Every Trader Joe's Salsa, Ranked Worst To Best

Trader Joe's is a magical wonderland of unique foods, and you know what? No matter what your fancy is, it has what it takes to make you swear off Whole Foods Market for life. Seriously, where is Joe? I need to know him. A prime example of why I, and so many others, have fallen in love with Trader Joe's is its array of unique and classic salsas. I mean, watch out. You can find them in both the fresh produce section and on a shelf, most likely by the tortilla chips, but no matter which one you choose, you're pretty much guaranteed to be in for a treat. So, if you count yourself in the cult following that's amassed behind the Trader Joe's brand and love salsa just as much, you're in luck.

Trader Joe's fanatics rejoice! I bought and sampled every salsa the store sells, fresh and shelf-stable, and ranked them from worst to best. As it turns out, all but one (no spoilers) are undeniably tasty. Even so, some are much tastier than others, so while it's hard to go wrong in the Trader Joe's salsa section of the store, some products will make you say okay, and others will make you a die-hard fan for life. I'll explain my methodology for ranking more at the end, after all, you need to know what makes some salsa better than others, right? Regardless, now it's time to dive into the spicy, lip-smackingly delicious results. 

Sorry, not sorry, Trader Joe's. The Pineapple Salsa is one recipe you seriously blundered. As someone who loves salsa (duh) and also counts pineapple as my favorite fruit, I didn't expect the knee-jerk reaction of disgust it gave me. I even like pineapple on pizza for crying out loud, but in this salsa, it was a major fail. With each taste — yes, I went back for more even though I disliked it — I was more and more turned off.

The overwhelmingly prominent flavor of Trader Joe's Pineapple Salsa is pineapple, so at least you can taste it. Still, it borders on a sickeningly sweet flavor that does the base salsa a serious disservice. On the label, you find a little chili pepper logo that tells you it is supposedly a medium heat level, but the sweetness of the pineapple tames the spice considerably. If you're a fan of sweet, mild salsas, it might have a certain appeal, but it's completely unbalanced in the flavor department. Trader Joe's frequently discontinues products that miss the mark, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Pineapple Salsa was discontinued soon, never to be seen again.

Trader Joe's Pico De Gallo Salsa comes in medium and hot options. I opted for hot because it's more my style. That's right, yours truly loves a good spicy kick that makes me sweat a little bit. Regardless, this salsa was far from my favorite, hence its second-to-last place ranking. For starters, it's not a real salsa; it's pico de gallo, and yes, there's a difference. It's like they got all of the ingredients together to make a tasty salsa and then skipped the final step: Blending it into a sauce. Oh well.

Trader Joe's Hot Pico De Gallo Salsa can be found in the produce section. As far as it being a fresh product, I'll give it full marks. The tomato, onion, jalapeño, and Serrano peppers all tasted freshly diced. The blend of seasonings (cilantro, garlic, salt, and lemon) brought all of the elements together nicely as well. However, I didn't think it was nearly spicy enough to be labelled "Hot." Some bites were hotter than others, but the overall flavor was uneven at best. Is it bad pico? No, but I've had better.

Another fresh product donning the shelves of Trader Joe's produce section is the brand's Mango Pineapple Pico De Gallo Salsa. It is slightly better than the straightforward pico de gallo, but I still had a lot of the same issues with it. Instead of presenting a well-mixed flavor, you get lots of inconsistent bites... because it's pico, not salsa. I'm not going to die on this hill, but when I want salsa, pico isn't going to cut it. It makes a decent condiment, but it's far from a sauce.

Now for some perks. Trader Joe's Mango Pineapple Pico De Gallo Salsa is packed with lots of fresh flavor, and the addition of pineapple and mango is quite nice. Their presence alone makes it tastier than the regular pico. Still, there was barely any heat to speak of, something I'm not a fan of. In addition, it was dry, actually very dry. A good stir helped, but that wasn't enough to raise it from the depths of my ranking. It blows the Pineapple Salsa out of the water, though, so if you're looking for a fruity salsa at Trader Joe's, this is it.

Next up is Trader Joe's Cowboy Caviar Salsa. While not a classic red salsa, its uniqueness makes it stand out from the crowd — in a good way. There isn't a ton of tomato to speak of in this salsa. Instead, it has a more rustic texture featuring black beans, corn, peppers (bell, jalapeño, and chipotles in adobo), and all the classic seasonings you would expect in a salsa. All together, the ingredients create layers of yummy flavor, a decent amount of heat, and texture for days.

The main reason the Cowboy Caviar didn't fare better in my ranking is that it is too sweet for my liking. A closer look at the label taught me that there's some sugar in the adobo sauce, so that's the likely culprit, but it's too much for my heat-loving palate to rank it higher. Even so, there's no doubt Cowboy Caviar is a fun name, too. So, if you like a sweeter, more rustic salsa with a fun twist, saddle up and trot your way down to Trader Joe's for a jar of Cowboy Caviar.

Taken at face value, Trader Joe's Pepita Salsa seems like something that doesn't need to exist. I mean, do we need to put pepitas, aka roasted pumpkin seeds, in everything? Probably not, but I'll be the first to admit that my initial assumption was dead wrong. Much to my surprise, the Pepita Salsa was super tasty. It boasts tons of rich tomato flavor mixed with onion and bell pepper. Of course, it has the benefit of pepitas, too, which come along with an appealing roasted flavor.

Trader Joe's Pepita Salsa also possessed a good amount of heat, something I am drawn to. The more I ate, the more the heat spread across my tongue, too. My only minor complaint with this salsa is that it's blended to a relatively smooth consistency. I'm more of a chunky girl myself, but this isn't a deal-breaker by any means. The pepita salsa isn't a classic pick, but when you're in the mood to switch things up, it's definitely worth giving it a try.

Coming in eighth place is Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Tomato-Less Salsa. A bit out of the ordinary — it is, in fact, devoid of tomatoes — it reaffirmed that straying from the norm occasionally pays off. Actually, some say it is one of the best salsas you can buy at the grocery store, and while it only ranked eighth for me, it's most certainly tasty.

The main ingredients in Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Tomato-Less Salsa are just what you'd expect: Corn and chile peppers. There's a good amount of red bell peppers and onion as well, but corn is the number one stunner. With each bite, you get a delicious crunch followed by a sweet and spicy finish. Oh, yeah, it also gets a helping hand from coriander, black pepper, and mustard seeds, and the flavors dance across your tongue beautifully. The only reason this yummy dip didn't score higher is that it might not satisfy a craving for classic, tomato-laden salsa. You sure could do a lot worse, though.

I've been talking a lot about how a classic red salsa is where it's at, and finally, it's time for a more authentic recipe to breach my ranking. Enter Trader Joe's Fat Free Chunky Salsa. It's got all the elements of a crowd-pleasing salsa. You know, chunky, not too spicy but still has some heat, and full of tomato, onion, and citrus. It's a straightforward, no-frills option that's hard to dislike.

Trader Joe's Fat Free Chunky Salsa is supposed to be a low-medium heat (according to the chili pepper heat meter on the jar), but I found it to be very mild at best. There's a good amount of sweetness, so that probably tones down the heat a bit, but even a wimpy palate should be able to handle it without issues. Additionally, it's a fat-free option, but you'd never know it without reading it on the label. Speaking of the label, I compared all the salsas and almost every single one only had 10 calories per serving, so I'm not sure what the big deal is anyway, but whatever. This salsa may not be spectacular, but it more than gets the job done. Moving on.

Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica is yummy by any standards. If it were served to me in an authentic Mexican restaurant — you know, the kind of place that brings a basket of chips and salsa without asking — I'd have no complaints. It's relatively smooth for a salsa, but all the classic flavors are front and center. Actually, now that I think of it, it's a bit like Pace Picante; very basic, but not bad at all.

The first flavor to take over my palate was sweet tomato, although not nearly as sweet as the Fat Free Chunky Salsa (ranked seventh). After that, the garlic, onion, salt, and yellow chili pepper in the recipe shone through in a balanced fashion. As the taste started to fade, a mild heat took over. For me, it wasn't nearly spicy enough, but if you're sensitive to heat, it's right on the money. Interestingly enough, the label declares it's a high medium heat, but I found that very misleading. Considering a jar will only cost you $2.29, though, it makes an all-around solid pick.

One taste of Trader Joe's Organic Thick & Chunky Salsa, and I said, "Now we're talking!" If you want better than basic, like the Salsa Autentica, and prefer a chunkier texture, it won't let you down. Along the same recipe lines, I still prefer my No. 2 pick, but we'll get to that later. For now, let's revel in the outstanding flavor of the Organic Thick & Chunky Salsa.

Compared to every lower-ranking pick, Trader Joe's Organic Thick & Chunky Salsa has a much deeper flavor that plays out nicely on the tongue. It's also significantly spicier than the red salsas we've discussed thus far, so full marks for that. Additionally, I like a more rustic salsa, and it's nice and chunky. Even so, it's a much more cohesive sauce than pico de gallo. All in all, it's one of the best straight up red salsas Trader Joe's offers, the fact that it is organic is just a bonus. Thankfully, the organic label won't cost you, either. It's only $2.99 a jar.

You don't know this about me yet, but I love a good tomatillo salsa, and Trader Joe's Salsa Verde is exactly that. It's basically the green version of the brand's Salsa Autentica, it even costs the same amount (just $2.29), but it scored higher because the flavors were more developed than a basic restaurant-style recipe. If you're like me and you love a classic tomatillo and jalapeño salsa with mild heat, look no further.

Trader Joe's Salsa Verde is kind of unoriginal, and it's definitely not adventurous, but its familiarity is a big part of the appeal. It's simple, but way more than effective. Each of the flavors is balanced perfectly, and since it's made with tomatillos instead of your typical red tomato, it has a fresher, lighter flavor suitable for endless applications. I could even see myself using it as enchilada sauce or smothering a burrito with it.

I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record, but my only issue with it is that it wasn't nearly spicy enough for my tastes. I can see how that gives it more mass appeal, though, and you could bring it to a party without it making anyone regret they tried it.

Wright's Of Texas Fresh Green Habanero Salsa is nothing short of spectacular. Before you get too excited, though, it isn't for the faint of heart. Translation: It's hot as hell. The fact that habanero is in the name means this shouldn't take anyone by surprise, but consider yourself warned. Fortunately, it isn't just spicy for the sake of being spicy, either. It's got a whole lot else going for it, too. You could try to tame it with additional ingredients, but why bother? It's perfection as-is.

Overflowing with fresh flavors, spice, and everything nice, Wright's Of Texas Fresh Green Habanero Salsa's got nothing but main character energy. Sure, there's the habanero, but it's also a tomatillo salsa with a few tricks up its sleeve. For starters, it has diced avocado in it. Um, what? Yes, please. It also has diced cucumber, which sounds strange, but paired with the avocado, it has a serious fresh, cooling effect — something most people will need once the heat takes over.

Outside brands are somewhat of a rarity in Trader Joe's, but I sure am glad it let Wright's of Texas penetrate its inventory. I easily would have given it my No. 1 spot, but I know the extra heat isn't for everyone. That being said, my partner told me if I ever bring home another salsa from Trader Joe's, we are going to, and I quote, "tussle" — that's a Texas thing, right?

I just had to put a classic red salsa in my top three, and for me, that could only be Trader Joe's Medium Salsa Especial. Found in the produce section, it boasts an overwhelming amount of fresh, scratch-made flavor. It's not your average, run-of-the-mill salsa, and it tastes like it. Yum.

As for texture, Trader Joe's Salsa Especial is not too chunky or too smooth, it's just right. Compared to the other red salsas at TJ's, it also has a deep, roasted, smoky flavor that is sure to turn some heads. I could even see the little black chunks in the salsa from when they roasted the ingredients. Plus, there's a good amount of diced onion in the mix, which gives it a slightly sweet edge.

True to my liking, Trader Joe's Medium Salsa Especial also comes with a nice kick. Don't get me wrong, though. The heat was present, but not overbearing. Think of it like a strong medium. If medium is too much heat for you, though, you're in luck: Trader Joe's also makes a mild version of this salsa, so everyone can enjoy it. What more could you want? Not much.

They can't all be bangers, but if Trader Joe's Hatch Valley Salsa were a song, something tells me you'd want to listen to it on repeat. And by something, I mean it's bumping, four-on-the-floor flavor. Seriously, all it took was one taste and I was like Busta Rhymes saying gimme some more.

So, what was it about the flavor that had me hooked at first taste? Well, it's a tomatillo salsa with the added benefit of roasted hatch chiles, and the combination is to die for. As a Colorado lady, I'm more than a bit partial to roasted green chiles (if you know, you know), but even so, I truly feel like this is Trader Joe's salsa magnum opus. I can almost hear the mic drop from here. The smoky roasted flavor is drool-worthy. Plus, it's got a strong heat, but not so strong that anyone who likes heat will turn it down. Really, it's got it all, and then some.

Another reason this salsa took gold is that the texture is spot-on. It's blended, but still has lots of chunks. With the green chiles especially, this is nice because they easily become mushy when overworked. You don't have to worry about that with the Hatch Valley Salsa, though. It's a stunner from start to finish, and it would easily beat out most salsas on store shelves, Trader Joe's, or not.

As someone who takes salsa and Trader Joe's very seriously, ranking the store's line-up of salsas was nothing short of exhilarating. I wanted to know how TJ's options would measure up just as much as you.

After buying the salsas you find above, I conducted my taste test using lightly salted tortilla strips. Although they barely held up to the amount of salsa I tried to scoop up. Since I liked all but one of them, I focused on flavor, freshness, heat, and texture when it came time to assign them a final ranking.

In the end, Wright's of Texas stole my heart, but even I know it isn't suited for the masses. Stick to my top six, though, and you'll be glad you did. Once you've worked your way through them, I recommend moving on to the salad dressing selection for even more yummy sauces.