There are obviously many things to love about Trader Joe’s, from the wonderfully affordable prices to the freshness and variety of the selection — but hey, guess what, ranch dressing lovers? You’ve got even more things to love, about the place, because it turns out that Trader Joe’s has a ton of ranch-flavored items that are definitely worth adding to your basket. Snacks! Dressings! Lunches! Ranch for everyone!
OK, by “a ton,” what I really mean is around six — but given that ranch-flavored things are usually limited to dressing and tortilla chips, that’s a lot more than you might expect. What’s more, TJ’s has actually found a few ways to put twists on the classic ranch profile. They’re somewhat unexpected, so if your only experience with ranch is this stuff, you’re in for a few surprises.
Also, here is the point where I remind you that what your local Trader Joe’s has changes from time to time; both selection and prices are never guaranteed, so alas, it is possible that what you see here may not be available from your friendly neighborhood TJ’s. But, I mean, hey, you can always call your store up before you go to check whether they’ve got something particular — that’ll at least save you a trip if they’re out of it.
But if your TJ’s does have any or all of these tasty-sounding snacks, go ahead and grab ‘em. They’re worth it, ranch enthusiasts.
1
Organic Ranch Dressing
I mean… duh. Alas, one of the great TJ’s ranch triumphs, the Parmesan Ranch Dressing, is no longer around, according to a Chow Hound thread on discontinued Trader Joe’s items — but the Organic Ranch Dressing is. It should be more than enough to satisfying your zesty, creamy dressing craving in Parmesan Ranch’s stead; heck, you could always go ahead and just, y’know, add some parmesan to the dressing to give it that cheesy kick it might otherwise be missing.
2
Organic Sriracha Ranch Dressing
Sriracha makes everything better, so it stands to reason that Trader Joe’s ranch dressing with added Sriacha is probably one of the most magnificent condiments ever to grace a bed of greens. Or, y’know, fries. Both work.
3
Ranch Seasoned Crispy Chickpeas
One of the big snacks of the moment, these crispy, fried chickpeas have been dusted in buttermilk, buttermilk powder (looks like there’s a double dose of buttermilk here), parsley, onion, tomato, and a whole bunch of spices. Each serving contains six grams of protein and three grams of fiber, too.
4
Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip
This dip seems to be a little divisive; some people swear by it, but others — namely What’s Good At Trader Joe’s — complained that the ranch drowned out both the bacon and cheddar, which sort of defeats the purpose of the whole product. It’s Keto-friendly, though, if that’s your jam, and, well… I’ll never turn down anything with bacon or cheese in it. Do with that what you will.
5
Salad With BBQ Flavored Chicken And Ranch Dressing
Honestly, this prepped salad sounds like a lunchtime dream: It consists of a TJ’s BBQ Flavored Chicken Breast served on a bed of Romaine with black beans, yellow corn, red onion, red bell peppers, and Monterey Jack; then, you top it off with tortilla strips, barbecue sauce, and—of course — buttermilk ranch dressing. Yes, please.
6
Chipotle Ranch Fries
I will be perfectly honest with you: I’m not actually sure whether these delightful-sounding fries are still available. I think they’ve been discontinued, as the only information I can find on them dates back around 10 years — but just in case they’re still A Thing, here is what I know about them:
They’re frozen and come with a packet of chipotle ranch barbeque sauce; then, after baking them for around 20 minutes, you’re supposed to toss them in the sauce until coated (although I don’t see why you couldn’t warm the sauce up and use it as a dipping sauce instead). The website Trader Joe’s Fan described the sauce as having “noticeable sweetness, mustard flavors, and heat,” although the heat level wasn’t intense enough to cause problems for folks who don’t deal well with spicy things. My guess is that we have the ranch to thank for that; it tends to have a cooling effect, thanks to its dairy base.
Will ranch ever achieve the infamy pickle has in the hallowed halls of weird flavor fame? Only time will tell — but in the meantime, go out and get it, ranch lovers. Today is your day.
7
