If you’re picnicking, barbecuing or tailgating, one side dish needs to be part of your spread: pickles!
Salty and sour, pickles complement so many of our favorite foods, like burgers, Cuban sandwiches and Chicago hot dogs. Some unique pickles like the moonshine pickle can take you by surprise. And unless you’re making your own pickles from scratch, it can be hard to find the absolute best pickles.
That’s why our Taste of Home Test Kitchen had to find the best types of pickles available. (Don’t miss out on the best way to take pickles out of a jar, either—the pickle picker!)
How We Found the Best Pickles
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Now we know there are a lot of pickles out there: slices, spears, chips, dill, sour, bread and butter and more. For this pickle taste test, we set out to find the best dill pickles. Dill is the most popular pickle variety. We bet you’ve got a jar of them in your fridge right now!
Our Test Kitchen stocked up on the eight most popular brands of dill pickles and tested them blindly. For all pickle brands, our picky pros kept these criteria in mind:
- Flavor:Â Good dill pickles should taste of cucumber, vinegar, dill and other pickling spices.
- Appearance:Â A good dill pickle should look appetizing; not unnatural in color but not dull or gray.
- Crunch: This is an important factor when it comes to pickles. Our team wanted crisp, crunchy pickles.
Our Test Kitchen-Preferred Dill Pickles
The tasters in our Test Kitchen crunched, munched and debated. These are the pickle brands that came out on top.
Best Fresh Pickles: Grillo’s Pickles Classic Dill Pickle Spears
Taste of Home
You’ll find most pickle brands in the condiment aisle of your supermarket, but don’t forget to look in the fresh and deli section of your grocer. That’s where you’ll find Grillo’s Pickles.
Unlike many pickles, Grillo’s manages to retain a lot of that refreshing cucumber taste. Of course, layered on top of the cucumber was the taste of fresh dill—the most dill flavor of any pickle brand our Test Kitchen sampled. Testers also found that Grillo’s perfectly balanced the salty, sour and vinegary tastes that we associate with pickles.
But these pickles were more than fresh cucumber and dill flavor. They looked just like a good homemade pickle and they had a satisfying bite: crunchy with a snap.
Because these pickles are fresh, they don’t have as long a shelf life as traditionally canned pickles, but believe us when we say not a single spear will go to waste. These rank among the best pickles anywhere.
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Crunchiest Pickles: Milwaukee’s Kosher Dill Pickles
Taste of Home
Is there anything more satisfying than a cool, crunchy pickle? We think not! In this test, our kitchen pros discovered that Milwaukee’s Kosher Dill Pickles were the absolute crispiest and crunchiest.
These whole pickles were generous in size, but not so huge that you wouldn’t want to finish one (in fact, our testers were happy to go back for seconds). Biting into these mellow green pickles, our Test Kitchen samplers got a distinct snap. Along with the satisfying crunch, testers found Milwaukee’s dills have a pleasant vinegar bite with a nice balance of dill and other pickling spices.
In short: These were the perfect picnic pickle. Several testers said they could imagine cracking open a jar to enjoy alongside summer picnic recipes like macaroni salad and turkey sandwiches.
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Most Complex Flavor: Boar’s Head Kosher Dill Pickles
Taste of Home
If you’re a pickle aficionado, you’ll appreciate a spear that’s more than just dill and vinegar. Boar’s Head Kosher Dill Pickles fits the bill.
This jar was packed with generously sized pickles as well as carrots, garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns, dill sprigs and other spices. Our testers thought the flavor combination was lively. Plus, a selection of pickled carrots are always welcome on your relish tray alongside pickles.
Besides packing a flavorful punch, these pickles were also pretty darn crunchy thanks to the cold pack pickling process. Like Grillo’s, look for Boar’s Head pickles in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
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Best Pickles for Garlic Lovers: Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Spears
Taste of Home
We know: Dill pickles should taste prominently of dill. But garlic is a must-have in many pickle recipes—especially in Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Spears.
These bright green pickles served up major garlic flavor. Our tasters got hints of mustard and dill too, but garlic was the primary seasoning in this jar of pickles. While these spears were definitely on the large size (picture those giant pickles you see at the deli cut into four wedges), our testers still got some crunch from the outside of the cucumber.
Overall, we’d recommend these pickles served up alongside your favorite sandwich, like a Reuben or turkey club.
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Make the Most of a Jar of Pickles
The best pickle brands make a great treat right out of the jar. They also are welcome on any relish tray along with other pickled vegetables and olives. Slice up these spears and serve them on a sandwich or serve alongside grilled hot dogs and hamburgers.
When you want to add a salty, briny kick to a dish, reach for that pickle jar!
Air-Fryer Pickles
Enjoy deep-fried pickles? You’ll love this version even more. Dill pickle slices are coated with panko bread crumbs and spices, then air-fried until crispy. Dip them in ranch dressing for an appetizer you won’t soon forget. —Nick Iverson, Denver, Colorado
Go to Recipe
Bacon Cheeseburger CasseroleThis casserole has it all: ground beef, bacon, onions and cheese, all baked up in your trusty 9x13 pan. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Dill Pickle DipMy love for pickles led me to create this dill pickle dip. It's so easy to whip together. But be warned...it's addicting! —April Anderson, Forest Lake, Minnesota
Dill Pickle SoupThis dill pickle soup is made from a century-old Swiss recipe. Traditionally, it is a winter soup, but we serve it year-round because of the demand. —Nancy Ross, Salem, Oregon
Cuban SlidersThese wonderful little rolls are baked until lightly toasted and the cheese melts. The leftover King's Hawaiian ham sliders keep really well in the fridge, and they make a lovely cold snack. Followers of my blog, houseofyumm.com, go nuts for these! —Serene Herrera, Dallas, Texas
Cheeseburger PizzaMy husband's favorite foods are pizza and cheeseburgers, so I combined the two in a pie with mayo and dill pickle juice. People who try this cheeseburger pizza always laugh in surprise because it's so good. —Angie Zimmerman, Eureka, Illinois
Dill Pickle Potato SaladThis creamy dill pickle potato salad makes a flavorful and attractive addition to a Fourth of July picnic or church supper.—Nancy Holland, Morgan Hill, California
Cheeseburger NachosCheeseburger nachos are the perfect game-day graze. Load them up with all the toppings or let everyone claim part of the platter that they can top with their faves. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Fried Dill PicklesYou may be surprised when you see how easy it is to make a batch of Fried Dill Pickels. Don't be surprised if they get snatched up in a flash! —Eloise Maynor, Scottsboro, AL
Dilly Turkey MeltThis is a hearty grilled sandwich with a distinctive and delicious combination of ingredients. The pickle slices add a bit of fun, and the barbecue sauce provides a hint of sweetness that's irresistible. —Henry Mujica, North Riverside, Illinois
Pastrami Roll-UpsFor a book club event, I created pastrami roll-ups with cream cheese and a pickle. Those tasty bites quickly pulled a disappearing act. —Merritt Heinrich, Oswego, Illinois
Dill Bloody MarysWith a nice level of pepper, and just enough dill from the pickle, these Bloody Marys are sure to please. To make Contrary Marys simply leave out the vodka. —Jay Ferkovich, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Cheeseburger PieThis cheeseburger pie tastes so much like its namesake—right down to the pickles in it! We home-school our children so I like easy recipes like this that get them involved in cooking. —Rhonda Cannady, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Dilly Mini Cheese Balls??These mini cheese balls are perfect for any gathering, no matter what time of year it is! Kids love the cheesy, salty flavor, and adults appreciate how easy they are to make. —Carole Lanthier, Courtice, Ontario
Moist N Tender WingsHere are some irresistible, fall-off-the-bone chicken wings that everyone will love. Chili sauce and powder give them just a bit of heat, while molasses lends a hint of sweetness. They make a fantastic meal served with rice. –Sharon Morcilio, Joshua Tree, California
Cubano Macaroni SaladOne of my favorite sandwiches is a hot Cubano, piled high with juicy pork, layers of ham and melty Swiss cheese. These same ingredients are amazing in a macaroni salad. —Marina Castle Kelley, Canyon Country, California
Cheeseburger NachosCheeseburger nachos are the perfect game-day graze. Load them up with all the toppings or let everyone claim part of the platter that they can top with their faves. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Cuban Roasted Pork SandwichesFor an incredible hot sandwich, slowly roast pork in a seasoned citrus marinade, then layer slices of the meat with pickles, zippy mustard, ham and cheese. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Ham & Pickle WrapsI decided to try this recipe on my card club, and it was a big success. They loved it. This ham pickle roll up recipe can be swapped around and changed in so many different ways and always turns out as an awesome appetizer or great-looking centerpiece over a hand of cards.
Chili Dog PizzaMy girls love it when I make this mash-up pizza with hot dogs and chili. It’s a marvelous way to use up leftover chili. —Jennifer Stowell, Smithville, Missouri
Garlic-Dill Deviled EggsIn my family, Easter isn't complete without deviled eggs. Fresh dill and garlic perk up the flavor of these irresistible appetizers that you'll want to eat on every occasion. —Kami Horch, Calais, Maine
Sweet and Hot Chicken with Dill Pickle SauceThis is my low-carb version of Nashville hot chicken. We try to cut carbs as much as possible, so the fried breaded version and the sandwich version of this dish were out. Instead, I make a baked rendition with the same delicious flavors. This is also amazing made with chicken tenders and served in wraps. —Fay A. Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas
Peanut Butter Pickle SandwichCrunchy, tangy, salty and sweet, this open-faced peanut butter pickle sandwich hits all your cravings. —James Schend,
Taste of Home Deputy Editor
One-Pot Bacon Cheeseburger PastaWhen the weather's too chilly to grill, I whip up a big pot of this cheesy pasta. Believe it or not, it tastes just like a bacon cheeseburger, and it's much easier for my young children to enjoy. —Carly Terrell, Granbury Texas
Updated: Nov. 14, 2023
