Canned salsa is cheap. It’s shelf-stable. It’s good for cooking. But a lot of it tastes more like can than tomato. We cracked open ten cans to find the best canned salsa at the grocery store. Because, even though canned salsa is cheap, you shouldn’t waste even a dollar on subpar food.
If you’re truly looking for the best salsa, canned salsa ain’t it. It does not stand up to the chunky, spicy, vibrant salsas you can find jarred or in refrigerated tubs at the grocery store. But it still has a place in your basket. It’s great to add to melted Velveeta for a quick queso. You can stir it into some rice and beans or chili. Use it as a sauce for grilled steak. And I think it’s a better consistency for tacos than most jarred salsas. Of course, you can still dip chips into it, too. The cans are usually small, so they’re great if you have a solo night of chips and salsa ahead of you. (No matter how sad that sounds, it’s not sad! You have a fulfilling life and people love you! You just need some peace and quiet and chips and your own can of salsa!)
In our search for the best canned salsa, we sought out salsas that were thick enough to cling to a chip. We wanted salsa that was bright and zingy and flavorful. We wanted canned tomato salsa that actually tasted like tomato. And we wanted spice—otherwise it’s practically just canned tomato puree. We found four cans that we’d happily buy and enjoy again. Sadly, none of these were canned green salsa. Every single canned green salsa we tried tasted off. If you have a beloved canned green salsa brand, please let us know in the comments. We haven’t given up.
Whether you like it thick and chunky or smooth and roasty, here’s the best canned salsa you can buy.
- Embasa Salsa Mexicana
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Open up this canned salsa you know you’re in for something thick and chunky. You can see the chunks of tomato and the seeds and the skins. (A lot of people don’t like skins in their salsa, I really don’t mind them; I think they add texture.) It’s fairly mild, but you get a twinge of heat after a few bites. It’s the best canned salsa if you’re looking for canned tomato salsa packed with every part of the tomato.
Credit: Merc / Albertsons
- Herdez Salsa Ranchera Medium
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I love this canned roasted tomato salsa and I will be buying it again. It’s dark and rich and smooth and thick with a concentrated, roasted tomato flavor. I’ve never had a store-bought salsa quite like this before and it stood out as a unique find amongst all the other canned salsa we tasted. While it’s good on chips, it’s also a great canned salsa to use as a sauce. Try it on enchiladas or nachos or even roast chicken. Not everyone on the Sporked tasting team loved this canned roasted tomato salsa like I did, but I beg of you to give it a try.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Herdez Salsa Casera Hot
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While this canned salsa isn’t, like, the absolute hottest thing you’ll ever have, it was the spiciest, best canned salsa we tasted. It’s labeled as “hot” but I would classify it as “heavy medium.” It’s savory but not too salty with big chunks of tomato. You won’t notice the heat too much at first, but it sticks around and builds and builds.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- El Pato Jalapeno Sauce
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This isn’t the best canned salsa just because of the duck on the label, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. (And if you see a shirt featuring this duck, please let me know, I will buy it.) The salsa itself is very good, though. It’s saucy and smooth. It’s extremely savory and tomatoey, with just a hint of spice at the end. It’s definitely the best canned salsa to mix with melted cheese for insta-queso. But it’s also the best, simple, classic, non-chunky salsa to eat with chips. Picture a restaurant that gives you free tortilla chips and salsa. This canned tomato salsa is a lot like that salsa. And you can get it for less than a buck.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Chunky
Best Roasted
Best Spicy
Best of the Best
Other canned salsa brands we tasted: Great Value Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa, La Costena Homestyle Mexican Salsa, Embasa Salsa Casera Hot, Embasa Salsa Verde Medium, La Costena Green Salsa Tomatillo Sauce, Herdez Salsa Verde Mild
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!