Ranch Lovers in Buffalo, Here’s the Best of the Forbidden Dipping Sauce
I'm about to offend 99 percent of Buffalonians, but if you love dipping your wings in ranch, this is for you! Sorry, not sorry, but I love ranch. I remember dipping pizza and fries in it at lunch when I was in middle and high school. I would mix the dreamy white, tangy but smooth, dressing with ketchup or hot sauce and voila, it was dipping sauce perfected.
When I came to Buffalo, I realized that ranch was forbidden. Really, even saying the word ranch while ordering Buffalo wings, might get you a dirty look. Well, today, I stand before you and proudly say, "I love ranch dressing!" It's not that I hate blue cheese, but it's a bit further down on my list of preferred dipping sauces.
Doug Freyburger offers an explanation on Quora as to why Buffalonians dislike ranch so much (or do they?),
Enough people dislike cheese with blue/green mold in it that every place in Buffalo that serves wings offers ranch dressing. Why does it have to be bleu cheese dressing? Because that’s how it was served the night they were invented.
Ranch lovers, stand up and say it with your chest, "I love ranch!" Here are some of the best-rated ranch dressings (in my humble opinion), so you know, you can piss off some of the Buffalo wing/blue cheese purists.
Hidden Valley Ranch - To me, this is an iconic ranch. It's the ranch of ranches. It's perfect on a salad as dressing, mixed with a little hot sauce for dipping fries into or, to the chagrin of Buffalo wing Gestapos, to dip your wings into.
Daiya Homestyle Ranch - This might be a curveball, but all of this is. This is actually a vegan ranch, so if you have a sensitivity to dairy, or are plant-based, this is such a great alternative. It's a bit thick and in a glass bottle, it can take some arm work to release the deliciousness, but it's the best vegan ranch I've had (outside of my homemade version, which we'll save for another day).
Good & Gather Organic Ranch - So I was in Target, looking for the Daiya ranch, which I couldn't find, so I picked up a bottle of their brand. Surprisingly, it was pretty good. As someone who has loved ranch my whole life, I consider myself a bit of a ranch snob, so it was a pleasant surprise. It's another one that comes in a glass bottle, so FYI, there's going to be a workout.
Kraft Ranch - I remember this being a staple at every summer cookout. Let me just say, there is nothing wrong with dipping your hamburger in ranch. If you love ranch and if you love burgers, it's a perfect menagerie.
Ranch Dressing Takes a Walk on the Wild Side
Now, I have not personally tried these, but if you want to get "freaky" with your ranch, here are some of the new varieties that are available.
- Terrapin Ridge Farms Hatch Chile Ranch Dressing
Peggy Erwin left a review on the brand's website saying how much she loves it,
I was hesitant to try this dressing because I don’t really like spicy food but am I glad I tried it, it is delicious and has just a nice little kick to it, and now I am quite addicted to it.
- Hidden Valley has a few varieties, including Bacon Ranch, Avacado Ranch, Fiesta Salsa Ranch, Cucumber Ranch, Cilantro Lime Ranch and even Buffalo Ranch, which is like taking your Buffalo wings into overdrive.
Whatever type of ranch you like, don't let any blue cheese bullies push you around and peer pressure you to dipping your Buffalo wings into a sub-par sauce (yeah, I said it). Live your best life and enjoy the best dipping sauce!
- Wish Bone offers up a chipotle ranch, which sounds pretty good, but I've never tried it myself. It does have a 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Amazon, if that means anything to you.