If you’re from the Midwest like me then there’s a good chance you have a bottle of ranch dressing in your refrigerator. It’s our condiment of choice because no matter what meal or snack is being served, ranch is always the perfect accompaniment. There’s nothing you can’t toss with it or dunk in it, and it’s why I was excited to try five different recipes, all developed by some of my most favorite celebrity chefs.
What Makes Ranch Dressing So Delicious?
In my opinion, there are several reasons why ranch dressing is a household staple. First, it’s flavorful, but not overpowering. A good ranch dressing accentuates the food it’s paired with, highlighting the freshness of vegetables but also the crunchiness of a chicken tender. In other words, it plays well with others.
Next, it’s the creaminess. Its smooth and, dare I say, luxurious texture is a perfect match for almost any food. I can’t think of a better dip for pizza crust than ranch dressing.
Lastly, it’s the flavor, which, while subtle, is the perfect combination of herbs, tangy acidity, and salinity. That’s what makes it hard to put the fork down between bites. I used these qualities to determine a winner in this celebrity chef ranch dressing showdown.
The Contenders for the Best Celebrity Ranch Dressing Recipe
Below is the list of recipes I tested:
The Best Celebrity Ranch Dressing Recipes, Ranked
To determine a favorite, I made each recipe and sampled it various ways. I tried each plain, then with lettuce, and finally as a dip for chicken nuggets. Here are the results.
5th Place: Martha Stewart
Sara Haas/Allrecipes
I appreciated the simplicity of Stewart’s recipe, but I was underwhelmed by the results. First, the texture was thin, which meant it seeped to the bottom my bowl when it came to the salad and could barely cling to a chicken nugget. I enjoyed the buttermilk and the flavor was decent, but too subtle, without enough garlic or herbs to make it interesting.
4th Place: Joanna Gaines
Sara Haas/Allrecipes
Like Stewart’s ranch, I found this one a bit on the thin side, which was disappointing. I loved the tanginess from the buttermilk and sour cream, but wished for more flavor from the herbs. This is a decent dressing and I think can be modified with good results.
Next time, I’ll add buttermilk last and use that to thin the dressing to my desired consistency. I’ll also increase the amounts of all of the fresh herbs so that their flavor is more discernible.
3rd Place: Ree Drummond
Sara Haas/Allrecipes
The base recipe (without the optional ingredients) is delicious. I loved how thick and creamy it was, and really enjoyed it as a dip versus a salad dressing because of that. The flavor was good, with plenty of garlic and fresh herbs I could actually taste. Overall, this is a delicious option, it just wasn’t my favorite.
I’d make this again and try the optional ingredients (vinegar, paprika, dill, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, cayenne, paprika, and Tabasco), which all sound like fun additions.
2nd Place: Bobby Flay
Sara Haas/Allrecipes
There was one word I thought of immediately when I tried Flay’s ranch: balanced. Thanks to sour cream, lime juice, and just the right amount of buttermilk, the dressing was bright, fresh, and perfectly acidic, yet still very creamy. I loved it on both the salad and with chicken nuggets, but I do wish it was a bit thicker. Like Gaines’ recipe, if I make this again, I’ll wait to add the buttermilk last. That way I can achieve a creamier, thicker texture that’s more to my liking.
1st Place Winner: Ina Garten
Sara Haas/Allrecipes
I have a feeling some people might disagree with me on Garten’s recipe as being the winner, but hear me out. Yes, the recipe leans heavily on fresh basil, which I suppose isn’t typical for ranch dressing, but that doesn’t matter to me.
Garten’s recipe yields an ultra-creamy dressing that is just as thick as it is delicious. I could taste the basil and garlic, and I loved the tanginess from the addition of full-fat Greek yogurt. The recipe is spot on, but if you’d prefer a flavor profile that’s more traditional, simply omit the basil and sub in a combination of fresh or dried dill and parsley.
