese dressing than it tastes like ranch. I don’t necessarily think this ranch dressing will turn you into a vegan, but I think it’s a great option if you eat plant-based or are looking to cut down on animal products in general. That’s why it’s one of the best ranch dressing brands (definitely the best vegan ranch dressing) we tried in our taste test. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing
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Classics are classics for a reason and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing is no exception to that rule. It is one of the best ranch dressing brands on the market. Yes, of course, there are brands that make fancier or more homemade-style ranch dressings, but Hidden Valley isn’t trying to be fancy or homemade. What makes this ranch stand out is that it’s predictable and perfectly balanced: It’s a little herby, a little sweet, and a little tangy. You can’t pick out any one ingredient because everything is so beautifully homogeneous. This ranch would be good on anything, but I think the viscous texture and squeezable bottle make it ideal for squirting onto pizza (the most important use for ranch). This is unrelated, but did you know that there is an actual Hidden Valley Ranch in Santa Barbara? Did you also know that I am desperate to go there? —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Cindy’s Kitchen Buttermilk Ranch Dressing & Dip
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There’s something about naming a ranch dressing after a person’s that ensures it will taste good. This is very fresh, bright, and sour cream forward. Fellow Sporked taste tester Jordan Myrick compared it to raita, an Indian side dish made with yogurt, veggies, spices, and herbs. The finely chopped bell peppers, carrots, and jalapenos make it some of the best ranch dressing to use as a veggie dip. It’s not incredibly tangy, but you can still taste the buttermilk. Overall, the flavor profile is quite nuanced and we like that. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Toby’s Ranch Dressing & Dip
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As soon as you screw open the lid of Toby’s ranch, you’re hit with an aroma of fresh dill. The smell alone creates a palpable excitement to dig into this dip—and I’m choosing to call this a ranch dip, since the consistency is incredibly thick and rich. I’ve seen people online (and in our comments) swear by Toby’s, and I totally get it. I could eat this with just potato chips and call it a day. (That said, if you’re not a dill person, this might not be the best ranch dressing to buy. Just sayin’.) —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Marzetti Simply Dressed Ranch Dressing
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Everyone screamed at us when we first published our best ranch dressing ranking. You all insisted that Marzetti was the only option for store bought ranch dressing. We grabbed a bottle to check it out and, while we don’t think it’s the best ranch dressing, we do really like it! It has a cult following and we support it. This is one of the best ranch dressings on the market, but y’all already knew that. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Ranch
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Honesty hour: TJ’s Organic Ranch Dressing is not very delicious. But this newer Buttermilk Ranch? Wow, wow, wow. Talk about beating the bad ranch curse. This actually earned the coveted top spot in our Trader Joe’s salad dressing ranking; it’s herby, tangy, and complex, with a tzatziki quality that gives it an extra fresh taste. With a lighter consistency but dynamic, bold flavor, it’s incredibly versatile. It’s the best ranch dressing for wings and salads and just about anything you want to use it for. I’ve stayed pretty obsessed with this stuff since trying it last year, and it’s an honor and privilege to finally recommend it here. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Market Pantry Spicy Chipotle Ranch Dressing
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Market Pantry Spicy Chipotle Ranch from Target doesn’t really taste like the ranch we know and love. Instead, it’s a new flavor you’ll absolutely fall in love with. It has a great spice and kick, so I would only recommend it for flavor freaks like myself. This would be sensational on a taco salad (or even poured on top of tacos, to be honest). If you like ranch but want even more zest, this is an excellent option. Who knew one of the best ranch dressings wouldn’t even taste like ranch? —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Ken’s Steak House Peppercorn Ranch Dressing
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Ken’s Peppercorn Ranch is my kind of ranch. It’s thick, creamy, and peppery. The flavor is simultaneously bold and subtle. I would pour this all over a salad or spread it onto bread for a sandwich. If you gave this to me in a ramekin at a restaurant, I’d think it was made in-house. It tastes so good I’d probably just drink it from the bottle if I didn’t think all that dairy would make me violently ill. That’s why it’s one of the best store bought ranch salad dressings (and my personal favorite on this list). This was a little tough to find, but Amazon tends to have it. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Stock Up Express
- Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dressing & Dip
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Texture is king when it comes to Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dressing & Dip. It is lusciously thick and creamy. There are pieces of herbs and small bits of dried onion that give it a lovely speckled look. The flavor is lightly zippy and delicately herby. It would pair with vegetables like a dream, making it perfect for a crudite platter or salad. Don’t let me oversell it as a health food, though. It’s still one of the best ranch dressings on the market. I took it home and dipped kettle-cooked BBQ potato chips into it and it was wonderful, too. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Marie’s Creamy Ranch Dressing + Dip
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We’d like to thank Daniel, Sporked reader, for opening our eyes to the wonders of Marie’s Creamy Ranch. His persistence in the comment section after we initially published our ranking of the best ranch dressing made us buy a bottle of this stuff, and it is now our favorite store bought ranch dressing. It is thick, creamy, a little peppery, and herby. There’s absolutely zero weird chemical-y aftertaste or strange, unnecessary twang. It’s thick enough for wings but thin enough to dress a salad. Marie’s Creamy Ranch is totally perfect. Thanks, Daniel! —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
Best Cheap
Best Onion Flavor
Best Dairy-Free
Best Classic
Best Veggie-Forward
Best Dill
Fan Favorite
Most Versatile
Best Flavored
Best Restaurant-Style
Best for Salads
Best of the Best
Other ranch dressings we tried: Olive Garden Parmesan Ranch, Tessemae’s Organic Creamy Ranch, Ken’s Steakhouse Ranch, Marzetti Classic Ranch, Hellman’s Ranch, 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Ranch Dressing, Tuscan Garden Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Sprouts Organic Ranch Dressing, Simple Truth Organic Ranch Dressing
