Healthy Store Bought Sauces and Dressings That Make Cooking Quicker, Easier (and Better!)

I know I know—I’m a food blogger, and I’m sharing a list of pre-made (not by me) bottled dressings and sauces to cook with. You come here for healthy recipes from scratch, so why am I doing this?

For a few reasons:

• Sometimes, homemade isn’t always better. We have amazing brands by incredibly talented chefs that can make a pesto or tomato basil or a romesco better than you (or me!) could at home – and that’s why they’re bottling it up and selling it
• In the last decade (heck, the last five years), many brands have started with a mission to bring pre-made condiments, dressings, etc. to the masses. These products have clean, nutritious ingredients, so if you are looking for a break from homemade, you don’t have to sacrifice your health or dietary preferences.
• Since COVID hit and we’ve been going out very little, there has been A LOT of cooking at home. After a while, you just get sick of, well, cooking, and it’s nice to have some convenience items.
• If you’re ordering a lot of takeout right now (no judgment), you can use many dressings, dips, and sauces instead of the ones that come with your order, which are full of mystery ingredients. For example, we dip egg rolls in bottled teriyaki.

When I first started Inspiralized, I made everything from scratch, from pesto to Caesar, but the truth is, a lot has happened since then. I’m now a mother of two toddlers! There’s not always time to blend together a cashew sauce (God forbid you forget to soak the cashews that morning or the night before!), and thus, my cooking methods have changed and simplified.

Over the past few years, I’ve slowly stocked my pantry with healthy bottled sauces, dressings, and condiments that have honestly made my meals not only easier and quicker but even tastier! Nothing makes me happier than not having to constantly clean out my food processor or blender to make said from scratch dressings and sauces.

Once I’m halfway through a bottle of one of the products listed below, I place an online order on their site or add it to my grocery list if I know the store near me carries the brand. These are always in my home, making throwing together meals in a pinch possible.

So, here we are. I’ll update this list as I find new products I love!

Healthy Store-Bought Sauces and Dressings That Make Cooking Quicker, Easier (and Better!)

Dressings

• Greek Dressing: Primal Kitchen’s Greek Vinaigrette – it’s very acidic, so a lot goes a long way with this one! Use code INSPIRALIZED for a discount!
• Green Goddess: by Gotham Greens. This just transports me to a farmer’s market—it’s so fresh! It’s great on sandwiches or tossed with lettuce or vegetables.
• Sesame dressing: the Toasted Sesame dressing by Trader Joe’s is my most recent obsession – drizzled over veggie bowls, tossed with spiralized veggies, or used as a dip for spring rolls. THE BEST!
• Teriyaki dressing: Annie Chun’s – that’s the one!
• Caesar dressing: I’ve tried many, but I keep coming back to Tessemae’s Caesar.
• Ranch dressing: You guessed it – Tessemae’s! That’s what I use in this corn and potato side dish.
• Cilantro-lime dressing: I love this one by Tessemae’s – it’s creamy and styled like a ranch, so a bit different but even better, in my opinion.
• Italian dressing: This one by Tessemae’s, is basic and delicious!

Sauces

• Pasta Sauce: Rao’s Tomato Basil and Marinara sauce. How can you make pizza or pasta without these two saviors? They are my absolute favorites!
• Barbecue sauce: Matty’s BBQ by Tessemae’s has been my go-to for years! It’s my old standby, and I don’t waver far from it.
• Toasted Sesame Dressing: This dressing by Trader Joe’s is perfect for drizzling over veggie bowls, Asian stir-fries, or marinating meats! It’s so versatile that I stockpile it every time it pops up at TJ’s.
• Secret Sauce: by Whole30, usually when I’m making burgers (like my Farro and White Bean Veggie Burgers), I almost always use a secret sauce or a barbecue sauce and if it’s a secret sauce, I’ve been loving this new one by Whole30, available exclusively on Thrive market. If you’re not a member at Thrive, the Secret Sauce by Whole 30 is my second best.
• Enchilada Sauce: Siete Foods’ Red Enchilada Sauce: I make a mean enchilada sauce, but it takes TIME. This enchilada sauce hits the spot, and I always have it because I eat a lot of enchilada-y things, like this chili. Second best is Hatch Organic.
• Pesto: Seggiano brand, which I’ve found at Whole Foods – it’s just as good as my Poppy’s, seriously! No need to make your own pesto. They also have a Sundried Tomato variety that’s amazing.

Buffalo Sauce: love this one by Primal Kitchen for making buffalo cauliflower, buffalo wings, pretty much anything buffalo – it’s the best I’ve found!