These 3 Latina Chefs Have Strong Opinions on Jarred Salsa

Lauren Masur
Lauren Masur
Lauren was the Groceries Editor for Kitchn.
updated May 24, 2019
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(Image credit: Jet.com)

Have you noticed that some grocery stores in the U.S. have entire aisles filled with different variations of jarred salsa? That’s not a coincidence. Salsa “famously outsold ketchup” after demand picked up in the early ’90s, resulting in countless shelf-stable options of the Mexican staple, according to the New York Times. Not surprisingly, though, a majority of them aren’t the most authentic choices.

We reached out to a few of our favorite chefs and trusted salsa authorities to get their opinion on all of the store-bought versions on the market. (We also wanted to find out which — if any — they’re willing to buy.)

Here’s what they had to say.

(Image credit: Jet.com)

1. La Victoria, $2 for eight ounces at Jet

“I have a love-hate relationship with jarred salsa! They tend to be way too sweet and have a jammy quality. With that said, I do buy salsa from the jar from time to time. La Victoria was always in our home — it’s what my mom would buy when I was a kid. (And now, even my kid loves it!)” Dominica Rice Cisneros, chef and owner of Cosecha

(Image credit: Jet.com)

2. Frontera Tomatillo Salsa, $5 for 16 ounces at Jet

“I love salsa on my tacos, grilled fish, and even on my eggs — especially salsa verde. I know there are tons of jarred options out there, but I prefer to make my own. For those days when I am on the run, I keep a few jars of Frontera around. It has a great fresh and tangy flavor. I can easily use it to dress up grilled chicken, make a tomatillo shakshuka or huevos ahogados, or simply serve as a dip.” Ingrid Hoffmann, author of Latin Comfort Foods Made Healthy and former host of Simply Delicioso (on Cooking Channel)

(Image credit: Amazon)

3. Whole Foods 365 Roasted Verde Salsa, $2.69 for 16 ounces

“I have three homemade salsa recipes that I want to trademark: my salsa roja, verde, and tomato/sofrito. They go with everything and I always have them in my fridge. I love that I can put them on top of scrambled eggs and completely change the meal. Huevos divorciados, I mean … how good are they? It’s just two eggs, with salsa verde and roja, a tortilla on the side, and there you have it: one of my favorite breakfasts of all time in a matter of minutes. Salsa is so easy to make, but if you have no time, I recommend Goya Salsa Taquera and Whole Foods 365 Roasted Verde Salsa.” Grace Ramirez, author of La Latina and The 5-Ingredient Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook, and frequent guest on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay

Do you have a go-to brand of jarred salsa? Tell us about it in the comments below!