The Best Ranch Dressing, According to Our Taste Test

This one goes out to all you ranch lovers — those who choose it as their salad dressing every time, and those who can’t have a slice of pizza or buffalo wings without it. If you don’t have time to make it yourself, ranch dressing is widely available at grocery stores. But here’s the thing: Not all store-bought ranch dressing is good. 

A delicious ranch is a balancing act of flavors — creamy, oniony, garlicky, and herby — and packs a tangy punch from the addition of buttermilk. It should be one of the most versatile dressings out there, softening the spice of a punchy hot sauce or cutting the sweetness of a carrot stick or rich tomato sauce. It’s a tough formula to get right. To find the ones that do, we put the most popular store-bought ranch dressings to the test. 

How we selected the ranch dressings

Turns out, there are a whole lot of ranch dressings on the market. We narrowed the dozens of options down to 14 of the most popular, all of which are widely available nationwide and many of which are available on Amazon Fresh. We included both perishable and shelf-stable dressings — both of which need to be refrigerated upon opening — but opted against including any that market themselves as vegan. 

How we tested

As with all of our taste tests, our editors were unaware of which brands are included. We pre-chilled all 14 of the ranch dressings, then poured them into individual bowls so the editors could taste them side by side. We served the ranch with carrot and celery sticks — the editors were instructed to taste the ranch alone first, then with the vegetables. 

We evaluated each ranch on flavor and texture, scoring them in both categories from one to five. To us, a “perfect” ranch has a balanced flavor with notes of real dairy, an onion-garlicky savoriness, and a subtle tang. It should be smooth, creamy, and thick enough to be scooped, but not at all gummy or oily. Our editors also gave each ranch an overall score, which reflected their personal preferences and how likely they’d be to buy that product again. We added and averaged all the scores to determine the five ranch dressings that deserve the praise of ranch lovers across the nation.

Best overall: Ken’s Steak House Ranch Dressing

Many associate ranch dressing with Hidden Valley, but in our masked taste test, nothing tasted more ranch-like than Ken’s. “If I were to ask AI what ranch dressing tastes like, this would be it,” said senior editor Audrey Morgan. Based on the recipe from Ken’s, an 84-year-old steakhouse in Framingham, Massachusetts, this buttermilk ranch is now bottled and widely distributed nationwide, and has a massive cult following. 

Despite its restaurant origins, we found this shelf-stable buttermilk ranch to taste homemade — as if our Midwestern friend’s mom prepared it with veggies for a quick snack. It was perfectly creamy and garlicky, with a subtle sweetness and a nice hit of vinegar. The herb flavor was more mild than that of other ranches we tested, but surprisingly, it wasn’t missed.

Ken’s nostalgic, satisfying ranch formula is versatile enough to be tossed into a salad, used as a marinade, or paired with chicken wings and crunchy vegetables. Plus, it’s the least expensive ranch we purchased, at only $5.50 for a 16-ounce bottle. 

Best refrigerated ranch: Marzetti Classic Ranch Dressing & Dip

Out of the seven ranches we found in the refrigerated section, Marzetti’s stood out for its powerful tang and smooth consistency. “This one is really nice and creamy,” noted social media editor Alexa Rockwell. “Very buttermilk-forward.” 

While many of the ranches we tried include dried buttermilk, Marzetti is one of the few that uses real, fresh buttermilk, which gave it a pronounced tanginess. For some of our editors, that tanginess was a bit overwhelming, overpowering the herbs and onion powder. Balance out that acidity by pairing this ranch with something sweet, like carrot sticks or pork ribs smothered in barbecue sauce.

Most unique: Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch Yogurt Dressing & Dip

Unlike all of the other ranches we tasted, Bolthouse’s refrigerated ranch is made with a yogurt base rather than heavy cream or sour cream. Some of our editors noted the lack of cream flavor, but we felt like this ranch was saved by its balance of saltiness, herbiness, and zippiness. “Finally one that’s not too sweet,” said Morgan. This is a more mild condiment — one that would make an excellent base for an amped-up buffalo sauce or fried pickle dip.

Best for drizzling: Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dressing & Dip

Our editors were initially struck by the generous amount of herbs in this refrigerated ranch dressing. “I love how the pieces of dried herbs and garlic have an actual bite to them,” said news and trending editor Merlyn Miller. Litehouse uses real dairy — nonfat buttermilk and nonfat sour cream — as the base, and that natural, creamy flavor held up well against our carrots and celery. While we prefer a thicker consistency for dressing, this light ranch would be ideal for drizzling over pizza or a grain bowl. 

Best texture: Marie’s Creamy Ranch Dressing

Marie’s ranch was as advertised — creamy — in the best possible way. “This is the accredited texture of ranch in that it feels like creamy buttermilk and has some solidity,” noted executive features editor Kat Kinsman. Made with buttermilk, sour cream, and egg yolks, this refrigerated ranch was thick but velvety, like a well-made aioli. It had strong vegetal notes from green onion and dried garlic, which were divisive among our editors. Editorial director Dylan Garret noted that “it has some character that feels a little unique,” while updates editor Elsa Säätelä said “it tastes like someone poured too much onion powder in it.” If you don’t mind the hefty oomph of onion, you can rely on this ranch being the main character of your next crudités platter. 

The full list of contenders, ranked from highest to lowest

1. Ken’s Steak House Ranch Dressing
2. Marzetti Classic Ranch Dressing & Dip
3. Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch Yogurt Dressing & Dip
4. Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dressing & Dip
5. Marie’s Creamy Ranch Dressing
6. Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Dressing
7. Toby’s Ranch Dressing and Dip
8. Brianna’s Home Style Classic Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
9. Kraft Classic Ranch Dressing
10. Wish-Bone Ranch Salad Dressing
11. Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing
12. Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing & Marinade
13. Tessemae’s Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing & Dip
14. SideDish Classic Ranch Dressing