Salad dressings in general are liminal substances — neither condiment, sauce or marinade, and yet able to serve as all three. But Italian salad dressing in particular holds an amorphous and mutable position in the salad world. It can be either creamy or oily, sweet or acidic, and when made well it usually contains a variety of herbs and spices. That’s because Italian dressing as most Americans know it is really just a premade mix of the oils, vinegars, cheeses and spices that Italians might use to dress their salad at the table. It also explains why premade Italian dressings often can taste vastly different from one to another, while still holding in common a mixture of oil, vinegar and sometimes cheese.
For salad lovers, and especially those who crave vinaigrettes, a bottle or two of Italian dressing is an essential item to keep in stock. That’s why we tested 14 different varieties of Italian dressing, all of which are available online or in stores. Here are our picks, from best to worst.
Best Italian Dressings at a Glance:
Best Overall: Newman’s Own Family Recipe Italian Dressing
Runners-Up: Ken’s Steakhouse Italian with Aged Romano
Best Creamy Italian Dressing: Wish-Bone Creamy Italian Dressing
Best Acidic Italian Dressing: 365 Organic Italian Dressing, Signature Select’s Italian Dressing and Marinade
Best Sweet Italian Dressing: O Organics Italian Dressing, Wish-Bone Italian Dressing
Best Cheesy Italian Dressing: Olive Garden Light Italian Dressing
Best Low Sodium Italian Dressing: Kraft Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
Best Vegan Italian Dressing: Healthy Choice Power Dressing in Creamy Italian
Best Budget Italian Dressing: Signature Select’s Creamy Italian Dressing, Kroger Zesty Italian Dressing
What We Looked for When Ranking Italian Dressings:
Taste: As per usual, we’re judging based on flavor first and foremost. But since flavor preference among Italian dressing fans varies, we tried to look for the best qualities that one could hope for in each kind of Italian dressing. That means we looked out for especially sweet, acidic and cheesy dressings, along with noting which ones were especially well seasoned. We also took the taste of the base oil used in each dressing into account, as the variety of oil used can significantly affect taste in a dish.
Price: The appeal to pre-made Italian dressing is the ability to quickly dress a salad without having to separately buy the requisite types of oil, seasonings and vinegar — staple items which, when used often, can quickly add up. So ideally, Italian dressing should be a fairly cheap buy. Most of the varieties we sampled for this test cost $3 or less for a 16 ounce bottle, with only a couple costing close to $4.
Texture: Again, ideal texture for Italian dressing varies between fans of regular and creamy Italian dressing. Some prefer a vinaigrette free of most or any dairy, while some prefer a smoother dressing that still maintains the bright flavor Italian dressing is known for. For this taste test, we tried to represent the best of both categories. We also noted which dressings were difficult to mix, and which seemed to lack the needed balance between vinegar and oil.
Additional Features: While considering the taste, price and general texture of the dressings in this taste test, we also kept an eye on the sodium levels each variety contained. Most contained between 200 and 300 milligrams of sodium, but a few were notably more salty. We’ve tried to mark which brands consumers should try to avoid if they’re also trying to steer away from more salt in their diet.
How We Tested Each Italian Dressing
In my household, Italian dressing more often serves as a veggie dip or a marinade than it does as an actual salad topping. Given that, and the fact that I had 14 dressing to try out, I decided to use these dressings as a carrot stick dip. Before opening each bottle, I shook it thoroughly for at least 30 seconds. I then poured a small amount into a sauce cup and tested it, first by tasting a bit by itself, and then by eating three to four carrots dipped in the dressing. similar types of Italian dressing, I tested the creamy varieties before starting on the classic ones.
Best Overall: Newman’s Own Family Recipe Italian Dressing
Walmart
Some like it sharp, some like it sweet, but if you like a bit of both in your Italian dressing, then Newman’s Own Family Recipe is a good middle road to choose. The dressing has a generous portion of black pepper in it along with garlic and other spices, so the flavors carry well in the oil, but it also still has medium notes of vinegar throughout. While not the cheapest of the dressings we sampled, it’s also fairly affordable. If you’re not sure what type of Italian dressing everyone is in the mood for, Newman’s Own is a good brand to reach for.
Runner-Up: Ken’s Steakhouse Italian with Aged Romano
Target
Most of the varieties we tested were dairy free, or at least cheese free. But a few included bits of parmesan or romano; those strong cheeses add a bit of umami that helps pull out the sharper flavors in the mix. The downside of most of those cheesy Italian dressings, however, were that they were absolutely laden with sodium, with one containing more than 500 milligrams. Ken’s Steakhouse, however, managed to keep their salt levels to 290 milligrams per serving. That’s not the lowest amount on our lists, but it is markedly better.
Best Creamy Italian Dressing: Wish-Bone Creamy Italian Dressing
Walmart
Oddly, most of the creamy varieties we tested didn’t actually contain any dairy products. We found that a bit odd, especially when testing the creamy varieties. But by including buttermilk in its mix, Wish-Bone managed to be one of the few companies to make their creamy Italian dressing actually creamy. Wish-Bone’s dressing is a bit sweeter than some of the other creamy varieties we sampled, but it’s definitely a delicious (and affordable) take on creamy Italian.
Best Acidic Italian Dressing: 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Italian Dressing and Signature Select’s Italian Dressing and Marinade
Amazon, Safeway
Classic Italian dressing fans who like things on the sharper side will want to consider one of these two varieties when browsing the shopping aisles. Both lacked the sweet notes of some of the other brands, making them great for those who prefer their vinaigrettes with less sucrose. However, consumers should note that Whole Foods’ Italian dressing offering may need shaking up a bit more before it’s served; of the two, it seemed to separate faster.
Best Sweet Italian Dressing: O Organics Italian Dressing and Wish-Bone Italian Dressing
Safeway, Walmart
Those with a sweet tooth deserve salad too. While these varieties are a bit more expensive than some of the other brands we’ve featured, they’re also a bit more on the sweet side without adding too much more sugar. Both O Organics and Wish-Bone contained four grams of sugar, about one or two grams more per serving than most of their competitors. Both also contained ample notes of red pepper and garlic, traits that weren’t shared by some of the other brands tested.
Best Cheesy Italian Dressing: Olive Garden Light Italian Dressing
Target
We’ll start with the caveat that the only thing “light” about this Italian dressing is the calorie count, which doesn’t help if you’re trying to compare actual nutrients. Despite being “light,” Olive Garden’s dressing still has 440 milligrams of sodium per serving, which is nearly double the amount contained in some of the other dressings we sampled. The good news, though, is that it’s exactly as delicious as you’d expect Olive Garden’s dressing to be. And it also has the strongest Romano flavor of any of the cheese varieties we sampled. That didn’t help Olive Garden beat out Ken’s Steakhouse’s dressing, which managed ample cheese flavor without pouring in the whole salt shaker. But it does at least win it the title of cheesiest, which isn’t nothing.
Best Low Sodium Italian Dressing: Kraft Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
Target
There are a couple of surprises to this pick. One is that, of the brands we managed to round up, Kraft’s creamy Italian has the lowest sodium content (220 milligrams per serving) without actually advertising that benefit. The second surprise is that, despite being creamy, this dressing is actually vegan. But the best part is that it’s delicious, having been our secondary choice among the five creamy varieties we tried out. And best of all, it has one of the lowest prices of the brands featured on this list. It’s not perfect — its texture can be a bit thicker than some Italian dressing fans prefer, even when it comes to the creamy kinds. Still, it’s a pretty good option for anyone who wants to avoid excess salt in their dressing.
Best Vegan Italian Dressing: Healthy Choice Power Dressing in Creamy Italian
Walmart
If you’re on a mission to add even more veggies to your salad routine, or if you simply don’t do dairy, then consider trying Healthy Choice’s take on Creamy Italian. The dressing uses cauliflower puree to reach the desired creamy texture, a trick that might seem odd at first, but works remarkably well. Healthy Choice’s dressing also contains three grams of dietary fiber in each serving, which might be a boon for those who struggle to meet that daily requirement.
Best Budget Italian Dressing: Signature Select’s Creamy Italian Dressing and Marinade and Kroger Zesty Italian Dressing and Marinade
Safeway, Kroger
Not looking to spend a lot on salad dressing? Both Safeway and Kroger have you covered. While Safeway’s creamy variety is sold for around $2 without a discount, it’s often a bit less than that with a store card. And, Kroger’s Italian dressing is our most affordable variety, although the good price is somewhat off-balanced by the inclusion of high fructose corn syrup in the mix. Still, if sugar type is less important than the bottom line, then either brand will serve your purposes.
Not Our Favorites: Olive Garden Signature Italian Salad Dressing and Ken’s Steak House Lite Northern Italian Dressing with Basil and Romano
Walmart, Target
These brands received our bottom ranking for opposing reasons. In the case of Ken’s Steak House, its “lite” dressing simply seemed to be light on flavor. No matter how much we shook, we couldn’t seem to find any flavors besides oil. In the case of Olive Garden’s signature dressing, the taste itself is actually good. However, it’s not very distinct from its light variety, and contains 540 milligrams of sodium. The light variety’s sodium content was bad enough. If salt is not enough to steer you away from Olive Garden’s dressing, we don’t blame you. Still, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point it out.