We Tried 12 Jars of Salsa — And No One Saw the Winner Coming

That rustling sound of a bag of tortilla chips opening can only mean one thing — a bowl of salsa is not far behind. While the purist in all of us yearns for fresh, homemade salsa made from ripe summer tomatoes, our lazy side prefers a tasty jarred salsa that’s easily accessible — year-round. And wouldn’t you know, the grocery store offers plenty of choices these days: heat levels, main ingredients, and the various mix-ins make it challenging to find the one jar of red salsa you’ll want to stock in your pantry. 

If you’re feeling lucky, of course, you can totally try planting your own tomato container garden. (Please share photos of your progress if you do!) Alternatively, you can read on to find out the absolute best jarred salsa on shelves right now.

• Best Salsa: Chi-Chi’s Thick & Chunky Medium Salsa 
• Runner-Up: Pace Chunky Medium Salsa 
• Honorable Mention: Whole Foods 365 Taqueria Medium Small Batch Salsa

We tested 12 jarred salsas (with a medium spice level), focusing on popular brands that are widely available throughout the country and reasonably priced. All were between $3 and $7 (for a 16- or 24-ounce jar) at the time of our taste test. We also looked at recent sales data and past taste tests to round out the selection. 

After a sunny afternoon of dipping and tallying, we chose these salsas to add to our shopping list. (The winner and runner-up were shockingly close!)

Like in our quest to find the best dark chocolate bars, we quickly learned the race between first and second place would come down to a single solitary point! Chi-Chi’s Thick & Chunky Salsa eked out the win with a fiery red salsa that’s well blended, but still a little chunky. It’s got plenty of diced tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños studded throughout. “I love the chunks of tomato,” says Brian, our director of people operations (a sentiment several others echoed).

The salsa is “a little sweet” with “a pop of acid,” says Karis, our senior video producer. “It’s bright and fresh,” adds Chanel, our director of UX, and has “a nice balance of acid and heat.” In fact, it would be great for a crowd, especially one with a mixed tolerance for spice. Maybe that’s why almost every taster ranked it in their top three.

• Blended but chunky
• Subtle heat
• Great for crowds

• N/A

Other salsas gave off strong tomato paste or sauce vibes, but not Pace Chunky Salsa. The vibrant red and decidedly chunky salsa earns major points (nearly all fours and fives!). It’s “bright and tomato-y,” says Brian, and so loaded with diced jalapeños, tomatoes, and onions, the consistency reminds our senior editor of groceries, Mara, of the caponata her mom makes.

It didn’t just look fresher than nearly all the rest. It delivers on flavor, too: “a little sweet but still got a little spice and some complexity,” Karis says. The “acid is mellow,” adds Maragaret, our video producer, which is something we noticed many of the other salsas struggle with. Two tasters even rated it their overall favorite.

• Chunky with a capital C
• Nice spice, mellow acid
• Budget buy!

• N/A

If you’re Team Smooth, then Whole Foods 365 Taqueria Small Batch Salsa is likely the jar for you. Its deeper shade of red and more even consistency stand out in the sea of salsa sameness. The “sweet tomato smell,” grabbed several tasters, like Brian, from the start, while the “light spice and mild sweetness” kept him (and others) coming back for more. 

The “smoky flavor,” says Chanel, stands out compared with others in the group, though tasters did have mixed feelings about it. While some felt the acid was a little too overwhelming, many find the “fresh hint of jalapeño” and “tangy” flavor just too good to pass up. 

• For Team Smooth salsa fans
• Smoky flavor, slightly sweet

• For some, a bit too acidic
• More $$$, but still less than $4

We held a blind taste test of 12 jarred salsas, focusing on medium varieties with varying degrees of chunkiness. We recruited seven salsa stans who work at The Kitchn (so you know they’re qualified) to participate in an afternoon of tasting. 

Each jarred salsa was assigned a letter to conceal the brands’ identities. Prior to the tasting, Maya, our studio assistant, poured each salsa into unmarked ceramic bowls. Each jarred salsa was given a letter to conceal the brands’ identities. Tasters were instructed to sample the salsas in random order to avoid giving any one salsa preferential placement over the others. We also had tortilla chips and sparkling and still water on hand for general dipping and palate cleansing.

Tasters rated each of the jarred salsas on a scale of one to five (1 = No, thanks; 2 = Meh; 3 = Pretty good; 4 = Really like; 5 = Yes, Please!) across four criteria — look, smell, texture, and flavor — and included any specific observations, tasting notes, and general opinions worth mentioning. They were also asked to answer, arguably, the most important question of all: Would you buy this jarred salsa?

This was a blind taste test, which means tasters had no knowledge of the brands being evaluated ahead of or at the time of the tasting. It was held over one day, and tasters were instructed to sample the jarred salsas in random order (to stave off palate fatigue and not give any one salsa an unfair advantage). The group of tasters included a combination of food professionals and salsa lovers who work at The Kitchn. All participated in the taste test voluntarily, and we thank them for being so generous with their time and feedback. 

Speaking of, each taster filled out a score sheet (without discussion or influence) ranking the jarred salsas across several criteria (listed above). The results were also tabulated without any visibility into the brands. Only after the numbers were finalized did we reveal which brands corresponded to the winners.

Did your favorite jarred salsa make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.