Fans Told Mashed Their Favorite Ranch Dipping Sauce - Exclusive Survey
Ranch dressing has long since been a staple in American households — The New York Times found that around 40% of US citizens call it their ideal dressing of choice. However, the creamy, tangy dressing has gone way beyond its salad-centric roots and has branched out to become a beloved dipping sauce that can be enjoyed on savory chicken wings, fries, crudités, and of course, a good slice of pizza. However, with so many brands scattering the shelves of local supermarkets, it can become overwhelming to find out which ranch reigns supreme.
To get to the bottom of this debate, we asked readers to vote in an exclusive Mashed survey about their go-to brand of ranch dipping sauce, and the results were fairly one-sided. With over 15,000 total votes cast, Hidden Valley Ranch was the clear forerunner for first place, taking in a whopping 71% of the votes. Ken's Steak House ranch came in second, receiving 11% of the total vote. Kraft took third place with 9%, followed by Newman's Own with 5%, and finally Marzetti, trailing not too far behind Newman's with 4% of the vote.
Although a typical ranch dressing recipe is made up of buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, and onion powder, plus herbs like dill and parsley, squeezes of fresh lemon juice, and finally salt and pepper to taste, we want to know what makes the clear favorite brand stand out amongst the rest.
Voters defended their favored ranch dip in an exclusive Mashed survey
Although Hidden Valley swept the popular vote on our exclusive Mashed survey, it did come as a bit of a shock as to exactly what kind of Hidden Valley ranch dip a lot of folks preferred. Under the Hidden Valley umbrella of ranch dressings, which includes flavors such as Pickle Ranch, Buffalo, Avocado, Bacon, Cucumber, Buttermilk, Southwest, Coleslaw, Spicy, and of course Original, plenty of voters actually preferred the dry seasoning packet mix to the bottled versions. "Hidden Valley ranch packets make some good ranch, but the pre-bottled stuff is nasty," one person commented, while another said, "Hidden Valley but I much prefer to buy the hidden valley packets and mix my own because I like my ranch super thick." The dry seasoning can be used to make a standard ranch dressing, but it can also be mixed into any other recipes of your choice.
However, not everyone was riding the Hidden Valley ranch train and didn't hold back when singing the praises of their favorite ranch dip. "Y'all Hidden Valley folks need to enlighten your taste buds and try Ken's Steakhouse Ranch," said one fan while another chimed in with "GENERAL BRAND. Look at the ingredients. They're the same. THE SAME." Whether it's store-bought ranch or homemade, it seems Americans will continue to voice their passion for this creamy, savory dip.