Grillo's Blazing Hot Pickle Chips Review: A Spicy Kick We Didn't Know We Were Missing
It's true that you can pickle just about anything, but for us, there isn't anything better than a good, old-fashioned pickle(d cucumber). And not every pickle has to be straight dill or Bread and Butter. Grillo's is a purveyor of all different flavors of pickled cucumbers, but it is most well-known for its hot pickles.
Grillo's Pickles uses a family recipe that dates back over 100 years. Opened in 2008, the Boston-based company has expanded from a humble food cart to a brand that ships its wares worldwide. And it has a new product burning its way onto store shelves as we speak.
Starting now, you can raise the bar on heat with Grillo's Blazing Hot Pickle Chips. This new item claims to amp up the amount of habanero peppers used in the regular hot pickles, but does it deliver on the promise of a spicy pickle? We tried both the classic Grillo's Hot Pickle Spears and the brand-new Blazing Hot Pickle Chips to find out just how much hotter the fiery new product is.
What do Grillo's Blazing Hot Pickle Chips taste like?
Just by looking at the Blazing Hot Pickle Chips, you can see the fresh ingredients Grillo's uses in its pickling liquid, like large sprigs of dill as well as carrots. These accouterments are a surefire way to identify a Grillo's pickle in a line-up with the labels removed. You don't really taste them, per se, but what you do taste is a mighty fine pickle that delivers a pleasant amount of heat.
The Blazing Hot chips were juicy and refreshing, which provided a nice contrast to the habanero-forward spice. The pickle had a mild heat that only starts to build if you are munching on a handful at a time. Still, during the sampling, we did end up reaching for water once or twice.
On their own, Grillo's Blazing Hot Pickle Chips are an excellent snack for fans of both spicy and pickled foods. They would also add a nice kick to burgers and sandwiches as a daring alternative to the classic dill pickle condiment. But how exactly does this new extra hot pickle compare to the fan-favorite Hot Pickle that Grillo's has been selling for years?
How do Grillo's Hot Pickle Chips compare to Grillo's regular Hot Pickles?
In addition to the Blazing Hot chips, we also tried the original recipe Hot Pickles from Grillo's. Unlike the Blazing Hot flavor, the Hot pickles come in both chip and spear form — we were able to try the latter. Overall, we were surprised by how much we preferred the new Blazing Hot flavor over the regular Hot pickles.
With double the amount of habanero (one of two peppers used in Grillo's hot pickling liquid — the other being jalapeno), the Blazing Hot pickles deliver a heat the way the original just doesn't. The Hot Pickle spears are certainly more savory that an average dill pickle, but we didn't find them to be all that hot. Considering that the recipe is essentially the same, but with the habanero amped up it feels like the Blazing Hot level gets the balance right — at least when eaten back to back.
We also found the Hot Pickles were not as heavily pickled. This could have been because of the larger surface area of the spear vs. the chip, but for whatever reason Grillo's regular Hot Pickles were still very cucumber-y when we tasted them. Overall, the winner between the two was clear. We are fans of the Blazing Hot.
Where to buy Grillo's Blazing Hot Pickles and how much they cost
You can buy Grillo's Blazing Hot Pickles at some of the retail locations where other varieties of Grillo's products are sold, such as Whole Foods, Target Safeway, Costco, and Kroger. They also can be delivered to you via any of the delivery apps you might already use, which includes Instacart and Amazon Fresh. Looking locally, we can also find Grillo's products at our neighborhood food co-op.
Grillo's Pickle Chips are sold in 16- and 25-ounce containers. At Target, you can purchase the 16-ounce variety starting at $5.99 and the 25-ounce starting at $7.99.
Nutritional Info
Grillo's Pickles are fat-free, gluten-free, vegan, and certified Kosher. On top of that, with only 5 calories per serving (or about one calorie per individual) pickle chip, there is only one thing you have to watch out for here nutrition-wise — sodium. It's a given that pickles are a salty, briny snack but you'd be best not to overindulge on these spicy Grillo's chips. In one serving, you will find 250 milligrams of sodium, which is just over 10% of the recommended daily intake. If you are being asked to consume less sodium than that for any reason, just a handful of these can make a bigger dent than you might think.
Compared to some of the more mainstream competition, you are still getting off much easier with Grillo's natural ingredients. Take Vlassic's Hamburger Dill Pickle Chips, where a measly serving of three pickles will set you back 400 milligrams of sodium. All in all, that's nearly double the sodium in Grillo's.
The final verdict
These pickles deliver exactly what they are advertising to an audience that most likely will not be let down. If you like Grillo's Hot Pickles but want something spicier — here you go. These Blazing Hot Pickles are exactly that without any if, ands, or buts about it. We found them to be tastier and spicier than the regular hot Grillo's offering, with a nice, fresh crunch as well.
Are Grillo's Blazing Hot Pickle Chips our new favorite snack in the world? No, but we are excited to serve these pleasantly hot pickle chips at the next cookout, BBQ, or grilling party that we go to.