I tried 7 different mayonnaises to find the best one. I'm shocked the cheapest condiment beat my usual favorite.

7. Kewpie had a unique flavor, but it's not a favorite for me.

I know Kewpie mayonnaise is a popular product from Japan, but I hadn't tried it prior to this taste test.

The 12-ounce bottle I purchased cost me $4.59, or 38 cents an ounce, making it the most expensive mayo on the list.

It's made with egg yolks, whereas many American mayonnaises are made with whole eggs. I've seen people describe it as having a tangy, sweet, and umami-rich flavor.

When I tasted this mayonnaise on its own, the overhwhelming vinegar and savory taste surprised me. Overall, the condiment had a stronger flavor than I expected.

It still tasted too zesty in the chicken salad.

I hoped maybe adding this mayo to my chicken-salad mixture would temper the taste a bit. It definitely did, and the chicken helped calm the vinegar bunch.

Kewpie was still a bit zesty for my personal preference, though. On the other hand, I could see this being ideal for punching up a potato salad or egg salad.

6. Mike's Amazing mayonnaise tasted slightly too bitter to me.

The name of Mike's Amazing mayonnaise seemed promising, and I hoped it would taste amazing, too.

I purchased a 15-ounce jar for $3.29, which comes to 22 cents an ounce.

This mayo had a really smooth consistency but a flavor that was a bit too bitter for my personal taste when I tried it on its own.

It didn't have the right flavor profile for chicken salad, either.

When mixed into chicken salad, Mike's Amazing mayonnaise's vinegar taste weakened, and it seemed sweeter.

The creamy texture was pleasant, but I still felt that this mayo overpowered the chicken salad in a punchy way I didn't love.

I could see this working quite nicely in a recipe for really creamy deviled eggs, though.

5. Duke's mayonnaise wasn't quite as sweet as I'd prefer.

I've had Duke's mayo in a restaurant sandwich before, but this was my first time trying it at home and on its own. The 16-ounce jar cost me $4.99, or 32 cents an ounce.

On its own, Duke's mayonnaise tasted a little bitter to me. I think it could've benefited from more sweetness.

This definitely tasted like a more eggy mayo.

When combined with the chicken-salad ingredients, the mayo didn't taste as bitter but had a strong egg-yolk taste that wasn't quite for me.

Still, it was pleasantly creamy, and I appreciated its distinct flavor.

4. Hellmann's didn't impress me as much as I thought it would.

I usually use Hellmann's mayonnaise at home and buy it on repeat without a second thought, so I was curious about how it would rank in the taste test.

The 15-ounce jar cost me $5.49, or 37 cents an ounce.

On its own, the mayo tasted sweet and smooth, with a stronger egg flavor than most of the other mayonnaises on this list.

The Hellman's mayo gave my chicken salad a nostalgic flavor, but I wasn't as impressed as I'd expected.

The chicken salad made with Hellman's tasted nicely familiar and nostalgic, as I use this brand often. It wasn't too sweet or overly tangy.

However, this chicken salad didn't stand out or blow me away once I compared it to the ones made with the three mayo varieties I ranked above it.

I'd still repurchase this classic, but I found some new favorites in this taste test.

3. Giant completely blew me away with its generic-brand mayo.

I grabbed a 15-ounce jar of grocery chain Giant's store-brand mayonnaise for $2.99, or 20 cents an ounce. This was the cheapest condiment I tried for this taste test.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this mayo, especially since it is the most affordable one I tried. It had a nice, balanced flavor that was eggy but not too sweet, similar to Hellmann's.

I really liked how this mayo tasted in my chicken salad.

This mayonnaise was even more balanced when mixed with the chicken salad — it felt both sweet and a little savory.

I'm still surprised such an affordable option landed higher on the list than my go-to mayo.

2. Kraft Real Mayo had a nice sweetness level.

I've had Kraft Real Mayo in the past, but it's been a while, so I wanted to try it again. The 15-ounce jar cost me $5.19, or 35 cents an ounce.

On its own, the mayonnaise had a really pleasant taste, a smooth texture, and a perfectly moderate sweetness level.

This mayo helped create one of the best chicken salads.

This mayonnaise made my chicken salad really flavorful.

The subtle sweetness and creaminess of the mayo brought all of the ingredients together perfectly without overpowering them.

Although this mayo wasn't my top pick on its own, it definitely created the best chicken salad I tried.

1. Kraft Miracle Whip may be a controversial pick on this list, but it blew me away with its flavor.

I was hesitant to include the Kraft Miracle Whip in this taste test, especially since some mayonnaise lovers really dislike it. Still, it was on the shelf with the other mayos — and it's similar enough that I chose to include it on this list.

It's technically considered a mayonnaise-like dressing and not a mayonnaise by FDA standards, which states mayo should contain at least 65% vegetable oil by weight.

Miracle Whip typically has less fat and calories than mayonnaise, but also contains a mix of seasonings that can make it extra tangy and flavorful.

The 15-ounce jar cost me $5.19, or 35 cents an ounce, and I was really curious if it could beat any traditional mayonnaises. It ended up beating all of them.

I can't believe I waited so long to try this — it was delicious.

The Miracle Whip had a perfect amount of sweetness and a slight vinegary garlic punch that reminded me of pickles.

In the end, the Miracle Whip was actually my favorite.

I was also blown away by the chicken salad I made with Miracle Whip.

The tangy sauce added so much punch to my classic recipe, creating an incredible blend of sweet and savory flavors.

I could see the Miracle Whip working well in deviled eggs, on most classic sandwiches, and in just about any recipe that benefits from an extra dose of flavor.

This story was originally published on April 7, 2025, and most recently updated on July 9, 2026.