12 Target Good & Gather Jarred Salsas, Ranked

Although many shoppers head to Target to buy name-brand grocery goods, there are plenty of Target-brand options worth checking out, too. You'll see a few Target brands and food types in the grocery section, with Favorite Day and Good & Gather being two of the most ubiquitous names to crop up. Ranging from Favorite Day baked goods to Good & Gather coffee pods, there's quite a selection of items to be found in Target with absolutely no name brand attached. 

One such abundantly available food item happens to be jarred salsa, specifically those that boast the Good & Gather namesake. With so many Good & Gather salsa options readily available on Target's shelf, naturally, I had to put them all to the taste test. This isn't my first salsa rodeo, either — I've ranked Trader Joe's jarred salsas in the past, so I know what to look out for in a good tomato-based dip.

To be more specific about what I look for, the first factor is simple: Does the salsa taste good? All of the Good & Gather salsas on this list were at least fine, and none of them downright bad, so then it became more of a test to see which salsas had more complexity, which boasted a tastier heat or spice level, and which ones had a certain something — be it a touch of sweetness or an unexpected addition — that took them from your average dip to a truly special salsa.

Remember how I said none of the salsas on this list are bad? It's important to keep that in mind already, as we delve into our lowest-ranked salsa, the mild roasted restaurant-style one. The reality is that it's pretty darn hard to mess up a classic salsa like this one, and Target definitely got the formula right for a very mild, plain, and generally unassuming salsa. For me, however, these factors made for a salsa that was just a bit too boring, and one that simply couldn't stack up against the competition.

Another reality is that a handful of bottom-ranked salsas on this list could sort of swap places with one another, meaning that it was a tad bit arbitrary slapping this specific one in last place. After really thinking about it, though, I just couldn't come up with any redeeming factors for this salsa. Not a touch of heat, not any real stand-out flavor (other than tomato, more tomato, and ... more tomato), and nothing that compelled me to return to it. Sure, one might argue that I just don't prefer milder salsas, but even then, there are other mild salsas that fare at least slightly better than this one on this list.

That said, there's nothing overtly wrong with Good & Gather's mild roasted restaurant-style salsa, but it's simply one that I wouldn't return to or seek out again.

As much as I want to be a salsa verde enjoyer, I've struggled to find a good store-bought option out there. Sure, I've enjoyed good salsa verdes in restaurants, but this Good & Gather store-bought roasted salsa verde proves how much the jarred stuff can't compare. Bland, boring, and a little too watery, this is one salsa I struggled to get behind.

If there was one redeeming factor — and a reason I favored this one ever so slightly higher than the mild restaurant-style salsa — it would be that tomatillo flavor. It was faint and relatively watered-down, but it's a distinctly tart and almost tangy flavor that red salsas often can't capture. Now, was that tomatillo flavor highlighted and used to its fullest potential in this salsa verde? No, and hence why it's coming in second-to-last place. Even just a slight kick of heat might have made this one more exciting (and I'm surprised that there wasn't any heat, considering that this salsa did have jalapeños in the mix), but alas, Good & Gather's roasted salsa verde is one that's simply disappointing.

We've already established that I'm not the biggest mild salsa fan out there (at least, not when medium or spicy salsas are in the mix). But if there's one thing that can at least slightly redeem a mild salsa in my book, it would be to make it chunky. I don't necessarily prefer a chunky salsa over a smoother one when there aren't any special or unique inclusions going on (like fruits, beans, or other slightly abnormal salsa ingredients), but sometimes a chunky salsa just makes a tortilla chip that much more enjoyable. And, in terms of Target's mild chunky salsa, I'd say it at least achieved the goal of making my tortilla chip a bit more enjoyable.

I can only rank this salsa so high because, once again, it's not really giving me a whole lot to work with. Of course, it boasted those familiar tomato-forward notes with some oniony undertones, but beyond that, I was generally a bit underwhelmed. That's where the chunkiness came into play, offering a little more textural excitement than a thinner salsa, and it did make the eating experience a bit more enjoyable. Would I seek this salsa out again anytime soon? Not likely, but hey, I wouldn't avoid it if it were offered to me, either.

As a certified fruit salsa lover, it pains me to rank Good & Gather's pineapple peach salsa this low. To me, sweet and juicy fruits (like pineapple and peaches) make for the perfect addition to otherwise tomatoey, savory salsa — but only when done right. It's an intricate balance to attempt to disrupt, inserting sweetness where it might not be welcome, and a lot of salsas do, unfortunately, get it wrong.

So, while I didn't hate Target's take on fruity salsa, it fell a little short for me. The biggest reason that I didn't like this salsa falls in line with why many fruit salsas fail: it was too sweet. Not only was it too sweet, but you really couldn't tell that it was specifically pineapple and peach at play here. Instead, the salsa base was almost ketchup-y in flavor because of that added sweetness, and the specific fruit notes got completely lost in the sauce. Had there been a little extra spicy edge to back up that sweetness, I think this one could have fared better. But, as-is, this salsa was a bit of a letdown — and as proven by another fruity salsa on this list, Target is capable of doing better.

Although I wasn't a huge fan of Target's mild restaurant-style salsa, I enjoyed the medium version a decent amount more. Don't get me wrong — this one was certainly not my favorite option on this list, but it really goes to show how far a hint of spice can take a salsa.

So, yes, that added spice was a big factor in this one ranking where it does on this list. It wasn't a whole lot of spice, but just enough to tingle on your tongue and make things a little more interesting. I also just felt that this salsa was a bit more well-rounded and robust than the mild version, with hints of onion, garlic, and cilantro popping through a little more strongly. 

Overall, I felt that the salsa was accurate to its "restaurant-style" namesake, in that it did taste akin to a classic, crowd-pleasing salsa one might find at a restaurant. While I did lean towards enjoying those slightly more complex salsas on this list, I have to give credit where it's due to a solid restaurant-style option.

Just as I found Target's chunky take on mild salsa to be superior, the same principle held up in its take on medium salsa. Truthfully, this salsa was pretty close in the game with the restaurant-style medium in terms of having a slightly more elevated flavor profile from the spice alone. But that chunkiness added a little something extra that helped this particular salsa nab the seventh spot in the ranking.

While I enjoyed the general chunkiness of the salsa, I specifically liked that I could more so pinpoint what the chunks were in this one — an onion, a slice of jalapeño, and so forth. Sure, this one still ended up being a bit plain-Jane for my taste, but I could see this option being a real crowd-pleaser at a party. It's a little bit spicy but not too much so, a little more texturally interesting than your average thinner salsa, while boasting a straightforward tomato flavor. 

Medium chunky may not be my personal favorite, but I'm sure there's at least someone out there who would feel different.

While the other green salsa on this list let me down, this Hatch chile salsa made for a vast improvement. Considering how unique Hatch chiles can be, with their varying spice levels and notoriously robust flavor profile, I was intrigued by this salsa. This is also the first salsa on this list thus far boasting a "hot" spice level on the packaging, so I had high hopes that this one might deliver some seriously spicy, peppery notes.

For the most part, this Hatch chile salsa did deliver on some unique flavor notes that I liked. Slightly smoky, nicely spiced, and perhaps even a tad bit tart and tangy (thank you to the tomatillos for those flavor notes), this salsa, at the very least, was much more flavorful and well-rounded than the salsa verde. However, considering that this was meant to be a truly spicy salsa, I was hoping for that spice level to be even higher than it was. If this salsa were spicier, then there's a good chance it would have ranked even higher on this list — but, for what it's worth, sixth place isn't bad, and neither was this salsa.

Breaking into our top five is Good & Gather's roasted garlic and cilantro salsa, one of the very few salsas on this list that manages to be quite delicious with virtually no spice. I'd imagine that there are quite a few salsa purists out there who really don't like added flavors in the mix, but for me, the more flavor the better (as long as those added flavors make sense). And, I have to say, garlic and cilantro are two additions that definitely make sense in salsa.

Right off the bat, the garlic flavor was apparent in this one, which I appreciated. However, the cilantro flavor was much more subdued, which is perhaps the biggest reason why this salsa isn't ranking even higher. I actually enjoyed that more subdued, generally herbaceous flavor as opposed to one that's hitting you over the head (as cilantro tends to do). However, I can also understand that it's a bit of a letdown and perhaps even slightly misleading for a salsa with cilantro in the name to not taste all that much like cilantro. Otherwise, though this was one tasty, garlicky salsa, and it's one that I would definitely consider buying again.

If you've made it this far, then you've possibly been waiting (with bated breath) to see what the other fruit salsa on this list would end up being, and where it'd end up ranking. Enter Good & Gather's mango peach salsa, a fruity take on the dip that I enjoyed immensely more than the pineapple peach version.

Considering that the pineapple peach and mango peach seem like similar flavors, what made this one so much better, you may ask? It all comes down to the sweetness, which I felt was much better tempered in this one. Of course, this salsa was sweet, but I also found it to be a bit tangier than the pineapple peach one, meaning that the mango/peach duo just worked better against the acidic tomato base. I also found the mango presence in this salsa to be key to its success, as I could actually pinpoint that there were chunks of mango at play as opposed to a generally sweet, fruity flavor profile. I do wish that this salsa were a tad spicier, but I still enjoyed this one a lot.

Beans in chili can certainly be polarizing, but what about beans in salsa? To me, the more beans the merrier, so I was particularly excited to try this corn and black bean salsa in Good & Gather's lineup. I've already established that I enjoy chunky salsas, too, and this one boasted a medium spice level to boot. It had all the fixings to be a winner.

And, indeed, the chunky corn and black bean salsa was a winner in my book. Honestly, it sort of seemed like Target just tossed some beans and corn into its medium chunky salsa and called it a day, but sometimes a little jazzing up is all you need to take something from good to great. I enjoyed the medium chunky just fine on its own, but the addition of earthy beans and subtly sweet corn really solidified this one as a favorite.

There were several distinct flavors at play here, but all of them worked together incredibly well, making for a cohesive salsa that certainly felt the heartiest of the bunch. I also appreciated how this salsa managed to incorporate a sweet flavor (from the corn) without the salsa itself becoming overly sweet or fruity.

Although I love spiciness in salsa, it's not the only way to add a heat-related complexity to the mix. Smokiness also adds a certain flair that makes for a more enjoyable salsa-eating experience (to me, at least), so I was not at all surprised to discover that I enjoyed Target's roasted chipotle salsa. I have a track record of highly-praising chipotle hot sauces, favoring them in both my Tabasco hot sauce ranking and Cholula hot sauce ranking, so it was nice to learn that this smoky chipotle flavor also translates well from hot sauce to salsa.

While this salsa did have a slightly spicy kick to it (it had "medium" spiciness per the packaging), it really was that smoky essence that made this one stand out. I would like to think that the chipotle peppers played a big role in establishing that smokiness, but this salsa also featured fire-roasted tomatoes, so it really went all-in to ensure that each bite was nice and smoky. The results paid off, and this is a salsa that I'd absolutely purchase again or keep stocked in my fridge for a go-to snack option. 

When in doubt of whether or not a salsa will deliver on the spice front, just make sure to grab for one that boasts habaneros in the mix, and your wish will be granted. In fact, I often find that habanero salsas or hot sauces end up being a little too spicy, but this wasn't the case with Good & Gather's fire-roasted pepper and habanero salsa. Perfectly spicy, subtly sweet, and even a bit smoky, this salsa packed the perfect balance of flavor, and one that I found myself going back for bite after bite.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of this salsa was how well it balanced the spicy habanero flavor with the smokier elements from the fire-roasted peppers. This was definitely the spiciest salsa out of all the contenders on this list, but it's not to say that it was overly spicy — I was able to go back for quite a few bites without any issues. In terms of texture, this salsa didn't have quite as many inclusions or chunkiness as some others on this list, but it also wasn't super thin or watery. It truly was the perfect salsa, at least in the grand scheme of Target's Good & Gather lineup, and it's without a doubt the salsa I'd repurchase time and time again.

When sampling each of these Good & Gather salsas, I did so over the course of a few days so I could really glean what each individual flavor had to offer. I first tried them all at the same time — pairing them with tortilla chips, because what else would one pair salsa with — and paid attention to which ones stood out. I also made note of those that I'd have to revisit more closely, if the flavor wasn't really shining through or if I found it particularly bland on the first go-round. After that initial sampling day, I returned to the salsas at various times over the next few days, and in that time, it became more apparent which ones I was gravitating toward versus those that I wasn't super keen on revisiting.

From there, the ranking came pretty naturally. I tended to favor those salsas that had a little more complexity, especially those that offered more heat or smokiness. I also favored those salsas that were chunkier, again because I appreciated the complexity and extra flavors that these ingredients added.