The Top Store-Bought Cheddar Cheese Slices for Your Burgers (And Which to Avoid)

Cheddar cheese is arguably the best type of cheese for any burger — beef, turkey, veggie, whatever. Sure, there’s a time and place for fancier cheeses like havarti and gouda, but when it comes to a classic cheeseburger, it’s cheddar all the way. Don’t even get me started on how it’s superior to American cheese regarding flavor. Maybe it’s because of cheddar’s signature bite of flavor or the bold orange color (well, most of the time), but cheddar cheese complements the rich taste of a burger in a way many other cheeses simply don’t. Plus, quite a few brands sell pre-sliced cheddar cheese, so it’s a cinch to melt over the top of a patty. What more could you want? That said, not all store-bought cheddar cheese slices are built alike — and some are much tastier on burgers than others.

If you’ve ever wondered what the best store-bought sliced cheddar cheese for burgers is, look no further. I taste-tested 12 different options and ranked them from worst to best based on flavor, texture, and burger pairing potential. A deep dive into my methodology can be found at the end, but no matter how you slice it, my taste-testing adventure proved that some cheddars have what it takes to elevate a burger, and others are nothing more than filler. Keep reading to find out which store-bought cheddars you want on your burgers and which ones are better left off.

Sorry, not sorry, Sargento, but your Sharp Cheddar Cheese was by far the least equipped option I tried for burgers. It’s interesting too, because I thought it would do pretty well. Maybe it’s because Sargento sliced cheeses are more expensive than generic grocery store brands by about a dollar or more (a package of sliced Sargento cost me $3.99, although you might find it on Amazon for less), but I always thought the brand would offer a better quality product. 

So, why did Sargento’s Sharp Cheddar rank so poorly against the competition? Well, in addition to the unjustified price hike, I thought it lacked the bite needed to be deemed a sharp cheddar. It was more mild at best. Actually, it’s probably better described as a cross between cheddar and American cheese. As a result, both the texture and flavor were lacking. The consistency was bordering the plasticky feel of American cheese and as noted, the flavor was just passable. Due to this downturn in both taste and texture, I can’t really see how it would do much for a burger. If you’re a die-hard fan of classic burgers with American cheese and want to branch out a tiny bit it could be a good option — for everyone else, forget about it.

Unfortunately for Sargento, not only did it come in last place, but it came in second-to-last as well — this time with its Smokehouse Cheddar Cheese. Similar to the brand’s regular sharp cheddar, it had an off-putting texture that reminded me of a glossy slice of American cheese, so not great. Plus, at around $3.99 a package (again, potentially less on Amazon), it’s significantly more expensive than many of the higher-ranking picks.

Sargento Smokehouse Cheddar does have a slight edge over my last place pick regarding flavor, just barely though. It’s infused with a hint of smokiness, which I thought would really complement a burger, that is, of course, before I actually tasted it. Once I did, I was immediately let down. The smoke flavor can only be described as artificial tasting and as you can tell, I was not a fan. Would it add something to a burger? Yeah, but there are so many better options.

We may not all agree on the best way to layer condiments on a burger, but one thing most of us can agree on is that cheese is an essential element. Don’t waste your time with Sargento Smokehouse Cheddar Cheese if you want to do your burger (or even a grilled cheese sandwich) justice.

Next up is Good & Gather’s Mild Cheddar Cheese, and while it’s miles ahead of the two lowest-ranking picks, it’s still not anything to write home about. Due to it being a mild-style cheddar cheese, it lacks a strong, sharp bite, something that goes wonderfully with burgers. I guess that’s to be expected, but regardless, the flavor was relatively bland. There’s no doubt in my mind that it would simply get overpowered by your burger and any other toppings and sauces included. Don’t even think about putting it on a super flavorful veggie burger made with beets.

The texture of Good & Gather Mild Cheddar Cheese didn’t live up to my burger standards either. It was somewhat brittle and grainy. Compared to better-ranking picks, it was also dense. All in all, the texture just wasn’t right and I thought this cheese lacked anything special. It’s just meh. At $2.29 a package, it is priced right, but that’s its main perk. So yeah, I’d opt for something else 10 times out of 10. 

Coming in ninth place is Lucerne Dairy Farms Double Cheddar Cheese. While it does have something different going for it — it’s marbled with white and orange cheddars — the texture and flavor didn’t live up to the higher-ranking products. I’ll admit, the mix of colors would add some aesthetic appeal to a burger, but a pretty look won’t get you the taste you might be after.

Upon my first bite, I noticed that Lucerne Dairy Farms Double Cheddar Cheese had a very creamy mouthfeel. Even so, the texture wasn’t smooth and the cheese was somewhat brittle. It was kind of confusing, to be honest. I even made a grilled cheese sandwich with it and it melted nicely, but the lack of smoothness still shined through. The taste was okay, but it still wasn’t nearly sharp enough to clench a spot in the top half of my list. As one of the cheapest options I tried ($2.69 a package), it had that going for it but again, it’s not the flavor powerhouse I want for a burger. Any of the upcoming picks would easily be much tastier.

365 by Whole Foods Market Sharp Cheddar Cheese is the first product to attain a spot in the middle portion of my list. It and the three upcoming cheeses aren’t bad by any means, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get them.

Okay, as for 365 Sharp Cheddar Cheese specifically, it had a decent texture and taste, but it was just middle of the road for me. As a sharp cheddar, it had a nice bite and the flavor was undeniably there. The texture, on the other hand, was slightly brittle and grainy, especially compared to many of the higher-ranking picks. It did smooth out considerably once melted — but it is cheese after all.

For a generic grocery store brand, 365 Sharp Cheddar Cheese is quite expensive too, $4.29 a package to be exact. I guess that’s the norm with Whole Foods though. However, if you shop there, it could make a good value pick. So, is 365 Sharp Cheddar Cheese all bad? Absolutely not. I certainly won’t be asking for it by name though.

When I first spotted Organic Valley Raw Sharp Cheddar Cheese I thought, ooh, that sounds interesting — and I wasn’t wrong. It has a yummy sharp flavor and compared to other cheddars I tried, a noticeably grassy element. The taste was also tangier than your typical sharp cheddar, so it’s bound to elevate a burger quite well.

A downside to this unique cheddar cheese is the texture. It’s super crumbly, something that could make it less than ideal for a burger. However, it did have a creamier mouthfeel than expected, and once it melts it’d probably be fine.

Regrettably, Organic Valley Raw Sharp Cheddar Cheese is also pricey. It costs $7.79 per package. The elevated price is likely due to the fact that it is ethically sourced (according to the label), but still. That’s quite the surcharge. It might be worth a splurge just for fun when you’re in the mood for something unique but I won’t be putting it in my regular rotation. Plus, Trader Joe’s Sharp Cheddar (which, spoiler alert: ranked third) definitely blows it out of the water regarding flavor and price, so I don’t see the point in spending so much.

In general, Kroger products are just okay, so I wasn’t anticipating much from the brand’s Aged Sharp Cheddar Cheese. However, as you can see by its firm middle-place ranking, I may have to reevaluate my opinion of the company’s products. After all, sixth out of 12 isn’t bad.

What I like most about Kroger Aged Sharp White Cheddar is its nice sharp flavor. It also has a pungent aftertaste, which, I’m guessing, is a result of the aging process. Regardless, the flavor is excellent. I also like that it’s a white cheddar. That may just be my personal preference but why even bother with an artificial color?

The texture of Kroger’s Aged Sharp White Cheddar was also on point. It’s smooth and creamy and it melted super well on the grilled cheese sandwich I made with it — I’m positive it would taste just as great on a burger. Another reason this cheese makes a solid choice is the fact that it’s relatively inexpensive. In fact, at $2.29 per package it’s tied for the most affordable. Score! When you think about it, that’s quite a few positive attributes. Even so, the five higher-ranking products have it beat.

This is where my list takes a serious turn for the better. I know the last couple of products make good choices, but the upcoming ones make outstanding picks. Trader Joe’s New Zealand Organic Cheddar Cheese is unlike any other I tried. Its most stand-out feature is its decadently smooth and creamy texture. After just one bite it coated my mouth in a delightful way and it would cling to a burger like there’s no tomorrow. The creaminess was something to marvel at.

Trader Joe’s New Zealand Organic Cheddar Cheese also had a delicious flavor, although it wasn’t the most potent of the bunch. I detected a lingering saltiness on my tongue after tasting but not enough to overpower a burger, not by a long shot. At $4.99 a package, this cheese isn’t priced the best, especially considering you only get 8 ounces, but hey, it’s organic. I wouldn’t let the elevated price dissuade you. It’s an exceptional cheese by any standards and it would taste great on all burgers, meat or otherwise. I certainly will have no qualms buying it again and you’d be wise to give it a try.

If you love spicy foods, like me, Organic Valley Spicy Cheddar Cheese is a shoo-in for one of the best store-bought cheddar cheese slices for burgers. It packs a nice little burst of heat on the end and the added complexity of flavor is a surefire winner for any type of burger you’re making. Even if heat isn’t your thing, I’d still recommend giving it a try — that’s how tasty it is. Plus, it’s not super spicy, so even a more sensitive palate could appreciate it when layered with other toppings.

Organic Valley Spicy Cheddar Cheese gets its heat from habanero, so the spice level builds on the back end. Just when you think you’ve got a feel for it, it evolves. It’s kind of like the gift that keeps on giving — and I love it. Admittedly, it isn’t the sharpest cheese in the bin, but there’s no denying it would shine like a star alongside a smoky burger. In addition to flavor, this sliced cheddar has a nice, smooth texture, especially for an organic product (I can’t say the same for the other organic cheeses I tried).

Depending on where you buy, this stellar sliced cheddar costs around $7.99 per package — but sometimes, a product is good enough that it’s worth spending a bit more. This is one of those times. If you want to turn up flavor beyond your typical cheddar, Organic Valley Spicy Cheddar Cheese is just the thing.

Priced and flavored just right, Trader Joe’s Sharp Cheddar Cheese makes an outstanding pick for any burger. It has all the things you could want from a classic cheddar cheese and it definitely blows all of the other generic grocery store brands out of the water. Plus, you can get an extra-large 12-ounce package for $4.79 — not a bad deal.

When I first opened my package of Trader Joe’s Sharp Cheddar Cheese I noticed that the slices were thicker than the other store-bought cheddars I tried. When it comes to burgers, more cheese sounds good to me, so sign me up. Once I got a taste, I knew it had all the classic flavor people expect and a smooth texture to match.

For me, this cheese could have been a touch sharper, but it bridges the gap between creamy and sharp with ease. Basically, whether you love a ton of bite from your cheddar like me or not, it won’t let you or your burgers down. In fact, a friend who helped me taste all the yummy store-bought cheddar cheeses on this list also melted it on a burger and they couldn’t stop raving about it. Even so, I think the top two picks beat it fair and square.

The second-place award for the best store-bought cheddar cheese slices to elevate your burgers goes to Kerrygold Dubliner Cheddar Cheese. If you’ve never had the joy of tasting it, let me tell you: You’re in for a treat. It has a unique flavor profile that any burger would be glad to welcome into the mix. It’s creamy, bold, sharp, and grassy, and it has just the slightest touch of sweetness, making it unlike any other product on this list. Delish!

The only downside to Kerrygold Dubliner Cheddar Cheese is that it’s crumbly. In fact, it’s the most crumbly of them all, but you know what? I didn’t care one bit. The delicious flavors won me over without a second thought about the texture. The price isn’t the best at between $5 and $6.74 depending on where you shop, but again, I wasn’t phased. Seriously, Ireland has conquered cheddar cheese and Kerrygold Dubliner Cheddar is a perfect example of why. Add it to a burger and watch out, you may never look back again. That is, of course, if you don’t instantly fall in love with my number one pick (like I did).

And finally … my number one spot for the best sliced cheddar for burgers goes to none other than Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese. After just one nibble, I knew this cheese was going to go far in my ranking. I immediately thought, now we’re talking. It had all the sharpness a girl like me could want and it didn’t rely solely on bite to get the delicious flavor across. There’s no doubt Tillamook is one of the best brands in the cheese biz, and one taste of the sliced Sharp Cheddar will show you why.

When I think about a classic sharp cheddar cheese, Tillamook’s is exactly what I want. It isn’t overly adventurous, but it’s dependable and it packs all of the classic bite and flavor that makes this style of cheese perfect for any meat or veggie burger recipe. The texture is spot-on too. Creamy and smooth, it won’t let you down.

A package of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese will run you between $3.99 and $4.79, so it’s not the cheapest or the most expensive, but this time you truly get what you pay for. The quality is apparent in every element from the taste down to the texture. I don’t have a single complaint about this cheese and something tells me you and your next batch of burgers won’t either.

Personally taste-testing the 12 store-bought cheddar cheese slices you find above was nothing short of an adventure. As a lover of both cheese and burgers, I was more than ready for the task. After driving around to six different grocery stores I took my treasures home and happily started tasting. At first, I thought I would use each product on burgers and even grilled cheese, but I quickly learned that wasn’t going to give me the accurate taste-testing results I needed, so I abandoned that idea and started sampling each cheese as-is — several times I might add.

As far as my ranking is concerned, I focused primarily on flavor. In my opinion, the best cheddar cheeses for burgers are nice and sharp so they don’t blend in with the other toppings or get overpowered by a flavorful patty, and my ranking reflects this. I also considered how a particular cheese’s flavor would pair with burgers of all kinds, meat or veggie. After that, texture played a role in ranking. The creamier the mouthfeel, the better. Lastly, I considered price, but as you can tell by my ranking, sometimes a product nailed flavor and texture, so overlooking a higher price was more than justified. In the end, I determined that none of the cheeses were downright awful, but I’ll certainly be sticking to the top half of the list from now on — you should too.