Foodanddrink

We tested 6 sweet pickle relishes — the winner was unanimous

Food & Wine · Jul 17, 2026 11:31 · 4 min read

Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Ward / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

Our top pick would be equally delicious on a hot dog or deviled egg.

Ketchup and mustard might get more attention, but sweet pickle relish is arguably the most versatile summer condiment. Beyond being essential to a Chicago-style hot dog, it can punch up potato salad, enliven deviled eggs, and add zing to Thousand Island dressing.

That is, a good relish, with the right balance of sweetness, tang, and crunch. We tested six brands side by side, sight unseen, to find the very best.

How we selected the relish

We limited our test to sweet pickle relish, the most popular type in the U.S., which typically consists of finely chopped cucumbers, vinegar, pickling spices, and a sweetener like sugar or corn syrup. Many brands also include other pickled vegetables like red bell pepper or cabbage. We skipped dill pickle relish or other varieties, and chose brands that are nationally available in grocery stores.

How we tested

A team of editors and recipe developers in the Food & Wine Test Kitchen tasted each relish out of bowls labeled only with numbers so they were unaware of which brands they were trying.

We looked for a flavor that was bright, tangy, and sweet; a balanced vinegar bite; and subtle seasoning notes like mustard seed, onion, and bell pepper. We sought a texture that was fine with an even chop; tender but slightly crisp; and not mushy. We also considered the relish’s versatility for topping hot dogs, brats, and burgers, and for stirring into dressings and salads.

The tasters ranked each relish on a scale of one to five based on texture, flavor, and personal preference, or how likely they’d be to buy it again. There was a clear winner.

Best overall: Wickles Original Relish

Jar of Wickles Original Relish — Credit: Food & Wine / Fenwick Food Group

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We relished every bite (sorry) of this sweet-tangy-spicy spread from the Alabama-based pickle company, which includes a combination of distilled and apple cider vinegar, garlic, red bell pepper, and sugar. Our tasters picked up on “garlicky aromatics” and noticeable heat that helped to balance the sweetness. They also found it delightfully crunchy.

The strong flavor of this relish would help cut through the richness of a hot dog or burger, but our tasters had lots of other ideas for using it too, from creamy salad dressing and remoulade to spicy tuna salad. F&W Recipe Tester & Developer Anna Theoktisto recommended it as “a shortcut ingredient in a recipe where you want a bit of sugar, heat and tang…like a deviled egg!”

Wickles’ relish certainly packed the most punch out of the brands we tried, so you might want to skip this one if you’re spice-sensitive.

Best classic: Mt. Olive Sweet Relish

A jar labeled Mt Olive Sweet Relish on a yellow background — Credit: Food & Wine / Mt. Olive Pickle Company

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Mt. Olive has been making pickles, peppers, and relishes for over a century, and we indeed found its sweet pickle relish to taste nostalgic. “This smells like the mini sweet gherkins I grew up eating — and tastes like them, too!” said Senior Food Editor Ann Taylor Pittman.

The ingredient list includes vinegar, red bell peppers, and corn syrup; we also detected prominent spice notes like allspice and cinnamon. Tasters were slightly divided on the heavy pickling spice flavor, with some calling it “off-putting” and others finding it “classic.” Across the board, they enjoyed the crunchy texture, which F&W Recipe Tester & Developer Jasmine Smith called “tender and crisp.”

Since this relish is on the sweeter side, we recommend pairing it with savory hot dogs or brats to balance out the flavor.

Best organic: Sprouts Organic Sweet Relish

A jar labeled Sprouts Organic Sweet Relish — Credit: Food & Wine / Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

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Sprouts Farmers Market is known for its wide selection of natural and organic foods. Its relish — made with sugar, vinegar, and red bell pepper — had a subtle flavor that Pittman said “wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet nor too acidic.” Our testers also appreciated the fine chop, which would help it blend easily into creamy salads or dressings.

Some of our tasters found the flavor to be slightly muted and the texture to be mushier than other contenders, but it’s a solid, versatile pick for hot dogs and potato salad alike.