16 Best Salsa Brands Ranked in 2025

If you’re like us, you’ve got your own opinion on the best salsa. The tried and true, which you reach for every time a bag of chips or a quesadilla is calling. 

And, with the pre-made salsa market growing at an average annualized rate of 0.2%, according to IBISWorld, it’s not surprising that new products keep entering this profitable market sector. 

But, with so much choice on the market and options to suit every palate’s spice, piquancy and freshness preferences, you’d be missing out if you didn’t explore all of the best salsa brands out there.

So, whether your regular brand is out of stock or you feel like branching out, our list of the best salsa brands is fully loaded with inspiration. We’ve explored countless brands and scoured customer reviews to bring you an in-depth look at the best salsa brands on grocery store shelves. 

 Jump to Section

• How We Ranked These Top-Rated Salsa Brands
• The 16 Best Store-Bought Salsa Brands Ranked
• What Is the Best Store-Bought Salsa Brand?

How We Ranked These Top-Rated Salsa Brands

The team at Cozymeal is committed to meeting all of your culinary needs, from connecting you with expert-led cooking sessions and international food tours to helping you make the best choices at the grocery store, through helpful content like this list of the best salsas.

A quick stroll through the grocery store aisles will reveal hundreds of salsa options, with many views about which is the best salsa to go for. To make choosing the perfect salsa for you easier, we completed thorough research in order to curate a useful and comprehensive ranking of the best store-bought salsas. 

This research process included checking each salsa brand’s website for additional information (such as exact ingredients and sourcing and production processes), consulting online reviews and even completing taste tests. 

Our judgement was ultimately based on the following key criteria:

• Flavor profile
• Balance of spice
• Texture and consistency
• Customer popularity
• Availability and affordability 

While the best jarred salsa transforms the humble chip into a taste explosion that’s perfect for everything from late-night snacking to using as part of a tailgate food feast, we also considered how these salsas performed in other dishes, such as with nachos. 

There’s also a good mix of mild, medium and spicy salsas and a few salsa verdes, resulting in a guide to the best salsa brand for every taste, occasion and budget. 

The 16 Best Store-Bought Salsa Brands Ranked

16. Tostitos Restaurant Style Medium Salsa

Many of us grew up with Tostitos, so we went into this first tasting with pleasant memories. However, Tostitos failed to recapture the magic of childhood for an adult palate. 

This was due to two main criteria — taste and texture. Some of us loved the sharpness of this salsa, but others found it to be too acidic. A little acidity is necessary to cut through the sweetness of the tomatoes, but in this pick, it bordered on overpowering.

The texture of this salsa was also divisive. Some found it watery, while others loved the easy scoopability and lack of large chunks. Whether this is the best salsa for you depends on the flavor profile you’re after and how you serve your salsa. 

15. Late July Medium Salsa

Late July is well-known for its tortilla chips, and the brand also makes salsas to pair with them. While the chips are often considered some of the best tortilla chips, the salsas don't rank quite as well.

While the salsas have a clean, primarily organic ingredients list, the flavors fall a little flat and don't blend very well. The use of tomato, lime and vinegar also makes this salsa a bit too sour.

Another drawback, resulting in the low ranking on this list of the best salsas, is the consistency. It's quite thin, almost like a vinaigrette, which, surprisingly given the brand, makes it less than ideal for chip dipping. 

The medium is generally the most popular, but it's not a great choice for those who like salsa on the spicy side. There also isn't a hot version of Late July salsa to purchase (only mild, medium and salsa verde). However, pairing it with a few drops of your favorite type of hot sauce can increase the spiciness a little. 

14. Trader Joe’s Salsa Autentica

We love Trader Joe’s, but we have to admit that we were surprised that we ranked Trader Joe’s Salsa Autentica so high on our list of best salsas. This Trader Joe’s dip is made from six simple ingredients: tomatoes, yellow chile peppers, dried onion, garlic powder, salt and vinegar. 

This pick among the best salsas was a real winner with a lot of reviewers online, as well as our tasting team. The addition of dried onion, rather than fresh, softened the allium flavor, which can be astringent in other salsas. 

The gentle hum of background spice also accentuated the concentrated tomato flavor and made us think this would be a super salsa for adding to dishes like huevos rancheros. Of course, being from one of the cheapest grocery stores in the U.S., it’s also affordable. 

Drawbacks of this healthy snack at Trader Joe’s include that it may not be spicy enough for some, and that, despite its name, it’s not the most authentic salsa available. 

13. Chi-Chi’s Restaurant Style Medium Salsa

Like Tostitos, Chi-Chi’s Salsa found fans for its flavor but lost points for its texture. Again, the taste here veers towards the sharp, which is great for those who enjoy that type of acidity, but it won’t appeal to everyone.

In addition, the texture of the Chi-Chi Salsa is a little too liquid. The jar advises to stir well before serving and perhaps we should have followed this advice more thoroughly. Again, this difference in texture split the room depending on personal chip loading preference and relegated Chi-Chi’s to the bottom half of our best salsa ranking.

12. Amy’s Thick and Chunky Salsa Medium

We have to admit that we’re huge fans of chunky salsa, but we can appreciate that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea — or bowl of salsa for that matter. If you’re a fan of this texture, you’ll love Amy’s Medium Salsa, which features large pieces of organic, sun-ripened tomatoes. Onion, garlic, lime juice and spices are also featured to cut through the sweetness of these tomatoes while jalapeños kick up the heat and spice.

Whether that’s in a burrito or as a topping with nachos, we feel that this would be one of the best salsa options to go for. However, it’s a little too chunky to be the perfect chip-dipping salsa. As with the Trader Joe’s product, many also feel that this isn’t the most authentic salsa product in grocery stores. 

11. On The Border Medium Salsa

On The Border Medium Salsa is made by the popular Mexican restaurant chain On the Border Grill. The restaurant is famous for its table-side guacamole, but this salsa is a real winner in the grocery store aisles.

As well as a pleasing texture, we loved the rich taste provided by onion, garlic and chile. There was just the right level of heat and aromatic depth to appeal to spice lovers, but it could be easily tempered by pairing with sour cream if you want something a little less spicy. 

The spicy goodness centers around roasted cumin, a common ingredient in the best salsas, but harnessed here with expert skill to balance a fine line between warmth and overpowering heat. This one can be challenging to find in many grocery stores, though, which is why it ranks a little lower on our list. 

10. Pace Restaurant Style Salsa

This salsa comes with a powerful hit of tomatoes as the first two ingredients are diced tomatoes in tomato juice and crushed tomatoes. It’s one of the best salsa choices for lovers of garlic as well, and there’s a nice hint of mild heat thanks to the jalapeños. The ingredients are all rounded out with cilantro and some additional spices.

Pace Restaurant Style Salsa is conveniently available at grocery stores across the country, making it easy to grab some to try your own taste test.

If you’re wondering why Pace didn’t climb higher up our list of the best salsa brand options, it’s because of its texture. It contains chunks of vegetables, which can prove too much for even the best tortilla chips. 

So, if you’re buying a salsa on flavor profile alone, this is a great choice. Yet, if texture is important, you may not enjoy Pace’s offering. 

9. Herdez Medium Salsa Ranchera

Unique among the options on this list of the best salsas, Herdez Salsa Ranchera comes in a can. This means it’s not possible to reseal and store in the fridge, but if you’re wondering, “Can you freeze salsa?”, then the answer is yes, and this is the perfect candidate. 

Just decant your leftovers into a freezer-safe container, and the salsa will keep for several months. There are Herdez Salsa options which come in a glass jar, but we felt the can contributed to this one’s winning taste by condensing and intensifying the tomato flavor and warm spices. 

This is also a great dipping salsa and works well in a variety of other dishes that call for salsa. However, if you’re after a chunky salsa, this won’t be the best option for you. 

8. Green Mountain Gringo Mild Salsa

This is considered to be the best salsa by many, and it’s easy to see why. The recipe features fresh pasilla peppers to add a gentle heat, along with jalapeño for a contrasting spicy hit. 

Fresh, ripe tomatoes bring a level of sweetness and acidity, while the addition of tomatillos creates a vibrant tartness. For additional acidity, this salsa uses apple cider vinegar, offering a varying note to the usual lime or lemon juice. 

We thought the taste was knockout, but we especially enjoyed the texture. There was no trace of wateriness, so every single scoop was consistently good, all the way to the bottom of the jar.  And trust us, we scraped it clean! 

The only reasons you may want to pass on this salsa brand are if you can’t find it at the store (it’s not quite as widespread as some options on this list of the best salsas) or if you want something super spicy. 

7. Whole Foods 365 Taqueria Small Batch Medium Salsa

The 365 range at Whole Foods covers a diverse collection of products, including, surprisingly, some of the best salsa we tasted. Not only was the taste excellent, but the texture was spot on. There’s enough bite to ensure a pleasant grace note to crispy chips, but you won’t encounter large cubes of tomato or onion, as we found with some of the other salsas sampled.

Taste was, of course, the most important consideration and we were very impressed. There’s a lively kick of fresh herbs and fresh tomatoes, plus an acidity that skates along the right side of tang rather than bitter. 

This Whole Foods product also offers sweetness from the inclusion of both diced tomatoes and tomato pureè, while roasted jalapeño peppers provided a depth which propelled this to the middle point of our best salsas ranking.

6. Great Value Thick and Chunky Mild Salsa

Part of Walmart’s own range, Great Value Mild Salsa is another pick on our list of the best salsa brands, which, surprisingly, scored very highly with our team. An allium richness is delivered thanks to dehydrated garlic and onions, with the use of fresh onion bringing some texture. These ingredients then pair well with the taste that comes from the vibrant tomatoes.  

The recipe also features both diced tomatoes in tomato juice and crushed tomatoes. Crushing rather than puréeing seems to impart the tomatoes with a deeply intense flavor. 

Jalapeño peppers are also included and supply a very manageable heat. It may not be spicy enough for some or authentic enough for others, but if you’re catering for a crowd and need a tasty, affordable dip, this is an ideal pick.

5. Muir Glen Medium Salsa

Muir Glen ranks as one of the very best salsas for use with dishes like fajitas, flautas and tacos. Notably, this salsa pairs perfectly with low-calorie Mexican food recipes, adding lots of flavor without greatly increasing calorie count. 

The flavor of the salsa is good when paired with chips, but we feel that using this salsa in cooking really allows the ingredients to shine. These ingredients include organic, vine-ripened tomatoes grown in California, which offer a sweet yet tart base that pairs well with additions of Anaheim peppers, jalapeño pepper purée, cilantro, lime juice and vinegar. These combine to deliver a perfect mix of sweet, smoky, spicy and sharp. 

4. El Pinto Medium Salsa Verde 

Sealing a top-five spot, El Pinto Medium Fire Roasted Green Chile Salsa is one of the best jarred salsas featured on this list. The flavor is bold and fresh and features the tangy sweetness of tomatillos.

It also features a medium, purée-style texture, which is ideal for use in cooking. This product works well for dipping as well if you prefer green to red salsa with your chips. 

The primary drawback and reason it doesn’t rank in the top three is that it isn’t widely available. It’s also a salsa verde, which is not what everyone is looking for when shopping for salsa. 

3. Frontera Cilantro Jalapeño Salsa

Nicely spicy but not overpowering, Frontera Cilantro Jalapeño Salsa is one of the top salsa brands out there and achieved a high ranking in our guide to the best salsa thanks to its unique flavor profile.  

Although this salsa is labeled cilantro and jalapeño, the overarching flavor came from the roasted tomatoes and garlic. This gave this salsa a wonderful smokiness, which we loved when paired with salty chips. It also has a thick texture, which makes loading up your chip easy if you like to go heavy on the dip. 

2. Mateo’s Gourmet Mild Salsa

If you love salsa flavor but not chile pepper heat, then Mateo’s Gourmet Mild Salsa is the best salsa for you. Plus, it’s versatile enough to pair with tortilla chips and be used with an array of Mexican dinner food ideas.

In terms of flavor profile, the dominant note in Mateo’s is cumin, which adds a touch of warming spice to every mouthful. This is nicely tempered by garlic and tomato, and there’s a good amount of cilantro (which we understand may be a con for some!) 

We also very much enjoyed the graphics on the label — a cool chile pepper wearing sunglasses is fantastic for getting into the party spirit. 

1. Somos Cuatro Chiles Taqueria Salsa Medium

Taking the number one spot in our store-bought salsa ranking is Cuatro Chiles Taqueria Salsa by Somos. While this is a fantastic choice to pair with tortilla chips, it’s also excellent to use as a marinade for meat dishes.

Somos is owned by three friends with a passion for authentic, delicious Mexican food. Case in point, the Cuatro Chiles Taqueria Salsa is made from four different chiles: cascabel, jalapeño, ancho and arbol, which appear in this salsa in varying quantities. 

Some of the chiles are smoked for extra depth of flavor, making this the best salsa on our list for those who love smoky flavor. It was also incredibly fresh tasting, with a zesty bite but a richness that comes from the inclusion of olive oil.

What Is the Best Store-Bought Salsa Brand?

Deciding on the best salsa prompts some mega debate. You could even say it was a (ahem) hot topic. Everyone has their own, detailed opinion on what makes the best salsa, and these really came to the fore while we were taste testing.

The best salsa for your chip depends on a few key factors, which will influence your decision and ranking positions. If your idea of the best salsa is one that raises the spice level, then you’ll enjoy the Cuatro Chiles Taqueria Salsa. Although this is designated as a medium spice level, the four chiles in the recipe add spice without an eye-watering heat.

For folks seeking a versatile salsa to use as a dip and as a marinade, the El Pinto Fire Roasted Green Chile might just be the best salsa out there. For quick and easy additions to main dishes or worry-free entertaining, turn to Walmart’s Great Value Mild Salsa to liven up any snack plate.

Whether you’re seeking a quick bite, a snack to share with friends, or a way to bring extra zest to a Mexican-inspired meal, salsa is a definite store cupboard staple. However, selecting the best salsa is a totally personal preference. 

Some love it hot, others like to give the tomatoes a chance to shine through with a zingy burst of freshness, while many folks love a balance of heat and freshness. Our ranking of the best salsa might differ from your own, but it’s an excellent starting point when you’re heading to the grocery store.

For even more ways to explore your favorite foods, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.