The best sauerkraut transports you directly to a charming German restaurant with a biergarten and every sausage known to man. The tangy, fermented, cabbage-based condiment is a beloved hot dog topping, but when it’s good, it’s good for so much more than that. I’ve been known to eat it directly out of the can as a snack—and that wasn’t even the good stuff.
When we set out to find the best store bought sauerkraut in two separate taste tests, we were looking for serious tang—sauerkraut should taste fermented, not just vinegary—and a bold, satisfying crunch. You should know it’s there when you take a bite of a bratwurst that’s piled high with it. Oktoberfest is still a few months away, but there’s no harm in preparing now. Here’s all the best sauerkraut, including the best sauerkraut for gut health, which just happens to be our #1.
- Cleveland Kraut Classic Caraway
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If you can forget what you currently know about sauerkraut, Cleveland Kraut makes a pretty enjoyable version. Remember when I said the best sauerkraut should have crunch? You’re not going to find many krauts that are crunchier than this. Spiritually, it’s more like a coleslaw than a kraut—very fresh and very cabbage forward. Honestly, my first thought when I opened the package was that if I wanted sauerkraut on a hot dog or Italian sausage and someone served this to me, I would call the police. But the more I ate it, the more I liked it. Cleveland Kraut has a milder acidity than other krauts which lets the earthy flavor of the caraway seeds shine. It reminds me of a homemade kraut you’d get on a Reuben at a really nice, artisanal sandwich place. If nothing else, it’s the best store bought sauerkraut to buy for sauerkraut newbies.
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- Claussen Premium Crisp Sauerkraut
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Claussen makes a dang good dill pickle—crunchy and super garlicky—and the brand knows its way around a jar of sauerkraut, too. The fermented flavor is powerful; my colleague Jordan Myrick described it as “footy,” in a good way. Still, this isn’t a challenging kraut, unless, that is, you can’t handle a ton of salt. If you tasted Claussen sauerkraut on its own, I think the salinity would seem normal, but alongside other sauerkraut brands, it is salty as hell. Still good, though. I’d say this is the best sauerkraut to pair with a dish that could really use some punching up.
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- Deutsche Küche German Style Sauerkraut
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I thought that Aldi would sell one of the best brands of sauerkraut (by virtue of being a German grocery chain), and hey look, I was correct. Their proprietary brand of German specialty foods, Deutsche Kuche, makes great mustard and red cabbage, and their sauerkraut is a trip to Munich in a jar. It has an excellent crunch (slightly better than Claussen) and a nice tang that really hits the sides of your tongue without being overwhelmingly acidic. It’s a great sauerkraut and it comes in a big ol’ jar that costs less than two dollars. Danke, Aldi.
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- Saverne Classic Organic Kraut
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This Saverne sauerkraut came in third in our second taste test, but I’d like to stress that it was a very close third. It’s so, so good, but we liked the crispness of other varieties just a bit more. Still, it fills your mouth with lots of fermented flavor and funk, but it isn’t overly astringent or too acidic. Also, hot tip: I’d say there’s a hierarchy of sauerkraut packaging. Bagged krauts are crisper than jarred, but jarred krauts are so much tastier and better than canned sauerkrauts. After taste testing all manner of sauerkraut, I won’t be buying canned kraut ever again.
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- Boar’s Head Sauerkraut
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Boar’s Head is a reliably great brand, and their sauerkraut doesn’t disappoint. It’s as comforting and familiar as Claussen with a slightly more complex fermented flavor. It basically tied with Saverne in terms of overall flavor, but Boar’s Head has better crunch. I am dying to eat this on a Boar’s Head natural casing hot dog (one of the best hot dogs we taste tested). Seriously, that snap plus this crunch? I’m going to have to get my lederhosen taken out.
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- Sonoma Brinery Raw Sauerkraut Probiotic Traditional
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In our second sauerkraut taste test, we got around to trying Sonoma Brinery and flipped for the crunch and flavor. This is SO crunchy. It’s SO funky. It actually tastes—and you won’t believe this—like cabbage. You get cabbage up front, nice briny flavor and crunch as you chew, and then a mild, funky probiotic flavor on the finish. If you want sauerkraut that actually tastes fermented, try this. It really seems more true to what sauerkraut is supposed to be than 99% of what you’ll get at the grocery store. And we aren’t nutritionists (obviously; we eat junk for a living), but considering this is explicitly probiotic and comes refrigerated, we’re comfortable calling it the best sauerkraut for guy health, too.
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Best Extra Crunchy
Best Salty
Best Budget
Best Organic
Best Bagged
Best of the Best
Other products we tasted: Libby’s Crispy Sauerkraut, Silver Floss, Great Value, Bubbie’s, Kroger, Signature Select, Dietz & Watson, Sonoma Brinery Dill & Garlic Probiotic Raw Sauerkraut, Saverne Garden Fresh, Saverne Black Pepper & Lemon, Saverne French Dill
