The Best Ranch Dressing: A Bottled Ranch Taste Test

Ranch dressing: Kids will dip almost anything in it, salad-fearing adults douse their daily greens in it, and Melissa McCarthy drinks it by the bottle. Commercials for Hidden Valley Ranch would make you think the stuff is the nectar of the gods -- and to some people, it is.

But if you've ever had homemade ranch dressing, it's hard to go back to the bottled stuff. We decided to conduct a taste test to see if anything comes close to the homemade kind.

The ingredients in some of the brands tested below may be enough to make you quit bottled ranch, cold turkey. The kind that sits at room temperature on store shelves includes a ton of unpronounceable preservatives. But there's good news: check out the refrigerated produce aisle of your grocery store, and you'll find a few preservative-free brands that ended up performing far better than the rest of the competition.

For the health-conscious consumer, we included a few brands of ranch made with yogurt. We were hoping we'd love them, in order to spare ourselves some future caloric intake, but alas … check out the results below.

+ Add a slide

What's your favorite store-bought ranch dressing? Submit a slide below.

Find a picture, click the participate button, add a title and upload your picture

RATE IT!   |  

VOTE

CURRENT TOP 5 PICK YOUR OWN TOP 5

USERS WHO VOTED

NEW! CREATE YOUR OWN SLIDESHOW

Comments

[Ray E Bowman]

11:48 PM on 05/16/2012

My first choice for salad dressing when I eat out is thick creamy garlic and blue cheese both on the side and then mixed together over the salad. Ranch Dressing is my second choice when eating out and at home I use Hidden Valley for veggy dipping for that late night snack. I usually buy the powdered and mix it in a container of sour cream, great snacking with baby carrots, celery or bell peppers.

If anyone can suggest a creamy garlic dressing brand for home use I'd appreciate it, I've looked in all of the local grocery stores and the only way I can find it is garlic-ranch, which just doesn't cut it. If I knew how to make it myself I'd do that as well and mix it with some good blue cheese dressing.

[Nicky Morsher]

08:44 PM on 05/15/2012

After reading this article, I went straight to my job (a Food Lion Grocery store) and got a bottle of the Marie's ranch dressing. I'd seen it several times before, but never gotten around to trying it as it is kind of expensive.

I agree with your Article now. I do believe it is the best Ranch. Though, Hidden Valley is still my 2nd favorite and Kraft my 3rd.

[cardiaccare]

02:08 PM on 05/11/2012

Great tasting Ranch dressing--no such thing. Should be called Raunch!

[lettuceinlove]

08:12 PM on 05/09/2012

Find me some Lettuce in Love! Their Ranch was the best! Herby, with rich buttermilk and perfectly seasoned. We used to get it at Fairway, ShopRite and others in NY. Please come back!

[sjmir]

06:19 AM on 05/09/2012

I don't like ranch..prefer blue cheese but I do agree Marie's and Mazeretti's make great creamy salad dressing..At home it's balsamic vinegar dressing (home made) with a touch of sugar or OJ ...yum yum!!

[Alex Santarelli]

08:05 PM on 05/08/2012

I used to Love hidden valley. but I could swear they must have changed the recipe, because it simply taste like it was shelved way to long, like mayo left out in the sun. it used to ALWAYS taste fresh rich, creamy, and the perfect balance of herbal veggie flavor with buttermilk

[lyg1216]

07:44 PM on 05/08/2012

I used to swear by Hidden Valley Ranch...until I tasted Lighthouse Ranch. I've only seen it in Sam's Warehouse. It is the best ranch dressing that I've ever tasted! I love to mix ranch and olive or salad oil together. Delicious!

[East Coast Sam III]

06:43 PM on 05/08/2012

If it weren't for Hudson's fat butt, she would probably be unemployeed.

[Cormarbla]

06:18 PM on 05/08/2012

I agree with this article completely. The top 2 ARE the best ones out there, I have tried many brands of ranch over the years and I always go back to either of those 2. The Kraft ranch is way too sweet in my book, I like to taste the herbs and seasonings in a good ranch dressing. I used to live in PA but I relocated to KY and both brands are easily found in both states.

[boblonben]

06:01 PM on 05/08/2012

For bottled Ranch Dressing you missed the best one out there - Great Value original Ranch.. It is perfect ranch, period......

[franplatt]

05:39 PM on 05/08/2012

Any kind of ranch dressing is gross in my book, but Marie's Creamy Garlic dressing is awesome on cooked string beans or broccoli. For salad, something less heavy like a vinaigrette is much better.

[Misty Sanchez]

05:38 PM on 05/08/2012

There's really no ranch dressing that is as good as ranch you get in most restaurants, and I'm not eure why. At home I mix balsamic and olive oil. When I go out I always order ranch!

[lyg1216]

07:45 PM on 05/08/2012

I totally agree with you! They must have some other ingrediant.

[Laura w]

10:06 AM on 05/09/2012

Restaurants often make their own from a powdered mix and milk and mayo. I worked at a pizza restaurant that did this, and IMO they had the best ranch dressing ever. I've been making mine at home like this for years. It does taste fresher!

[dawgontap]

04:48 PM on 05/08/2012

Wanna freshen up bottled ranch? Buy some buttermilk and put some in when you use it.

[pslcitizen]

04:28 PM on 05/08/2012

I like Kens.

[Tucsonbass]

04:11 PM on 05/08/2012

How great is this. Two brands I have never seen or heard of and are probably only sold in a small part of the country. :-(

[jerseyj08]

06:56 PM on 05/08/2012

The two top brands Marie's and Mazaretti's I find in NJ. These two are kept in the refrigerated sections in the fruits and vegetables aisle. They are not on the grocery aisle shelves with other dressings.

[Alex Santarelli]

08:08 PM on 05/08/2012

I have found it in seattle and Virginia. look in the produce isle where you would buy herbs and packaged salads