The Best And Worst Store-Bought Ranch You Can Buy, Ranked

So many things taste better dipped in ranch dressing. It transforms a humble carrot stick into a tangy delight. Mediocre pizza becomes mouthwatering. Chicken wings, fries, celery sticks, salads, chicken tenders, fried zucchini ... the list goes on. A decidedly American dressing, ranch is the second most popular condiment in the country, only behind mayonnaise. And it's the number one dressing. In 2021, nearly $103 million worth of ranch dressing was sold in America.

Despite its popularity, finding an amazing-tasting bottle of ranch dressing from grocery store shelves that rivals the flavors you can get from a restaurant or a home recipe can be a challenge. The key to a great ranch is in the herbs, and when you whip up a homemade batch of dressing yourself at home you can use fresh ingredients. However, it's not always easy or convenient to do so. Opening a bottle is much simpler. 

That's why I went on the hunt for the best store-bought bottles of America's favorite salad dressing. To find the best (and the worst) ranch dressing, I chose 11 bottles from my local grocery store and got to tasting. I sampled each dressing on its own and as a dip for baby carrots. Read on for the complete list, starting from the worst and working its way to the best.

I appreciate that Primal Kitchen offers not only a dairy-free ranch dressing but one with cage-free eggs, no artificial sweeteners, and high-quality organic ingredients. However, I'm sorry to report that based on taste, I can't recommend this product. Primal Kitchen was founded in 2015 as a line of convenient products made with high-quality ingredients. Acquired in 2019 by Kraft Heinz, today you can find Primal Kitchen products in grocery stores everywhere.

The ingredients in Primal Kitchen's ranch dressing sound good (apple cider vinegar, egg yolks, dill, black pepper, and rosemary), but something is off about the taste. Nothing about the flavor reminded me of ranch dressing. I can't quite pinpoint what it tasted of, but it was a funky, odd flavor. It's not something I'd want to dip my veggies in, or anything else for that matter. Interestingly, this reviewer thought their bottle tasted rancid and couldn't review it objectively. I suspect there was nothing wrong with the bottle and that's just the way the dressing tastes. Finally, at $6.99, this was the most expensive bottle on the list, and not worth the extra cost.

Wish-Bone is known for its iconic Italian dressing invented in 1948 and originally served in an upscale Italian restaurant, called the Wishbone, in Kansas City, Missouri. Customers loved salads slathered with the family's homemade zesty Italian vinaigrette so much that the owners began selling the dressing in bottles. Today, the Wishbone restaurant is no more, but Wish-Bone salad dressing can be found in any grocery store across the country. Sadly, the company's legendary beginnings are part of what makes today's Wish-Bone Ranch dressing such a disappointment.

Unlike the zesty Italian dressing where this company got its start, this ranch dressing lacked any sort of tangy flavor. Although there was a hint of pepper, which some of the other dressings were lacking, my overall impression was that of blandness. One positive note was the creamy texture. The dressing succeeded at being thick without a gelatinous texture, which is where a few of the other brands on our list failed. Customer reviews on the official Wish-Bone website reveal the dressing may have changed for the worse recently, with one reviewer stating, "This used to be my favorite ranch. What happened? Please go back to the old formula." On the positive side, it's the least expensive option being the only bottle of dressing on the list that was priced under $3 at my local grocery store.

In 2015, Kraft Foods Group merged with H.J. Heinz Co. to form the Kraft Heinz Company. Today, Kraft Heinz is one of the five largest food and beverage companies in the world. While Kraft is well known for its processed cheese products like Kraft Singles and boxed macaroni and cheese, the company also has a line of salad dressings. I have to admit that even as an adult there are times when a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese just hits the spot, unfortunately, I can't say the same for the company's ranch dressing.

For starters, the texture of the Kraft Classic Ranch dressing was very creamy, although perhaps a little too gelatinous for my liking. While there was a slight hint of vinegar, overall the flavor was bland without much seasoning or spices. It was better as a dip for carrots than on its own, but there was an artificial aftertaste. Overall, due to the blandness and aftertaste, this dressing fell nowhere near the top of the list.

Chick-fil-A Garden Herb Ranch Dressing ranks as the best of the worst on our list. While an improvement from the others before it, it's still missing that certain something that makes a ranch dressing exceptional. After finding success with bottling its signature sauces, the fast-food joint began selling its salad dressings in grocery stores in 2023. According to a press release, Chick-fil-A suggests its dressing can be for so much more than salads, writing, "Our dressings bring versatile flavors to the table, making them perfect for marinating chicken, drizzling on tacos or whipping up a pasta salad."

I found this dressing to have a thick, creamy texture, and though it was white in color, there was a visible amount of seasoning, unlike some of the others on our list. Although the bite of vinegar was a welcome flavor after some of the other more bland dressings, it perhaps tipped too far in terms of sourness. Although, seeing as it's manufactured by a fast food restaurant known for its fried chicken, it wouldn't make a bad choice for dipping chicken tenders. But it's not my first choice for dressing a salad.

It was with Ken's Steak House Ranch Dressing that things began to look up. Ken's Steak House opened as a local restaurant in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1941. The salads were so popular that customers asked to buy the salad dressings by the bottle. Today, the original restaurant is owned by the same family that founded it and still serves steaks, salads, and other American foods. The dressings are made by Ken's Foods, a business that grew out of the original restaurant and is also still owned by the family today.

Ken's ranch dressing had a thick but not overly thick texture. I could finally taste the tangy vinegar that I expect in ranch dressing, along with a hint of garlic. However, there was a slight artificial aftertaste which kept the dressing from moving up any higher on the list. Overall, it's a good choice among the shelf-stable, lower-price-range options and would be perfectly adequate for dressing a salad or used as a dip for chicken tenders.

While known for its California-style pizzas, in 2023, California Pizza Kitchen collaborated with Litehouse to sell a line of bottled dressings at grocery stores. According to the company's press release, the ranch dressing has "rich, herb flavors" and "pairs perfectly with a cobb salad." While researching customer opinion on California Pizza Kitchen's ranch dressing, I found the reviews were divided. One reviewer on Walmart's website gave it five stars saying, "Flavor is good. Price is good. Would get again." However, others had different opinions with another reviewer stating, "I did not care for the taste of this. The texture was quite runny. It also had a strange aftertaste."

My taste test revealed the dressing did indeed have a thinner texture than the others on our list. However, I didn't taste any hint of artificial flavoring or aftertaste. I did taste quite a bit of pepper. While this was a positive for me, others may not enjoy the strong peppery flavoring as much. Overall, this ranch dressing was neither excellent nor was it bad, but instead fell right in the middle.

If it wasn't for the refrigerated dressings, Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing would have taken the top spot on this list. It makes sense that Hidden Valley's ranch was close to the top of the list because the brand's founder, Steve Henson, actually invented ranch dressing in 1949 while working as a plumber in Alaska. A few years later, Henson and his wife moved to California, purchased a real ranch, and opened a restaurant where they served their soon-to-be-famous new dressing. It was a hit and by the 1950s, the dry version was sold in packets, and by 1983, shelf-stable bottles hit the grocery stores.

During my taste test, the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing tasted exactly how ranch dressing should taste. The texture was just the right amount of thickness and I could make out the vinegar and peppery flavors. Although this dressing was good, it didn't match the freshness of some of the refrigerated brands on this list, nor did it match the fresh and tangy flavor of the Hidden Valley Ranch dry seasoning mix packet.

The first thing I noticed while tasting Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Ranch Dressing was the dill. If you're not a fan of dill, you may want to skip this one, as the ingredient is hard to miss. Bolthouse ranch dressing is made with yogurt, which means it's only 50 calories per serving. However, don't be fooled by this low-calorie option. Although light in calories, it's not light in flavor. In 2022, Bolthouse Farms reformulated its dressings to have, "cleaner ingredients, thicker pourability and richer, creamier flavor," according to the company press release.

Although I can't confirm what Bolthouse Farms dressings tasted like before the change, the dressing I sampled was fresh, creamy, and tangy with clear flavors of garlic, dill, and buttermilk. With no artificial preservatives or flavors, there was also no hint of chemicals, like some of the other dressings on the list. Overall, this dressing was a light and tasty option for salads, or whatever else you use ranch dressing for.

At $4.99 for a 13-ounce bottle, Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dressing was the second priciest ranch dressing on the list. However, with a fresh and creamy flavor, this jarred refrigerated dressing may be worth the extra cost. The founder of Litehouse invented a creamy blue cheese dressing in 1949, which was served on salads in the family's restaurant in Idaho in the 1950s. Today, the company offers a variety of dressings, dips, and sauces in a wide array of flavors.

Although jarred, the dressing was lighter than I expected. The flavors were bright and tasted delightful alone and on a carrot. A strong hint of onion came through, and while looking at the ingredients I found that the bottle contains both dried onion and dried green onion. The dressing had mainly positive reviews online with one Walmart reviewer stating, "I am so picky when it comes to ranch, and this is the best one I've found in a grocery store."

Marzetti Classic Ranch Dressing, as it states on the front of the bottle, is made with real buttermilk. With a small list of ingredients free of artificial flavors and preservatives, it offers a fresher flavor than other bottled dressings. Marzetti is another salad dressing company that got its start as a restaurant making fabulous salads with tasty dressings. The Marzetti restaurant, located near Ohio's capitol building, became a standout in the Midwest. Soon enough, the restaurant was bottling up its famous dressing and selling it to customers. 

Upon first taste, this ranch was probably the thickest dressing on the list, almost more of a dip consistency than a dressing. However, the texture worked well with the creamy, fresh flavors. I tasted an acidic bite of vinegar, along with the taste of onion and herbs. If you're not going to make your own dressing, you'd do well with opening up a bottle of Marzetti Ranch. 

And finally, we come to number one with Marie's Creamy Ranch Refrigerated Salad Dressing. This one easily topped its competition with a creamy, thick, fresh-tasting flavor. Marie's dressings began in Seattle, first served on salads in Marie's Cafe in 1959. Owner Marie Nordquist started bottling her chef Harold Smith's fan-favorite blue cheese dressing and selling it to customers. The rest is history, and today Marie's offers a variety of dips, spreads, and dressings.

When I tasted Marie's Ranch Dressing, fresh and bold flavors hit my tongue, just like you would hope for in a ranch dressing. With the right balance of savory flavors and acidic vinegar, this dressing would be a perfect topping for any salad. And, despite the thickness, it still offers an easy pour. As this reviewer on Walmart said, "I've tried a lot of ranch brands out there. I was looking for one that was comparable to restaurant quality. Marie's comes closest from all that I've tried so far." The fresh, herby flavor, balanced with a tart, yet savory taste makes this one my number-one choice for bottled salad dressings you can buy in a grocery store.

As someone who dearly loves ranch dressing, I was happy for the opportunity to taste and rank a variety of store-bought dressings. Although I think homemade is ultimately the best way to go, it's not always convenient or realistic to have time to make your own dressing. For this list, I chose salad dressings that are easy to find in conventional grocery stores around the country. I chose a mix of shelf-stable and refrigerated options ranging in price from $2.89 and $6.99 at my local store. 

Of course, any taste test is subjective, but I did my best to get to the bottom of finding the best-bottled ranch dressing. To get the true flavor of each dressing I took a small taste directly from the spoon for each. And then, for a second taste, I dipped a baby carrot in the dressing. I ranked the dressings on flavor, texture, and overall quality, with the highest rankings going to the freshest of the dressings that tasted the most of herbs. I didn't pay as much attention to prices or ingredients. However, it turned out that my favorites had fewer ingredients with artificial preservatives.