Best Salsas at the Supermarket

Store-bought salsa can be pretty tasty, as our test found

Trisha Calvo, Consumer Reports Deputy Editor, Health & Food.

By Trisha Calvo
Deputy Editor, Health & Food

June 19, 2025

Multiple brands of salsas on a peach colored background. — Many store-brand salsas did well in our test, and cost less than the brand names.

Homemade salsa is hard to beat, but supermarket versions can be surprisingly flavorful—as our professional taste testers discovered in a blind taste test of medium-heat salsas. All the brands they tried were low in calories—just 10 per 2-tablespoon serving—with 0 grams of fat, but they found big differences in the flavor, spice levels, and how much sodium they had. Here are the jarred salsas that stood out, and one to leave on the shelf. Plus, check out our picks for tortilla chips to scoop up your salsa.

Best Tasting

Tostitos Chunky Salsa Medium

$4.30 for 15.5 ounces
Sodium: 160 mg

The tomatoes are sweet and the veggies are not mushy—two factors that made this salsa shine in our taste test. The garlic is strong but not overpowering, and it has a nice kick of heat to it.

Bargain Buy

Good & Gather (Target) Chunky Salsa Medium

$2.60 for 24 ounces
Sodium: 230 mg

With a nice balance of tomato, onion, and peppers, this salsa is similar to the Tostitos, but with less garlic and a tad more heat for about half the price. But it's also higher in sodium.

Smoky Flavor

Trader Joe's Organic Thick & Chunky Salsa

$3 for 16 ounces
Sodium: 135 mg

One of the thickest salsas we tasted, this Trader Joe's option has a robust cayenne pepper heat with smoky flavor to it. It's also a good lower-sodium pick.

Milder Than Most

Casa Mamita (Aldi) Chunky Salsa Medium

$2.50 for 16 ounces
Sodium: 230 mg

If you prefer a salsa with less heat, you may enjoy this smoother, milder choice. The price is pretty great, too—but like the Good & Gather salsa, it's pretty high in sodium.

Hot Stuff

Kirkland Signature (Costco) Organic Salsa Medium

$10 for two 38-ounce jars
Sodium: 140 mg

This one has serious heat with strong cumin and smoky chili flavors. Our tasters say the balance of flavors isn't perfect, but if you like a bold salsa, it's worth a try.

Skip It

Great Value (Walmart) Thick & Chunky Medium

$2 for 16 ounces
Sodium: 120 mg

It may be low-priced (and low in sodium), but despite its name we don't think this Walmart salsa is a "great value." Our tasters say it had a somewhat sour flavor of overripe tomatoes and was a little watery.

Best Tortilla Chips for Salsa

Try our staff’s favorites.

Xochitl Mexican Style Salted Corn Chips, $6.50 for 16 ounces
The clean corn flavor, crispy texture, and hit of salt make these a winner on their own or with dip.

Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips, $5 for 10 ounces
These chips are great for chunky salsas or bean dips because their bowl shape ensures those veggie bits make it to your mouth.

Garden of Eatin’ Yellow Corn Chips, $7 for 16 ounces
Looking for big corn flavor? These beautiful golden yellow chips have it—along with a pleasingly thick and coarse texture.

Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Trisha Calvo

Trisha Calvo has been the deputy editor for health and food at Consumer Reports since 2013, focusing on nutrition and food safety, frequently editing food safety investigations. Previously, she was an executive editor at Rodale Books and the executive editor at Shape magazine. You’ll often find her in her kitchen creating deliciously healthy dishes.