The New Ranch Playbook

Ranch dressing, one of the most recognizable flavor formats in American food culture, may also be an ingredient with the greatest untapped potential when it comes to the modern culinary toolbox. Its creamy texture, savory backbone and profound familiarity offer foodservice chefs a versatile foundation for innovation across the menu. In a landscape driven by LTOs, social buzz and flavor-forward storytelling, ranch dressing stands ready for its next evolution.

Credit the basic formula of ranch with its enormous popularity. “Ranch strikes a satisfying balance of savory richness with fresh, flavorful herbs—like dill, parsley and chives—plus garlic and onion,” notes Serenity Parker, foodservice brand manager, Ken’s Foods. “The base of mayonnaise and buttermilk creates a creamy texture along with a balance of salt and acid to enhance overall palatability, appealing to a wide range of palates.”

Ranch never overpowers, making it a perfect complement for a wide variety of foods, from meats to veggies, sandwiches to pizza, fries to dips. “Of all dressings, it’s the most versatile across menu categories and many cuisines,” attests Cian Leahy, CRC, corporate executive chef, Ken’s Foods.

Given its broad appeal and culinary flexibility, ranch dressing presents a ripe opportunity for operators to think beyond its traditional applications. Whether used to amplify craveability, drive differentiation or spark menu innovation, ranch offers a low-risk, high-reward pathway to flavor exploration. The question isn’t whether ranch dressing belongs on the menu—it’s how boldly and creatively its advantages can be leveraged.

There are two primary avenues for operators to explore: Employ classic ranch dressing in new and unexpected menu applications and lean into the abundance of diverse flavor varieties that result from thoughtful plus-ups built on the familiar base. Both approaches allow ranch dressing to shine beyond the salad bowl and dipping cup.

Transform flatbread by starting the build with a base of Ken’s^® Home Style Ranch Dressing. In this Angry Shrimp Pepe Flatbread, the ranch offers a cooling counterpoint to the heat of such toppings as pepperoni, banana peppers and shrimp tossed in Sweet Baby Ray’s^® Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce.

QUANTIFYING CRAVE

Chefs who overlook ranch as an impactful ingredient can turn to some recent research that demonstrates the breadth of opportunity. This is especially true of flavored ranch varieties.

As a category, spicy variations of ranch have shown a significant 166 percent growth in menu penetration over the past four years, according to a 2025 Datassential study on wings. Jalapeño ranch specifically is identified as a flavor with particularly strong growth potential, achieving a 4-percent increase in penetration over the last four years and predicted by the company’s trend experts to grow another 12 percent over the next four years

In a different report, Datassential revealed that nearly half of consumers like or love avocado ranch (42 percent) and chipotle ranch (47 percent). Meanwhile buttermilk ranch, a classic variant, is expected to enjoy a four-year growth rate of +3 percent, confirming its ongoing popularity, says Datassential. The iconic original remains the GOAT flavor, with a commanding 75 percent of consumers casting it as a favorite.

Use Ken’s^® Avocado Ranch Dressing to infuse classic sandwiches with a little Southwestern flair. In this Smokey Avocado, Bacon & Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich, a generous portion of the dressing is applied to both slices of brioche, sandwiching a build of smoked Gouda, Swiss, applewood-smoked bacon, tomato and avocado slices. Acknowledge the crave factor of the dressing by adding a cupped portion for dipping.

RETHINK THE ROUTINE

“Ranch has great umami, which is a powerful carrier and elevator for other flavors,” says Leahy. “Its creaminess helps everything linger a little longer.”

To put these attributes to their maximum advantage, start with the easiest lifts, expanding on the uses of the classic ranch SKU already in the storeroom. Concentrating on multipurpose ingredients is an operational best practice to reduce labor costs, simplify training and lower waste, all while presenting customers with newish flavor profiles on menu favorites.

Chef Leahy, joined by Chef Chris Gatto, also a Ken’s corporate executive chef, offer a few simple suggestions for using ranch dressing to reinvigorate menu mainstays:

• Incorporate ranch dressing into biscuit dough, where it provides extra moisture and flavor.
• Mix ranch dressing into mashed potatoes or potato salad for a tangy, herbaceous kick.
• Swap it in for tomato sauce to provide a fresh take on pizza and flatbread. Or layer it with tomato sauce to play up the flavor contrasts between two favorites.
• Spread ranch dressing on corn-on-the-cob before grilling for an elote variation.
• Mix it with cucumbers and yogurt for a more savory tzatziki.
• Drizzle it over roasted potatoes for a creamy, craveable contrast.
• Fold ranch dressing into a cheese sauce to deliver a more savory flavor profile.
• Blend it into a deviled egg filling or a hummus to lend greater flavor depth.
• Take advantage of its umami-forward creaminess to serve as a base for new sauces.

Both chefs also recommend putting ranch at the center of strategies to provide diners with more autonomy. “Guests love personalization. Build-your-own models around sauces in foodservice thrive, because it unlocks creativity,” says Gatto. “If a guest can choose three sauces for their wings or dip their fries in a trio of flavors, they’re more engaged—and more likely to spend.”

Leahy affirms this approach, noting that providing ranch dressing as one option in such a trio gives guests a safety net for their own flavor experimentation. “If consumers can get a flight of sauces, having ranch as an option lets them branch out of their comfort zone into something very spicy or completely new, because they can always come back to the familiar.”

There’s so much flavor going on in these Chorizo and Queso Blanco Loaded Fries—chorizo crumbles, queso blanco crumbles, fresh jalapeños, chopped cilantro—that just a drizzle of Chipotle Ranch Dressing from Ken’s Foods is the perfect finish.

ONE RANCH JUST ISN’T ENOUGH

Minimal ingredients. Maximum impact. Ranch’s highly adaptable base makes it ideal for crafting new flavor profiles that feel both fresh and familiar. Foodservice chefs can explore opportunities with easy plus-ups to classic ranch that capture many contemporary trends.

Ken’s Foods offers numerous suggestions for operators to create signature ranch varieties by incorporating just a few flavorful ingredients into one of the classic ranch dressing products. Consider, for example:

• Korean hot sauce ranch (spike ranch with Kogi Street Sauces™ Korean Taco)
• Dill pickle ranch (add dill relish and Ken’s^® Signature Dill Pickle Aioli to a ranch base)
• Lemon curry ranch (combine ranch with curry powder, garam masala and Ken’s^® Lemon Vinaigrette)
• Spicy salsa dressing dip (incorporate mild salsa, hot sauce, small dice onion, small dice green onion, rough chop cilantro and small chop pickled jalapeños into the ranch base)

In addition to these plus-up ideas, the company produces 12 varieties of ranch dressing, with several blends representing a spectrum of flavor favorites, with each offering immense versatility. These range from Buttermilk (boasting a thicker consistency) to Essentials Deluxe (which has no artificial flavors, synthetic colors or MSG) to Chipotle Ranch (crafted with adobo and chipotle peppers, fresh buttermilk and a hint of tomato) to Avocado Ranch (made with creamy avocados, Southwest spices and zesty lime juice) and more.

In each blend, “We take the familiar and layer in bold and versatile flavors that work well, but still keep ranch recognizable,” explains Gatto. “Ranch is a great canvas to play with trendy flavors,” adds Leahy.

Want to surprise and delight guests with truly elevated and audacious menu items featuring ranch dressing? An AI prompt suggests:

• Ranch-glazed savory donuts
• Ranch-poached eggs
• Gnocchi tossed in ranch dressing
• Ranch-stuffed arancini
• Ranch-infused pasta carbonara
• Chocolate-ranch truffles with sea salt and a drop of chile oil

Leahy also put his own imagination to the test, adding Parmesan ranch tortellini, spicy fried chicken topped with ranch ice cream, “Bloody Mary Bombs “(the cocktail accompanied by a shot of ranch) and a “blue” cheesecake with whipped ranch topping.

Ready to explore new flavor plays with ranch dressing? By treating ranch as a platform for culinary storytelling, chefs can craft experiences that resonate with nostalgia and novelty alike—driving engagement, differentiation and delicious momentum across the menu.

Ken’s Foods has an extensive portfolio of ranch dressing options for foodservice. To learn more and discover the many distinctive flavor variations, click here to order samples.