The best store bought salsa can be so many different things. It can be smoky or fresh. It can be spicy or mild. It can come in a can or a jar.
Not to sound like a snob, but I do not typically buy brand name, store bought salsa. How could they ever compare to the pints of fresh salsa I can buy at my local Mexican restaurant? Or something I can whip up at home with vegetables from the farmers market?
But my snobbery was unwarranted and I should’ve realized that sooner. If you can have good jarred marinara sauce or tomato chutney, why can’t you have good salsa from the store? I’m now a store bought salsa convert and I’m here to impart the knowledge I gained during the taste tests we conducted for this ranking. Hopefully I can heal you of your store bought salsa snobbery, too. These are the best store bought salsa brands (including salsa verde, fruit salsa, and avocado salsa, along with the classic red!) that felt fresh, flavorful, and authentic.
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- On the Border Medium Chunky Salsa
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Chunky salsas have to work extra hard to win me over because I’m not a fan of big, wet pieces of tomato. Luckily, On the Border Medium Chunky Salsa brought their A-game to the taste test and made a fan out of me. The first thing I noticed when I dipped my chip is that this salsa is super aromatic. I was warmly greeted by the scent of onion, garlic, and chilies. Another plus is that, unlike most jarred salsas, it doesn’t have a weird citric acid flavor. It tastes like there’s actually lime in it! This is an awesome alternative to homemade salsa if you’re in a pinch.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Herdez Medium Salsa Ranchera
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Who knew that you could get such tasty and affordable salsa from a can? I didn’t, but I do now! Herdez makes great salsa (this is only the first time they appear on this list). This canned Herdez medium salsa ranchera is so robust in its tomato-y, chili flavor, perfectly salty, and lightly spicy. The only downside is that it doesn’t come in its own resealable container. But, in reality, you probably won’t have any leftovers when you crack this can open anyway.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Casa Sanchez Foods Hot Salsa Roja
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Casa Sanchez Food Hot Salsa Roja was easily one of the most flavorful refrigerated salsas we tasted during our extensive research. Each item from the minimal ingredient list of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro shines, while also seamlessly melding with the others to create the perfect restaurant-style salsa. The fact that this salsa comes from the refrigerator section makes it feel extra fresh. It’s not out of this world hot, but it has a nice kick. Casa Sanchez is a great option for store bought red salsa if you prefer something you keep in the fridge.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Pace Restaurant Style Salsa
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You’ve probably had regular Pace salsa and think it’s good. You’re right. It is good. But what you need to try, however, is Pace Restaurant Style Salsa. It is incredible. The texture is perfectly pureed and the flavor is supreme. It’s garlicky and a little spicy. I had a clear picture in my mind (or should I say taste in my mouth) of what Pace salsa tasted like, but I was completely sleeping on this rendition of it. It’s easily one of the best store bought salsa brands I’ve ever had. Pair this with some crunchy, restaurant style tortilla chips and you’ll feel like you’re in an actual Mexican restaurant.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Mateo’s Gourmet Mild Salsa
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I can’t believe I’m putting a mild salsa so high on the list, but Mateo’s Mild Gourmet Salsa definitely earned its spot. This salsa had, in my opinion, the perfect texture. It wasn’t completely liquified, but there weren’t any big chunks of cooked tomato either. It felt like a salsa that was made at home in a blender instead of something that was produced in a factory. It’s not named in the ingredient list, but I got a strong hit of cumin the second this salsa touched my tongue. Sometimes mild salsas end up being mild on flavor, but that is not the case here!
Credit: Ryan Martin / Target
- Simple Truth Organic Pineapple Habanero Salsa
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This is easily the best fruit salsa you can buy at the grocery store. It’s actually hot. The habanero kick pairs perfectly with the sweet pineapple. It’s not overly fruity or sweet. It is so perfectly balanced. This stuff would be incredible on fish tacos or in an al pastor burrito. Good job, Simple Truth! You made a good salsa.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Somos Medium Cuatro Chiles Taqueria Salsa
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Somos have topped multiple best lists on Sporked. They are one of our favorite Mexican-owned brands and this salsa was one of the best things we ate the week we tasted it (and we try, like, hundreds of foods each week). This salsa has a wonderful complexity from the four different chiles, some of which are smoked and add an incredible smoky flavor to this salsa. It’s spicy, but not super spicy. Check out Somos! We think you’ll really like this new brand.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Casa Sanchez Medium Roasted Salsa Verde
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Casa Sanchez makes good salsa. That is no surprise. I was surprised, though, that they make salsa verde. And not just any salsa verde, the best store bought salsa verde! I had never seen it before. I’m glad I found it while I was researching for this taste test! It’s absolutely wonderful. If you like chunky, rustic salsa verde, grab a container of Casa Sanchez Roasted Salsa Verde from the refrigerated aisle. The big pieces of garlic, springs of cilantro, and whole pepper seeds will definitely impress you. The next time you buy salsa verde, make sure you buy the best.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Herdez Guacamole Salsa Medium & Herdez Guacamole Salsa Mild
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Herdez Guacamole Salsa in mild and medium is the best avocado salsa we tried in our avocado salsa taste test. It’s true perfection. It’s creamy, acidic, salty, and a tad spicy. There’s tons of cilantro. I regularly buy this salsa and consume it at home. They sell two-packs of it at Costco and it’s quite the deal. I am positive that you will love this Herdez guacamole salsa. It’s incredible!
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Mateo’s Hot Gourmet Salsa
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Mateo’s rules. We love their products. And this is the best store bought red salsa we tried across multiple taste tests. It’s fresh and acidic. Tomatoes and jalapeños are the stars in this salsa, but you get notes of garlic, cilantro, and habanero. The ingredient list is short and there are no weird additives or preservatives. I could eat a whole jar of this stuff in one sitting (but I wouldn’t recommend it). I love you, Mateo’s.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Chunky Salsa
Best Salsa in a Can
Best Fresh Salsa
Most Surprising Salsa
Best Mild Salsa
Best Fruit Salsa
Best Smoky
Best Salsa Verde
Best Avocado Salsa
Best of the Best
Other Products We Tried:
Sprouts Hot Salsa, Lucky Habanero Hot, Desert Pepper Hot, Casa Sanchez Hot, Patricia Quintana Authentic Mexican Roasted Tomato & Jalapeño Salsa, Green Mountain Gringo, O Organics, 365, La Mexicana Hot, Casa Martinez Habanero, Sprouts Medium, Sprouts Mild, Sprouts Hot, Private Reserve, Desert Pepper, Target Restaurant Style, Pace Hot, Target Medium, Target Mild, Walmart Medium, Mateo’s Medium, On the Border Mild, On the Border Cantina, Casa Sanchez Mild, Casa Sanchez Medium, Del Real
Rhett & Link’s Pick
Tostitos Chunky Mild Salsa
Between this and their favorite tortilla chip, Rhett & Link appear to be Tostitos loyalists. They enjoyed the strong flavor and the chunk that this salsa brought to the table.
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