Justine Sterling
Gwynedd Stuart
You can’t just buy any condiments and call it a day. You need the best condiments. It’s like investing in a good capsule wardrobe—these are things you’ll be using every day, so you want them to be high quality. And as pro taste testers who’ve consumed literally hundreds of sauces, spreads, and gravies, we can tell you with certainty that there are differences between yellow mustard brands and that not all sweet pickle relish is worthy of your hot dog.
Videos by Sporked
So, what makes a condiment the best condiment of its ilk? Not to be too reductive, but…it really comes down to flavor. After many, many, many taste tests in which we ate condiments straight from a spoon—as well as on foods—we pulled together all the best of the bests to make this list. Here are the best burger condiments, best hot dog condiments, and more top condiments that deserve a permanent place in your fridge and pantry.
The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.
- Buffalo Wild Wings Spicy Garlic Sauce
-
It’s always nice when a restaurant makes its sauces available at the grocery store. They don’t always live up to the genuine article, but we’re pleased to report that this Buffalo Wild Wings wing sauce absolutely rules. As promised, it has a little bit of heat and a garlic flavor that’s umami and mellow rather than overpowering. It’s tangy and buttery, and if you’re craving a Buffalo sauce that’s standard but just a little bit special, this is the stuff to buy. (Although if you want something A LOT special, you should try the dill pickle Buffalo sauce that ranked #2 in our Buffalo sauce taste test.)
Read the full ranking of the best Buffalo sauce
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Cholula Chamoy Sauce Sweet & Spicy
-
Good chamoy shouldn’t just be sweet—it should be sweet, spicy, salty, and tangy all at the same time, and this Cholula chamoy pulls it off perfectly. It’s Cholula, so you can trust it’s spicy, but we love the tartness here—vinegar gives it just the right amount of bite to complement your next at-home frutas cup or Michelada.
Read the full ranking of the best chamoy sauce
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Cholula Green Pepper
-
We taste tested every Cholula sauce we could find and we gotta say, if you’ve been grabbing their original sauce and moving on, you’re missing out on a banger. This green Cholula hit harder because the blend of poblano and jalapeno peppers is just a touch more bright and flavorful than the blend of peppers in their regular red sauce. And it’s not weak just because it’s green—this Cholula sauce still has a nice kick to it. Try this and we think you’ll agree it’s one of the best condiments to have in the fridge door.
Read the full ranking of the best Cholula hot sauces
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Knorr Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix
-
Is gravy a condiment? In our pro-gravy lives, it is. Really, anytime you want to add extra savory flavor (and much needed moisture) to a sandwich or dinner, this Knorr gravy packet is the way to go. When we taste tested instant gravy mixes, this was the only one that had real meaty flavor. It’s turkey gravy, sure, but it’s still gonna be good drizzled over an overcooked meatloaf or dry chicken breasts.
Read the full ranking of the best gravy
Credit: Sarah DeMonteverde / Instacart
- Bushwick Kitchen Bees Knees Spicy Honey
-
You’re probably aware of Mike’s hot honey, thanks to the gazillion brand partnerships they’ve launched over the past couple of years, but that’s not who’s making our favorite hot honey. Bushwick Kitchen Bees Knees Spicy Honey beat out the competition with a more complex, fruity flavor that comes from habanero peppers. We couldn’t resist the lip-stinging heat, either—watch out, it’ll sneak up on you.
Read the full ranking of the best hot honey
Credit: Liv Averett / Sur La Table
- Chimi Boss Blends Authentic Chimichurri Sauce
-
If you have a food processor, olive oil, and access to fresh herbs, you can (and should) make your own chimichurri sauce. There isn’t a lot of store bought chimichurri out there and, sadly, a lot of what is available isn’t very good—just kind of oily and flat rather than smooth, fresh, and punchy. If you need a quick condiment for your next grilled skirt steak, try Chimi Boss (we found it on Amazon). It’s salty, spicy, and surprisingly bright thanks to the lime juice in the mix. You could definitely do worse for a Brazilian steak night at home.
Read the full ranking of the best chimichurri
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Zwïta Smoky Harissa
-
Harissa is a blend of chile peppers, garlic, oil, and spices, and if you don’t have a jar in your fridge, you’re missing out. Sure, you need this for shakshuka, but it’s also good as a rub for chicken and steak, a sandwich spread, or a sneaky add-in for bland soups and stews. Zwita Smoky Harissa is next-level delicious thanks to the smokiness of sun-dried chile peppers; it’s that little something extra that makes it one of the best condiments.
Read the full ranking of the best harissa
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Kroger Yellow Mustard
-
Yes, a store-brand yellow mustard took the top spot in our yellow mustard taste test. How did it beat out French’s and other big brands? By being the most “mustardy mustard of the bunch.” It’s extremely tangy and tart—perfect for cutting through some sliced deli turkey and Swiss cheese.
Read the full ranking of the best yellow mustard
Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- Maille Dijon Originale
-
Not only will this Dijon mustard upgrade anything you slather it on, it will also add some class to your fridge. Maille mustard looks high quality and it is. This stuff is just so creamy, punchy, and zesty—it’ll clear your nasal passages and leave you wanting more.
Read the full ranking of the best Dijon mustard
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Walmart
- Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
-
After many, many mayonnaise taste tests, Hellman’s has held onto the number one spot in our ranking. It’s just that good. It doesn’t achieve Kewpie levels of egginess, but we love its custardy texture and eggy flavor. As our reviewer put it, it’s “triumphantly decadent.” It’s just tangy enough, but mostly it’s savory and slick. It’s one of the best sandwich condiments, all around.
Read the full ranking of the best mayonnaise
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Heinz Tomato Ketchup
-
After two separate taste tests of many, many ketchup brands, Heinz remains on the top of the list. It has a little more zip and sweetness to it than the other ketchup brands we tasted. It’s the top dog for a reason, and definitely one of the best burger condiments.
Read the full ranking of the best ketchup
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Woeber’s Sandwich Pal Horseradish Sauce
-
Who doesn’t want a sandwich pal, especially when it tastes this good? This horseradish sauce is creamy, zesty, and has a ton of horseradish kick. Feel free to use this however you see fit, but, if you eat red meat, do yourself a favor and try it on a roast beef sammie. This is the best condiment for at-home, upgraded Arby’s, for sure.
Read the full ranking of the best horseradish sauce
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Amazon
- Del Monte Sweet Pickle Relish
-
This relish was so good it changed one taste tester from a sweet relish skeptic into a sweet relish lover. The blend of cucumber, red peppers, onions, mustard seeds, and, of course, sugar, creates a delicious melange of flavor that is great on a burger or hot dog, or mixed into foods like deviled eggs.
Read the full ranking of the best sweet pickle relish
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Sriraja Panich Sriracha Chili Sauce
-
There are roughly a million styles of hot sauce, and that made picking the overall best hot sauce kind of a challenge. But we thought long and hard and went with the best sriracha because it’s just so useful on so many things. And our favorite sriracha isn’t the kind with a rooster on the bottle. Instead, we’re obsessed with Sriraja Panich. So many hot sauces just taste like vinegar and heat, but this is umami, salty, a little sweet, and plenty spicy. It doesn’t just add heat to food, it actually adds flavor.
Read the full ranking of the best hot sauce
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Natural Plus Green Sichuan Chili Oil
-
Over the past few years, chili crisp has gone from being a niche condiment to being the trendy, must-have condiment that people put on literally anything—including ice cream. Natural Plus’s version was so good, one taste tester even said it was better than the stuff from their favorite dumpling restaurant. It’s numbing and packed with extra umami. And it’s definitely spicy.
Read the full ranking of the best chili crisp
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Amazon
- Follow Your Heart Original Vegenaise
-
We’re big fans of Follow Your Heart’s vegan products over here at Sporked, and that goes double for their vegan mayo. Whether you’re vegan or you can’t do dairy anymore, Vegenaise is about as close as you can get to real mayo—believe us, we tried a lot of oily, sour-tasting vegan mayo. This stuff is creamy. It’s tangy. It’s a must-have condiment for pretty much anyone, regardless of dietary restrictions.
Read the full ranking of the best vegan mayo
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- Silver Swan Special Soy Sauce
-
Our soy sauce taste test left the Sporked crew feeling particularly dehydrated, but it was all for the best because we discovered Silver Swan, a Filipino-made soy sauce. It has an ultra-rich flavor, a hint of sweetness, and huge amounts of umami. And it comes in a really big bottle so you don’t have to keep re-upping your stash.
Read the full ranking of the best soy sauce
Sarah Demonteverde / Amazon
- Legal Sea Foods House Tartar Sauce
-
Legal Sea Foods isn’t just the best dining option in Logan Airport, it also makes the best tartar sauce. It’s sweet, salty, and sour all at once. And it’s so very creamy—perfect for every morsel of flaky fried fish or crispy fried shrimp.
Read the full ranking of the best tartar sauce
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Kroger Burger Special Sauce
-
When it comes to the best burger condiments, it’s hard to do better than the best burger sauce. Kroger makes another entry on this list with their store brand special sauce, crafted specifically for burgers. It’s tangy and sweet, thick and creamy. It’ll make any homemade burger taste like the best fast food burger.
Read the full ranking of the best burger sauce
Credit: Merc / Ralphs
- Good Foods Chunky Guacamole
-
A lot of store bought guacamole is not good. Maybe it has to do with the preservatives required to keep a batch of mushed avocado from instantly browning, but, woof, have we tasted a lot of disappointment in our many guac taste tests. Our previous #1, Good Foods’ spicy guac, was discontinued, but luckily their chunky guac is almost as good. It has a rich, buttery flavor, no weird tang, and it isn’t stringy—no one wants stringy guac, man.
Read the full ranking of the best guacamole
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Casa Sanchez Foods Hot Salsa Roja
-
We’ve tasted a lot of salsas, but picking the best salsa was easy. Casa Sanchez Hot Salsa Roja is so flavorful and just spicy enough (not so hot that only true heat seekers can handle it). The company manages to do so much with just a few simple ingredients: tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro. That’s all it takes!
Read the full ranking of the best salsa
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Famous Dave’s Sweet & Zesty BBQ Sauce
-
It’s sweet and it’s zesty—just like the label promises. And it is just thick enough to click to ribs or chicken or even veggies. Use it as a glaze, use it as a dip, use it on burgers. After multiple taste tests, this continues to be the epitome of delicious BBQ sauce.
Read the full ranking of the best BBQ sauce
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Kirkland Basil Pesto
-
This is not only the best pesto, it’s also one of the best things to buy at Costco, in general. It has a bit of a cult following and for good reason. It’s herby, and cheesy, and nutty, and not too garlicky. Plus, the olive oil tastes like high quality olive oil. Look for it in the refrigerated section!
Read the full ranking of the best jarred pesto
Credit: Liv Averett / Costco
- Pantai Sweetened Chili Sauce for Spring Roll
-
While I still think you should save those packets from your local Chinese takeout rather than throwing them away, you should also get a bottle of this sweet chili sauce for things like frozen egg rolls or dumplings or pretty much anything fried. You can see the pepper bits floating in the sauce, but don’t worry, it’s not spicy at all. It’s sweet and mildly tangy and just as good as (if not better than) the stuff from the takeout spot.
Read the full ranking of the best sweet chili sauce
Credit: Merc / Walmart
Best Buffalo Sauce
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Chamoy
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Cholula Hot Sauce
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Gravy Mix
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best Hot Honey
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best Chimichurri
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Harissa
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best Yellow Mustard
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Dijon Mustard
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Mayo
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Ketchup
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Horseradish Sauce
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Relish
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Hot Sauce
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Chili Crisp
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Mayo
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Soy Sauce
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Tartar Sauce
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Burger Sauce
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Guacamole
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Salsa
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best BBQ Sauce
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Pesto
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Sweet Chili Sauce
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Ariana Losch
Jessica Block
Joe Rumrill
