Jordan Myrick
If you’re a pickle person, you probably think you know what the best dill pickles are—and you probably have a jar ready to go in your fridge. But have you tasted 37 different types of dill pickles? We have. And that’s why we’re confident in our list of the best dill pickles.
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There are 12 on here that will satisfy all your dill pickle cravings, whether you’re looking for the best garlic dill pickles, the best dill pickle chips, the best spicy dill pickles, the best dill pickle spears, or even the best pickles for burgers. We found the best dill pickles if you only get your pickles from the refrigerated section, as well as the best dill pickles if you want to stock up on shelf-stable jars for the apocalypse.
While everyone has slightly different preferences when it comes to pickles, we can all agree that the best dill pickles should meet certain criteria when it comes to flavor, taste, and juiciness. Dill pickles should actually taste like dill (obviously), along with some other complementary flavors like garlic, peppercorns, and chile peppers if we’re talking spicy dill pickles. They should be crunchy and never mushy. Lastly, they need to be super juicy—the kind of juicy where you have to suck in the juice while you bite the pickle so the juice doesn’t get all over your clothes. If a dill pickle can fulfill all those requirements, it’s not just a good dill pickle, it’s the best dill pickle. Over the course of multiple taste tests, we tried some of the top dill pickle brands on the market in order to find the best dill pickles out there. (If you’re looking for the best bread and butter pickles, we can help you out, too.) Here are the best dill pickles we found to be absolutely dill-icious.
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- Bubbies Baby Kosher Dill Pickles
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I was slapped in the face by salt when I took my first bite of Bubbies Baby Kosher Dill Pickles. At first, I thought, “These are too much.” But after a few more bites, I was hooked. My mouth puckers just thinking about these. They might be a little too potent for most people to eat alone, but they are the best dill pickles to dice and mix into a tuna, egg, or potato salad. The brininess cuts through and complements the creaminess of any mayo-based salad. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Wickles Dirty Dill Baby Dills
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If you’re looking for the best spicy dill pickles that are actually spicy and still whole, you need to get Wickles. These miniature whole pickles are crunchy, dilly, and just a touch sweet—perhaps from the apple cider vinegar in the mix. But most of all, they’re spicy. They have a great heat that keeps building the more you eat. They’re not so hot that you can’t eat a couple, but if you’re at all sensitive to spice, you should steer clear. — Justine Sterling
Related: All the Wickles Pickles, Ranked
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Great Value Whole Kosher Dill Pickles
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love a small, whole pickle. Like, a pickle the size of a pinkie finger. Something about the size makes the texture totally different than a pickle spear or chip. It has a crunchier crunch and Great Value Whole Dill Pickles are no exception. Their flavor is specifically pickle. It’s not exclusively dill. It’s not garlic or peppercorns or even vinegar. It’s all the ingredients coming together to make a unique, store-bought pickle taste that I love. And I don’t know if it’s just me, but holding a pickle this tiny feels very cute. Want to feel like a giant? These are the best crunchy dill pickles for you. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Signature Select Pickle Chips Hamburger Dill
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I tried a few pickle chips specifically sold as hamburger pickles in our most recent dill pickle taste test, and these Albertsons brand pickle chips were by far the best pickles for burgers. They are mouthwateringly tangy and spiced. They are super savory. But what set them apart from the others was their crunch. These are crunchy! And, in my opinion, the best pickles for burgers need crunch—you want them to add both flavor and texture. You can make one heck of a McDonald’s cheeseburger dupe with these. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Albertsons
- Signature Select Zesty Dill Pickle Spears
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Thank you, Albertsons, for the wonder that is the Signature Select Zesty Dill Pickle Spears. They pack so much crunch and flavor for so little money. These definitely make a tasty little snack, but they’re also the best dill pickles to pair with a homemade tuna melt. Alternate bites of the fatty, rich sandwich and bites of this zesty, spiced pickle for a symphony of flavors. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Ryan Martin / Albertsons
- Dietz & Watson Kosher Pickle Chips
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Dietz & Watson makes some of the best dill pickles (spoiler: You’ll definitely be seeing the brand again on this list), and that includes the best dill pickle chips. They taste super fresh and they’re extremely crunchy and thick. Plus, they’re tangy without being too tangy. You can top the hell out of a deli sandwich with these pickle chips. They’ll add flavor and crunch without stealing the show. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- OH SNAP! Dilly Bites
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These are what I would categorize as “snacking pickles.” You don’t make tuna salad with them. You don’t put them on a charcuterie board. You definitely don’t put them on a burger. A snacking pickle exists solely to be fished out of the jar with your bare hands and eaten over the sink as a midday treat. OH SNAP! Dilly Bites are snacking pickles minus the mess! They are small pickle chips that come in a bag and are surrounded by almost no liquid. They’re salty, dilly, and completely drip-free. If you are specifically looking for pickles to eat while you drive, these are the best dill pickle chips to buy. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Grillo’s Hot Pickle Spears Classic Dill
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While they aren’t quite as good as the Grillo’s Classic Dill Spears (more on those in a second), Grillo’s Hot Pickle Spears are definitely the best spicy dill pickles in spear form. They are super crunchy and pack a ton of heat. They have a bit of that sushi bar pickled ginger flavor, too. But really, seriously, they’re spicy. You take a bite, you say yum, you say ouch, but you take another bite, because yum. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Grillo’s Pickles Classic Dill Spears
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Grillo’s Pickles are elite pickles. If you are a pickle person, you already knew that. But, for those who didn’t, this is your heads-up. You can tell that they’re next level as soon as you peer through the clear container. Big chunks of garlic and whole sprigs of dill swim around each perfectly placed green (not neon) pickle spear. They give you a sour vinegar kick while maintaining a light, cucumbery flavor and classic cucumbery crunch. Plus, the cartoon pickle on the container is cool as hell. They might not be the number one best dill pickles on this list, but they are the best garlic dill pickles and certainly worth buying—especially if you like half-sour pickles. And don’t look for them on the shelf, they’re some of the best refrigerator dill pickles, so you’ll find them chilling. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Claussen Kosher Dill Halves
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Claussen’s Kosher Dill Halves are the best dill pickles according to my colleague Gwynedd Stuart, so she yelled at me for not having them on the original list. I’ll admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong. I bought the wrong Claussen dill pickles for the initial test. These kosher dill halves are incredible. They are the best crunchy dill pickles straight out of the fridge. They have impeccable flavor, and delicious brine. You’d be thrilled if you got this pickle from a sandwich shop or on your plate at a diner. Luckily, you don’t even have to leave your house to enjoy them on a regular basis. Make sure you look for them in the refrigerator section, though! They are not shelf stable. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Bubbies Spicy Kosher DIll Pickles
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If you’re looking for the best spicy dill pickles that aren’t actually that spicy, then Bubbies makes the best dill pickles for you. These dill pickles don’t taste like any other pickle on this list. They are zesty and spiced in a way that reminds me of pastrami. The heat comes through as more of a lip tingle than a lip burn, so you can keep on eating and eating in comfort. Even if you buy the best dill pickles in the number one spot on this list, you should buy these too. They’re so different, and they deserve to be tried. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts
- Dietz & Watson Kosher Pickle Spears
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I’ve become a big fan of Dietz & Watson while working at Sporked (their Swiss cheese tops our list of the best Swiss cheeses and their deli turkey is our fave, too). Their products are consistently good, and these dill pickles are another great example. This gigantic tub features the best dill pickles we tried in our dill pickle taste test. They’re crunchy, flavorful, and juicy. They’re briny without being too salty. These are classic dill pickles in the best way possible. I brought these home after our taste test and have been snacking on them all week. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
Best for Salt Lovers
Best Spicy Whole Pickles
Best Small Whole Pickle
Best Pickles for Burgers
Best Zesty
Best Dill Pickle Chips
Best Snacking Pickle
Best Spicy Spears
Best Fresh Pickle Flavor
Best Halves
Best Not Too Spicy
Best of the Best
Other dill pickles we tried: Vlasic Purely Pickles, Good & Gather, Good & Gather Spears, Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle Spears, Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickles, Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Pickle Spears, Open Nature Dill Pickle Spears, Vanholten’s Big Papa Pickle, 365 Kosher Baby Dills, Suckerpunch Pickle Spears Gourmet Classic Dill, Market Pantry Kosher Dill Spears, O Organics Pickles Kosher Dill, Trader Joe’s Dill Pickle Spears, Best Maid, Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle Chips, Suckerpunch Bold Burger Kosher Dill Chips, Open Nature Pickle Chips Hamburger DIll, Famous Dave’s Spicy Dill Pickle Chips, Mt. Olive Hamburger Dill Chips, Kroger Hamburger Dill Fast Food Style Chips, Vlasic Xtreme Heat Chips, Vlasic Frank’s RedHot Kosher Dill Chips, Dietz & Watson Spicy Garlic Dill, McClure’s Pickles Spicy Spears, Gedney Whole Dill Pickles
Gwynedd Stuart
Hebba Gouda
Try some petite Milwaukee Dill pickles if you ever get the chance. Great to snack on.
The best pickle you will ever have is Ba-tampte!!! Better than Claussens
Yee-Haw, Hot Damn Dills 😚 they are so good, absolutely my favorite even though I agree that Wickles Dirty Dills are delicious, I think these are 100% better
Many of the comments here mentioned favorite brands, and while probably true, are very regional and not available in the rest of the nation. Having those in a rating on a site read nationally would be hard.
Boy, when I was a kid growing up in Sassburg it was just pickles galore. We had two pickle makers and one is still around “Dill & Mansas” have been around since 1863, making them the pickle that puckered Lincoln. Some legacy!
Has anyone else had issues with Claussen’s pickles not being crisp and crunchy before the best buy date on the jar ? My sister and I have both had this issue with them even though they were bought from big name grocery stores.
OMG, Yes! Bought some spears and they were so chewy!…
I just want to know the best pickle for a burger dang it =D
I tried Grillo’s from Aldi (I live in the DC/MD/VA area), I think it said they were half pickled or something. Regardless tried it, it was easily, 100%, the WORST pickles I’ve ever tasted. Worse than Mt Olive and even worse than Vlasic. The pickles inside texture was like white bread dunked in a hot soup, just soggy as hell. I threw it all out and my mom didn’t even want to try it.
Yall need to order some Milwaukee Dill Pickles. And then re due the pickle test. These are the best pickles in the WORLD!!!
Wegmans grocery stores In upstate NY and other Eastern states has the best kosher dill pickles wholes and halves.
I love Claussen but had to stop buying them b/c they use HFCS. Why is that necessary in a delicious, salty, dill pickle??? No thanks!
I recently discovered Suckerpunch pickles both available in jars and snack size packets. Great on sandwiches and burgers. https://suckerpunchgourmet.com/
The Boars Head pickled in jars also much better than Clausen or other chilled pickles.
Les feuilles
Did you try 365 from whole foods? One of the best pickles I have ever had
I grew up in minnesota and moved to az about 6 years ago, Gedney pickles are hands down the best. I have dreams about them too often and can’t get them in the southwest. Y’all have to try Gedney Zingers and do a fully zesty pickle list
Jordan, come to Minnesota where Gedneys are made and they make up 80% of our pickle options in every store. It’s the brand we all have in our fridge. Their baby dills are hands down the best.
I really need to know what y’all think of Mrs Klein’s pickles! They’re my all time favorite
How is there zero mention of Best Maid?
We try to keep Texas products in-state. Why share with the other states? Let them have those others. Del Dixie and Bests Maid are sisters, so I get them inter-changably.
Stunned to not see McClure’s even being tasted. It’s a Detroit based company but many stores here on the west coast have them available. May wanna squeeze them into the next test.
I second this. While astronomical and price, McClure’s offers the best of the best in my opinion. Oh, and their sauerkraut is unmatched.
I grew up on my grandpa’s homemade dill pickles, but now have to find a commercial product. I am only interested in gherkins. Have any recommendations?
Nathan’s needs to be tried – we think it’s better than the Oh Snap, Claussen, and Great Value (Never had the brand you ranked #1).
I consider myself a pickle connoisseur and Old Milwaukee dills are my favorite small whole pickle. Claussen are my favorite spears. My favorite chips are Heifetz, which I’ve only ever found at Menards of all places.
Oh, I also forgot favorite deli pickle, which is Freestone Kosher!
We have a shelf in my fridge dedicated to pickles. I bought Grillo’s Pickles Classic Dill Chips because of the recommendation here and had to throw the entire jar out. The flavor was okay, but there was 0 crunch. It was like biting a piece of bread. I was so disappointed because I have heard other pickle people mention this brand before.
Big fan of Grillo’s (especially the hot and spicy variety) and while I enjoy this website and the reviews…. Keep up the good work overall.
I guess I’m confused how Grillo’s can both simultaneously be “best overall” as you clearly have it labeled, but only have the third highest rating.
Is it or isn’t it the best overall? Only minor criticism about this site sometimes the ratings and labels attached to a product don’t always coincide.
If you ever get a chance try Bestmaid pickles. So many varieties and they’re all good and affordable. Also best pickle product could be a category and I would throw bobs pickle potion #9 in there
Texas brand, my fav. The HEB ones are also really good but more expensive.
I’m 29, pickles have been my favorite food for as long as I can remember. Ranking Claussen that low? What? I’m devastated! I’ve never tried the Grillo’s. They have just start popping up in our grocery stores in the last year or two. By then I was tired of being disappointed in new brands so I just stick with ole faithful (Claussen). I will have to pick some up next time I’m at the store and try them. Oh Snap is just an average pickle. I dislike the Great Value brand pickles. I’ve also never tried Signature Select, if there if a place that sells that brand in the Midwest I’m not aware of it.
As for the spilling of the brine, maybe it’s because I’ve been buying Claussen for so long that it’s a muscle memory thing but I never spill the the brine. I love having the excess, it’s good for marinades, mixing into dipping sauces, Bloody Mary’s. When I saw this was a ranking, my first thought was, “Great! If they know their pickles I know I can trust their ranking of other products that I need recommendations.”
I’ve now tried Grillo’s. I am not a fan, whatsoever. I don’t like the flavor, there was no crunch and yet the skins yet so tough it was difficult to bite through them, and I spilled the brine the first few times I opened the container. (I don’t really care about this, but since it was mentioned for Claussen, I figured I’d mention that here.) Speaking of the container, I could never get the lid to securely click back on to the container. That made me very wary of what else I placed around it in my fridge. I did not end up finishing these pickles because I disliked them so much, which makes it so much more of a travesty that Claussen was given the injustice of being ranked so low.
Dear Heather,
Thank you for updating your reply before I made a special return trip to Costco to get Grollo’s, because I just saw them today and passed them by before seeing them reviewed as #1 on TWO different “best pickle” places!! I, too, love Claussen, never spill the brine, & dislike “Great Value” band of pretty much anything. I made the mistake of getting some Vlasik “non-kosher” dills, (sometimes I switch between Vlasik & Claussen koshers, just for a change, but Claussen is still my fave) and the non-koshers were terrible!! It must be the lack of garlic or something. Anyway, I really needed some different pickles, and was about to try the Grillo’s instead of just getting some Claussen’s, but now I’m for sure not!! So, Thanks again!!
There is no contest without Mt. Olive.
…because mt.olive would lose
Spoken like a true queen. Vlasic sucks too.
Your selection of pickles is very regional. I live within 30 miles of 2 pickle canning facilities that are not on your radar. Aunt Janes and Valasic. The other thing is that you have narrowed the scope to just dill and had a kosher dill but not a Polish dill (different taste) Italian dill, but there is also sweet pickles, bread and butter, gherkins, to name a few I can even get dill pickle potato chips.!
You should get a more national sampling
This is a dill specific taste test. We’ll be doing taste tests of other kinds of pickles in the future!
You should try wickles(dirty dill) they are a spicy pickle and they are magical.
Would love a follow up with best pairings. Chicago Dog, Sandwich, Sub Sandwich, etc.
It kind of bothers me vlassic pickles weren’t part of the test at all. Considering they are such a huge American staple.
You’d be surprised what doesn’t hold up when you taste a bunch of things back to back!
Vlasic = yucky
*pharrell
Is…Mt. Olive not good? It’s the only ones I’ll eat, but also I’m super picky lol.
Respectfully-Bubbies are the holy grail of pickles and relegating them to tuna salad is a travesty. Out of all the brands you tried and as far as I can tell, they are the only pickles that are made using actual fermentation and not vinegar (which, in my mind is a big, big plus). Grillo’s are fantastic as well, but comparing them to Bubbies is like comparing apples to Cadillacs-it’s an entirely different thing altogether.
Old Milwaukee Kosher Dills available in the upper midwest. if you know, you know.
A few sports off of Claussen because they give you more bang for your buck? Use a fork or go in carefully, I’ve never once spilled juice out of their jars. Bad assessment.
I don’t know if I’d consider a few tablespoons of pickle juice getting “more bang for your buck.” Plus, packaging and design is something we take into account. This is the only brand that had this problem so they rank lower than the others.
I make rugs I could make one for that spot on the wall 👀👀
Actually… I love how “ Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle Spears” are over flowing with brine! It’s half of the best damn part! They better not hold back after this half backed review. Bump them up baby! Add points for brine… it’s a pickle! Left over brine is great for marinades! Duh
Ba-Tampte Garlic Dills will knock you out of your shoes – yummy. I let their Half-Sour pickles sit in the back of the fridge until they become Full-Sour.
I’ve never even heard of these! We have to try them!
Second this. The best pickles in America are located in the Kosher section of grocery stores-always wonderful.
Off topic but they also make a killer mustard!!
Oh man, I wish I could get ahold of those Zesty pickles! My fave is usually Vlasic Zesty, but they’re weirdly hard to find.
Rating Claussen below Great Value is a hate crime.
Agreed! Claussen pickle juice is great in a Bloody Mary too. My dad taught me that and I’ve been doing it for years!
I’m sorry but GV had a better crunch!
Amen!
I’m surprised Oh Snap! made it so far! Big agree w/PJ, this tier list is great but Wickles Pickles are my favorite!
Yes, another vote for Wickles!
We have stocked the Oh Snap! pickles in our cooler at the OTC Bookstore sold well. We now have Suckerpunch pickles! https://suckerpunchgourmet.com/collections/pickle-pouches These are shelf-stable, unlike the Oh Snap! brand.
Can you try Wickles Pickles and add them to your list?
i second this recommendation!! if wickles pickles are available anywhere near y’all, you gotta give ’em a go