The era of the pickle is upon us

• Pickle-flavored foods, from potato chips to martinis, have been on the rise in recent years.
• The trend may have hit its apex with McDonald's Grinch meal, with new dill-flavored fry seasoning.
• Pickles are now featured on more than 30% of restaurant menus, and sales are booming in grocery.

Restaurants are literally in a pickle.

An influx of pickle-flavored foods, from potato chips to beef jerky to pickle juice slushies, has reached a new peak with the launch of McDonald's new seasonal Grinch meal, which features a packet of neon-green "Merry Pickle" dill-flavored seasoning meant to be shaken over the brand's iconic fries.

And it's only the latest clue that the country is in its pickle era.

McDonald's has experimented with do-it-yourself fry seasoning before — the Grinch meal was first introduced in Canada in 2024, where the company says it sold out. In 2014, the golden-arched giant tested garlic Parmesan, zesty ranch, and spicy Buffalo seasoning packets at restaurants in Northern California and St. Louis. It also sold a similar product, called "Shake Shake Fries," in Asian markets, India, and Australia, featuring masala and seaweed flavors.

However, McDonald's Grinch meal's nationwide rollout, albeit a limited-time offer, is significant, as it demonstrates how deeply the pickle craze has seeped into American food culture: no longer a tangy sandwich topping, but a mass-market flavor big enough for McDonald's to bet on a national campaign.

"The pickle era just continues to grow across all different types of products, and we're seeing more and more innovation," Michael Della Penna, the chief strategy officer at the digital advertising research firm InMarket, told Business Insider.

Pickle consumption is on the rise around the country. Virtue Market Research estimates the North American pickle market was valued at $12.42 billion in 2023 and is forecast to reach $15.27 billion by the end of 2030.

Consumer trends tracked by Yelp have found that searches for "pickle store" have increased by more than 7,500% over the past five years — and by over 55% since July 2024. Searches are also up for more niche items, like "pickle martinis," which have increased by 633% over the last five years, and "pickle restaurant" — up 32% in the last year.

More than a third of US restaurants now offer dishes with pickles on their menus, Tastewise, a consumer data platform for the food and beverage industry, reports, and social media conversations about pickles — like those touting the flavor combination of Twix with pickles — have increased by 11.49% year-over-year, suggesting continued interest in the sour and salty snacks.

It's not just burger joints capitalizing on the trend. Popeyes this year launched an entire pickle-themed menu, complete with a new chicken sandwich, wings, fried pickles, and a pickle-flavored lemonade. KFC also made fried pickles a prominent part of its Kentucky Fried Comeback campaign in an effort to reverse slumping sales.

And the craze extends far beyond restaurants: grocery aisles are packed with pickle-flavored popcorn, pretzels, hummus, seltzers, and even Van Leeuwen's dill pickle ice cream, while pickle festivals across the country have seen record attendance.

"The pickle flavor profile is going to continue to grow, because it has so many unique combinations: from sour to salty and spicy, which allows a very wide spectrum of not only product adaptations, but flavor profiles within those products by mixing those elements in different ways," Della Penna said, adding that the pickle boom is being driven largely by Gen Z, who gravitate toward strong, sour flavors and foods that lend themselves to viral moments.

"Gen Z's obsession for bold, quirky flavors and viral experiences is playing right into this opportunity for McDonald's," Della Penna said. "With the flavor profile and the opportunity to tie it into Grinch and the holidays, it really opens up an opportunity for social sharing and for the product to take off on TikTok, which has seen its share of viral pickle episodes in the past."

Pickles, Della Penna said, also benefit from the wellness halo surrounding fermented foods, making them both fun and functional in consumers' minds.

Dietitian Sophie Medlin previously told Business Insider that pickled vegetables are rich in probiotics and promote good gut health, which can help people experience less bloating, have fewer gas issues, and enjoy better mental health — so it's no wonder diners keep coming back for more brine.