Store-Bought Salad DressingsHelping You Find the Best

10 Best Store-Bought Salad Dressings of 2024 (Chef-Reviewed)

Q: Top 5 Store Bought Salad Dressings

Q: How to Choose a Store Bought Salad Dressing - Buying Guide

・Choose Your Desired Flavors ・Decide the Consistency You Want ・Consider Healthier Options ・Use the Right Dressing for Your Lettuce >> Click here for details >> View Full Ranking

There is only one thing worse than standing in a long aisle of salad dressings, so overwhelmed by the different brands and flavors that you can't possibly choose the right one: a bland salad. Whether you're a lover of salads, or just looking to add something healthier to your diet, the dressing is a vital decision. It will ultimately make or break your meal.

Not only can salad dressings spice up your salad, but they can often be used for marinates, sandwiches, seafood, and other fun recipes. The best salad dressings are versatile and can be used in any salad and even other meals. Read on to see out top favorites and our expertly put together buying guide.

Last updated 09/30/2024

Quick List - Top Store Bought Salad Dressings

Good Seasons

Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix ｜ 10 Pack

Enhance Culinary Creations With Versatile Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix

Feast From The East

Feast From The East® ｜ 12oz Sugar-Free Sesame Dressing

Sugar-Free Sesame Dressing: Sweet and Tangy, Perfect for Low-Carb Lifestyles

BRIANNAS

BRIANNAS, Del Sol Food Co. ｜ Organic Variety 3 Pack

Versatile Organic Dressings: Flavorful Choices for Every Salad

Kraft

Classic Ranch Salad Dressing

Classic Ranch Dressing: Zesty Tang with Real Buttermilk

Hidden Valley®

Hidden Valley Ranch ｜ Buttermilk Recipe Restaurant-Style Dressing & Seasoning Mix ｜ 3 Pack

Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning: Creamy Flavor for Every Dish

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Table of Contents

How to Choose a Store Bought Salad Dressing - Buying Guide
1
Choose Your Desired Flavors
2
Decide the Consistency You Want
3
Consider Healthier Options
4
Use the Right Dressing for Your Lettuce
10 Best Store Bought Salad Dressings
No. 1
Good Seasons | Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix｜10 Pack
No. 2
Feast From The East | Feast From The East®｜12oz Sugar-Free Sesame Dressing
No. 3
BRIANNAS | BRIANNAS, Del Sol Food Co.｜Organic Variety 3 Pack
No. 4
Kraft | Classic Ranch Salad Dressing
No. 5
Hidden Valley® | Hidden Valley Ranch ｜Buttermilk Recipe Restaurant-Style Dressing & Seasoning Mix｜3 Pack
5 more products

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How to Choose a Store Bought Salad Dressing - Buying Guide

Our top 9 list features lots of excellent dressings. So how do you choose? Use the tips below to narrow down your choices. Consider flavors, consistency, health, and blending!

Choose Your Desired Flavors

The abundance of flavors available in salad dressings offers anything you could possibly want. Decide ahead of time the flavor, or combination of flavors, that you are looking for.

Consider if you want something spicy or sweet. Are you looking for more of a kick, or perhaps something to balance bitter ingredients in your salad? For a spicier dressing, look for ingredients like chili powder, cumin, pepper, or sriracha. As for sweeter ingredients, honey, red wine vinegar, and any kind of fruit can be great additions.

Determine the level of flavor you are searching for. Sometimes, you may want a dressing that will add as much flavor as possible. Other times, you’ll want a more subtle dressing.

Occasionally, salad dressings come with an aftertaste, a lingering tang, or perhaps a slight bitterness. Ingredients like ground mustard and garlic typically add tang to the dressing, while a lot of vinegar leads to sourness.

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Decide the Consistency You Want

After you’ve decided the type of flavors you want, the next component to consider is consistency. Creamier dressings will have more mayonnaise or yogurt, while lighter dressings typically have an oil and vinegar base.

For some salads, adding a dressing that is too heavy can cause it to become soggy. A lighter dressing, like vinaigrette or Caesar, is best for salads with fewer ingredients or lighter types of lettuce.

On the other hand, if a dressing is too light, it could be overpowered by the rest of the flavors in your salad. French dressing, ranch, or a creamy thousand island dressing can be a great addition to stronger salads.

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Consider Healthier Options

If your goal is to choose the healthiest option, consider looking for dressings labeled "low-fat" rather than "fat-free" salad dressing. Some fat can actually benefit your health, slowing down the digestion process to make you feel fuller. In addition, it benefits your heart health. Meanwhile, fat-free dressings tend to be over-processed.

The healthiest salad dressings are usually simple. If you’re reading the ingredients list on the back of the bottle, the first three ingredients to look for are water, oil, and vinegar. These dressings allow you to add flavor to your salad without sacrificing your dietary goals.

Unsurprisingly, heavier, creamier dressings are higher in calories. Avoid dressings like thousand island, Buffalo ranch, and honey mustard if you desire a healthier salad dressing.

Finally, consider sodium and sugar intake. An abundance of sodium is dangerous for your heart health, while too much sugar leads to inflamed arteries and other health problems. 115 milligrams or less of sodium per serving is the healthiest option. Meanwhile, two grams of sugar or less is ideal.

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Use the Right Dressing for Your Lettuce

The flavor, consistency, and weight of a dressing are all vital components to consider when choosing the right dressing for your lettuce.

Some Lettuces Can Do It All

Romaine lettuce is great with a variety of salad dressings. It typically goes well with anything but is especially good with Caesar dressing. Iceberg lettuce is a little bland, but crispy. It goes well with anything, but considering a strong, flavorful dressing can take this type of salad to the next level.

If you're making a salad with either of these types of lettuce, your options for dressings are endless. Consider the other ingredients in your salad when choosing, and look for something that will blend well with all of the flavors. Just know that you don't need to factor your lettuce into it; these are flexible lettuces!

Light Dressings Keep It Crisp

Bibb lettuce is delicious but easily falls apart. To avoid your salad disintegrating, try a lighter dressing for this kind of lettuce, like a vinaigrette.

A lighter dressing with arugula will bring out its peppery flavor and crispness! Again, vinaigrette dressing, or even a lighter ranch dressing, will complement arugula well. Spring greens or baby leaf greens are great in a salad but tend to be soggy if you dress them too heavily. Vinegar, oil, or lemon-based dressings are perfect for this type of salad.

Spinach, especially newer leaves, tends to wilt very easily. To avoid this happening in your salad, you’ll want a lighter dressing. Vinaigrette dressings work well with spinach, but it would also be worth looking into dressings with bacon or mustard for some extra flavor.

A Middle Ground Is Safest for Some Greens

Watercress and radicchio both benefit from salad dressings with a medium consistency. Avoid anything too light, because then it will be overpowered, or too heavy, as the greens will drown in it. Ranch, or more fatty dressings, are a great middle ground for these types of lettuce.

Balance Out Bitterness With Heavy Dressings

Frisee lettuce is a very bitter lettuce and requires a heavy, fatty dressing to balance it out. Thousand island dressings are perfect for this lettuce. Endive, like frisee, is very bitter. Thick, creamy dressings like blue cheese dressings blend very well with endive.

Dressings that are fruit-based or have a sweeter flavor are also great picks for salads with lettuces that tend to be more bitter.

Acidic Salad Dressings Break Down Tough Leaves

Kale and Swiss chard both have very tough leaves. This can make the salad more difficult to eat. However, an acidic dressing like vinaigrette will help break them down and make them easier to eat.

Dressings that have a lot of vinegar, sodium, citrus, or oil can be some of the best dressings when enjoying a salad with kale or Swiss chard.

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