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The best salsa verde is tangy, fresh, and should add a punch of zesty flavor to anything and everything.

In my opinion, salsa verde (aka green salsa) is one of the most delicious foods on the planet. Its tart, herby, savory flavor is so perfect. Whether you’re eating it with tortilla chips or topping enchiladas with it, nothing beats green salsa (including red salsa, I’m sorry!).

We tried all the most popular salsa verde brands on the market—canned, jarred, and refrigerated—to find which were the best for your upcoming chilaquiles brunch or taco night. Not all salsa verde is created equal and these are our favorites for the best of the best you can buy at your local grocery store.

Best Chunky

La Victoria’s Thick ‘n Chunky Salsa Verde delivers on its promise of thickness and chunkiness. This stuff is thick. It has big chunks of onion and pieces of cilantro stem. This feels like a salsa that was hand chopped rather than made in a blender. When it comes to flavor, it’s fresh and light. While it’s labeled as medium, it is definitely mild. If you’re hoping for something that packs flavor without heat, this is the best store bought salsa verde for you.

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde /

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Restaurant-Style

Y’all got on me about not trying Chi-Chi’s red salsa as part of our red salsa taste test. You win! I get it! Chi-Chi’s makes good salsa. Are you happy?! I love Chi Chi’s Mild Salsa Verde. It’s the perfect balance of liquidy and chunky. It reminds me of what I typically get when I order salsa verde at a restaurant. This makes sense because Chi-Chi’s is, in fact, a restaurant. If you’re looking for a tasty, standard salsa verde that isn’t spicy, this is the best salsa verde.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Hatch

We tried a few store bought salsa verde brands that claim to have hatch chilies in their salsa. This Good & Gather version is the best salsa verde if you want real hatch flavor. It’s a little smoky and bright and peppery. Plus, the heat builds as you eat it. I would happily dunk chips into this anytime!

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Most Surprising

I had low expectations for this because I was worried it would taste too much like the green Cholulua hot sauce. That’s delicious, but it’s not what I’m looking for from a store bought salsa verde. Luckily, it’s delicious! It’s super balanced and hits all the tart, savory, herby notes you’re hoping for in a green salsa. I would buy this again. It’s not just a branded gimmick.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best for Cooking

Embasa’s can of salsa verde was my personal favorite. I’m giving it the title of “best for cooking” because I think it would be great for topping a wet burrito or enchiladas, but I also love dipping chips into this for a snack. It’s a little creamy and super tangy. It has one of the highest spice levels out of any of the salsa verde we tried. Plus, the tiny can is just adorable. Why wouldn’t you want a precious little can of spicy salsa verde?!

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Roasted

We love SOMOS so much that they made it onto our best red salsa list, as well as our best salsa verde list. This SOMOS salsa verde promises “roasted” flavor and you really get that. It’s so smoky and delicious. It’s not particularly spicy, so this is the best store bought salsa verde for flavor-loving heat-haters. This would be great to set out for taco night next to a fresh pico de gallo to get two totally different ends of the salsa spectrum.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best of the Best Runner-Up

Del Real salsa verde is so well balanced. It’s tangy, salty, a little spicy, super savory, and even a little sweet. It hits all the places on your tongue and makes you salivate. It’s hard to pick out one distinct flavor because everything blends together in your mouth to make one harmonious taste. I would joyfully use this on anything and everything. Good job, Del Real!

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

If you like chunky, rustic salsa verde, grab a container of Casa Sanchez Roasted Salsa Verde from the refrigerator aisle. It is our best store bought salsa verde. The big pieces of garlic, springs of cilantro, or whole pepper seeds make it look homemade. The flavor is bright, garlicky, and tart. It would be wonderful with chips or incorporated into a burrito. I could eat a whole container of this in one sitting. I’m not joking. It is that delicious.

Credit: Liv Averet / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Products We Tried: Stonewall Kitchen, Late July, Xochil, Foddy, Good + Gather Roasted Salsa Verde, Trader Joe’s, Herdez Mild Salsa Verde, Casa Martinez, Green Mile, Chica’s Salsa, Whole Foods 365, Guy Fieri, Chi Chi’s Mild, Herdez Roasted Salsa Verde Medium, Casa Sanchez Hatch, Sprouts Tomatillo & Jalapeno Fire Roasted Salsa, 505 Southwest Medium Tomatillo Garlic & Lime Green Chile Salsa, Salsa Queen, Great Value, 505 Southwestern Green Chili, Mrs. Renfro, Verde Good, Mi Ranch, Frontera

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