We tried 9 different store-bought, low-carb and keto salsa brands and ranked each of them based on taste, ingredients and carbs.
Of course, you can enjoy store-bought salsa when you're on a low-carb or keto diet (in moderation, of course!). That's because most store-bought salsa brands are just a few carbs (usually no more than 2 to 3 net carbs) per two tablespoons. And thankfully, most salsas in this review do not include sugar and have reasonable ingredients.
We bought and tested 9 brands of store-bought (or online bought) salsa. We had a tie between two salsa brands for first place since we were split on votes between family members. That said, you can't go wrong with either of the first place winners as they're both tasty! We'd love to hear about your favorite salsas in the comments!
1. (TIE) Tostitos Chunky Sala, Medium
Tostitos Chunky Salsa and Pace Picante are the two of the most popular salsas on the market and there's a reason why: both are well-balanced, tasty salsas. Tostitos chunky salsa is slightly sweeter in taste than Pace Picante (which is slight more smoky), but is thicker and full of yummy tomato chunks. We prefer the medium over mild spice since it's a little more spicy, but not too spicy. In addition to great flavor, the ingredients are decent (exception being natural flavor) and carbs are low. Plus, you can pretty much find it any where at a decent price.
Net Carbs: Between 1-2 grams of net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Ingredients: Tomato Puree (Water And Tomato Paste), Diced Tomatoes In Tomato Juice Jalapeno Peppers, Onions, Vinegar, Salt, Garlic Powder, And Natural Flavor.
Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 total stars
PROS:
- Balanced, tasty flavor (although slightly sweeter than Pace Picante)
- Thicker salsa with chunks of tomato
- Low carbs
- Decent ingredients (with exception of natural flavor, which is less than 2%)
- Available at more grocers
CONS:
- Slightly sweet
- Natural flavoring in ingredients
1. (TIE) Pace Picante, Medium
Pace Picanto Medium Salsa gets the flavor just right. It's well balanced, flavorful and and a little spicy. It's thinner in consistency than Tostitos with smaller chunks of veggies. But, if you prefer a slightly thinner salsa, then this is your salsa. It also gets the highest Amazon rating than the other salsa brands in this review. Additionally, the ingredients are decent (with the exception of natural flavoring) and the carbs are low. And, much like Tostitos, you can find it at most grocers for a decent price.
Net Carbs: 1-2 grams of net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Ingredients: Crushed Tomatoes (Water, Crushed Tomato Concentrate), Water, Jalapeno Peppers, Onions, Distilled Vinegar, Dehydrated Onions, Salt, Garlic, Natural Flavoring.
Amazon Rating: 4.8 out of 5 total stars
PROS:
- Balanced, tasty flavor - just right!
- Low carbs
- Decent ingredients (with exception of natural flavor)
- Available at more grocers
CONS:
- Thinner salsa than Tostitos
- Natural flavoring in ingredients
2. Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica
Trader Joe's produces a decent salsa with their "Salsa Autentica." It's a fairly balanced salsa that's a little sweeter in flavor and thinner in consistency. It's also rather mild in spice and a little salty in flavor. However, it's made with simple, quality ingredients and is low in carbs. Plus, it's decently priced when you buy it at Trader Joe's stores.
Net Carbs: 2 grams net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Ingredients: Tomatoes, Fresh Yellow Chile, Distilled Vinegars (from corn), Salt, Onion, Spice
Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5 total stars
PROS:
- Decent flavor (although sweeter and more mild in flavor)
- Simple, clean ingredients
- 2g net carbs per 2TBS
- Affordably priced at Trader Joe's grocers
CONS:
- Thinner, mild salsa
- Sold only at Trader Joe's or online like Amazon (but is priced higher)
3. Mrs. Renfro's Medium Salsa
Mrs. Renfro's is a family-owned salsa brand that comes out of Texas. Renfro's produces a variety salsas including black bean, peach, habanero, etc. We found the Medium Salsa to be watery and not that spicy in flavor (we were hoping for more heat). That said, it's still a well balanced salsa with a flavorful roasted tomato flavor. The ingredients are decent (with the exception of corn starch for keto dieters) and it's low in net carbs. You can find it many grocers or on Amazon.
Net carbs: 2 grams net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Ingredients: Tomatoes, Water, Onions, Green Chile Peppers, Sweet Green Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Jalapeno Peppers, Corn Starch, Salt, Garlic, Spices, Cilantro
Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 total stars
PROS:
- Decent taste
- 2g net carbs per 2TBS
- Gets good ratings on Amazon
CONS:
- Watery, less spicy in flavor
- Decent ingredients but second ingredient is water and it includes corn starch (although much lower in list of ingredients)
4. Chi Chi's Thick & Chunky Salsa, Medium
Chi Chi's used to be a popular Tex-Mex restaurant chain in the United States until 2003, when the chain closed its last restaurant. However, you can still buy Chi Chi's salsa at some grocers or online (we had to buy a big container on Amazon). It's a thicker, spicier salsa that is decent in flavor (although not as well balanced as above-mentioned salsas). Chi Chi's salsa has the longest list of ingredients (compared to other brands in this review) and includes preservatives, modified cornstarch and natural flavoring.
Net carbs: 2 grams net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Ingredients: Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (Contains Citric Acid [To Acidify], Calcium Chloride [Firming]), Water, Onions, Jalapeño Peppers, Concentrated Crushed Tomatoes, Contains Less Than 2% of White Vinegar, Salt, Modified Cornstarch, Dehydrated Garlic, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Onion Powder, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid (To Acidify), Natural Flavoring
Amazon Rating: 4.6 out of 5 total stars
PROS:
- Spicy, flavorful salsa (although not as well balanced)
- 2g net carbs per 2TBS
CONS:
- Not available at many larger grocers; we had to buy a large container on Amazon
- Longer list of ingredients with preservatives, modified corn starch and natural flavor
5. La Victoria Thick & Chunky Salsa, Medium
La Victoria is a big name in the condiment aisle and produces a thick and chunky salsa. This was one of of the more spicier salsas (especially for medium) in this review and it has a smoky, paprika taste to it. We didn't think it was as well balanced as several of the above-mentioned salsas, but it's made with decent ingredients and is low in carbs. Plus, it's carried at many large grocers.
Net carbs: 2 grams net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Ingredients: Tomatoes, Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Fresh Onions, Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, Green Chiles, Salt, Distilled Vinegar, Garlic, Xanthan Gum, Paprika and Spice.
Amazon Rating: 4.2 out of 5 total stars
PROS:
- Good consistency
- Decent ingredients
- Available at many grocers
CONS:
- Not as well balanced in flavor (spicier than most with smoky, paprika taste (which may be a positive for some)
6. Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa, Mild
If you prefer a more herby, roasted tomato flavor for your salsa, then this may be a salsa for you. Unfortunately, we didn't like the flavor as well as other salsas on this list. That said, Frontera salsas do have a dedicated following. In fact, when we tried to purchase this salsa at our local Kroger store, it was out of stock. So, to each their own. The salsa is low in net carbs and made with quality ingredients (although we'd prefer it without the orange juice from concentrate).
Ingredients: Tomatoes, orange juice from concentrate, tomato paste, onions, garlic, filtered water, apple cider vinegar, salt, mild red chiles, spices
Net Carbs: 1 gram net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 total stars
PROS:
- Thicker salsa
- Decent ingredients
- 1 gram net carbs per 2 tablespoons
- Available at many grocers
CONS:
- Not as well balanced (stronger herby, roasted tomato flavor)
- Ingredients include orange juice concentrate which may not be suitable for some keto dieters
7. Herdez Salsa Casera, Medium
Herdez is a basic salsa made with simple, clean ingredients. However, it is not as flavorful as many of the salsas on this list. It's also more herby in flavor and not that spicy. In addition, the consistency is quite watery. However, the ingredients are clean, the carbs are very low and it can be found at many grocers.
Ingredients: Tomatoes, Onions, Serrano Peppers, Iodized Salt And Cilantro
Net Carbs: 1 grams net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Amazon Rating: 4.6 out of 5 total stars
PROS:
- Only 1g net carbs per 2 TBS
- Simple, clean ingredients
- Available at many grocers
CONS:
- Not as flavorful or spicy as others in list
- Somewhat watery in consistency
8. Newsman's Own Medium Chunky Salsa
We wish we would have liked Newsman's Own Salsa more since we know the proceeds of the purchase go to a good cause. But, because this salsa includes cane sugar, it was much too sweet for our tastes. Unfortunately, we thought salsa was almost more similar in taste to a spaghetti sauce than salsa. Even though the ingredients include sugar, it's still just 2 grams of net carbs per 2 tablespoons (similar to others in this list). You can typically find Newman's salsa at many grocers.
Ingredients: Diced tomatoes, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), green chili peppers, green bell peppers, onions, red jalapeno peppers, red bell peppers, distilled vinegar, salt, cane sugar, cilantro, garlic, black pepper
Net Carbs: 2 grams net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Amazon Rating: 3.9 out of 5 total stars
PROS:
- 2g net carbs per 2 TBS
- Proceeds from purchase go to charity
- Available at many grocers
CONS:
- Too sweet (for our tastes); not balanced in flavor; more like a spaghetti sauce
- Ingredients include cane sugar
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