Why Ranch Is So Popular Right Now—Plus All the Ways People Are Using It for Dipping, Dressing, and More

Ranch dressing is everywhere, not just in your fridge. It's all over social media, in the snack aisle, and in restaurants, too. You might think a dressing is for salad, and usually that's the case—but not with ranch. While it may have started as a dressing, it is now so ubiquitous we don't even bother to say "dressing"—when anyone says ranch, we know what they mean. To learn more about ranch and what's behind its surge in popularity, we spoke to food experts who share their insights on this American phenomenon.

Ranch Is Everywhere

Always popular, ranch dressing is having even more of a moment lately. One out of five restaurants in the U.S. offer ranch on their menus, according to Miriam Aniel, head of marketing communications and food insight lead at Tastewise. And it's a "breakout" search term on Google Trends. Why are we so obsessed with it? Aniel says the top consumer motivations—the "why" behind the love of ranch dressing—are freshness and ease. Consumers use ranch in dishes 16 percent of the time, and interest in ranch dishes is growing by more than 13 percent year over year.

The History of Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing was invented by Nebraska native Steve Henson in the 1950s in Alaska, based on a buttermilk dressing recipe.

What Is Ranch Dressing?

Buttermilk dressings have been popular in Texas since at least the 1930s. In 1954, Henson retired to California and bought the Hidden Valley Ranch, where he served his signature dressing—a blend of buttermilk, savory herbs, and spices—to his guests.

Overwhelmed by their demand for it, Henson sold packets with dried spices that could be mixed with buttermilk and mayonnaise. Clorox eventually bought the brand and oversaw its growth, selling not just the packets but bottled dressing in myriad flavors. According to Clorox, sales of bottled ranch in the U.S. totaled $1.3 billion in the year (ending January 28th), compared to about $1.26 billion for bottled ketchup.  

Ranch as a Flavoring

Ranch became even more popular as a flavoring for all kinds of products. In addition to serving ranch with crudités, the first ranch-flavored snack, Doritos Cool Ranch, was introduced in 1986. Toriano Gordon, owner of Vegan Mob and author of the Vegan Mob cookbook, believes pizza chains helped to popularize it as well, sharing that a pizza chain was the first place he had it with both Buffalo wings and pizza. "It's creamy, and the cold temperature goes well with hot food. It has a great taste—a little garlicky, a little lemony," says Gordon. Just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any more popular, it got yet another bump in 2023 when Taylor Swift enjoyed "seemingly ranch" with her chicken wings, and the whole world went crazy for it all over again. 

Why Chefs Love it

Just as Hidden Valley Ranch offers Pickle, Buffalo, Cheezy, Garlic, Jalapeño, and Hot Honey versions of ranch, cookbook authors and chefs also put their spins on it. Gordon's vegan version includes plant-based dairy products, fresh lemon juice, parsley, and his twist, creole seasoning. 

Another ranch fan is food writer Khushbu Shah, author of the cookbook Amrikan, who says, "Its gentle herbaceous flavor and creaminess goes well with so many things. It’s impossible not to like ranch." Her recipe for Amchur Ranch uses mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk, and additions of amchur (tangy green mango powder), garlic paste, dried chives, and nigella seeds. 

How to Use Ranch Dressing (Besides on Salad)

The versatility of ranch is yet another reason we love it. Says Gordon, "It's an amazing sauce that goes with all your favorites. It enhances appetizers, pizzas—I can’t live without it!" He has used it on fried chicken, nuggets, chicken strips, and says he dips his crunchy tacos in it. Shah agrees and recommends using it with fries and says in addition to being a great dip for pizza, it's also "low-key great as a sauce base for pizza." Could this be a new version of white pizza?

Give ranch a try with the following:

• Wings
• Jalapeño poppers
• Pizza
• French fries 
• Pretzels
• Crudités
• Chicken nuggets
• Sandwiches
• Burgers
• Tacos
• Corn on the cob

Finally, don't forget the seasoning mix! Ranch powder makes a great topping for popcorn, mixed nuts, snack mix, garlic bread, or added to mashed potatoes.