Forget Old El Paso And Ortega: This Lesser-Known Salsa Brand Makes Taco Night 10X Better

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No taco night is complete without a good salsa. Old El Paso and Ortega are two of the supermarket classics and if nothing else, they are tried and tested. But there are some lesser known brands that can make tacos taste ten times better, like Herdez.

Herdez is the top salsa brand in Mexico but it's not as popular as the likes of Old El Paso in the U.S. However, the flavors of the former taste much more pronounced. There are a lot of options to choose from, but the Salsa Verde and Salsa Casera are the most notable.

The verde contains nothing but tomatillos, green chile peppers, cilantro, onion, and some stabilizers. It boasts a fresh, bright flavor with a gentle heat that helps it stand out from other grocery store salsas. The texture is also a lot smoother, making it great for topping tacos. The red tomato-based casera was designed to taste like a homemade salsa, and it definitely delivers on the promise. The aromatic onion is balanced by the sweet tomatoes and green chile gives a nice kick. You can choose between mild, medium, and hot too if you want to kick things up a notch.

Tasting Table asked seven chefs for their favorite jarred salsas and Herdez was one of the choices. The brand is well known in the culinary world for its traditional flavor and minimal ingredient list. It's the go-to for a lot of home cooks, too. One person who left a review of the salsa verde on Walmart's website complimented the acidity and mild spice level, adding, "I have used salsa verde Herdez for a very long time and it is one of the best in my opinion. I love it! The flavor, thickness and consistency of it makes it really good and you can use it in so many different Mexican foods."

On Reddit, someone said of the Herdez salsas, "They are simple, inexpensive, and just plain good. All of them." People mix them with other dips, like hummus and sour cream, too . The salsa casera tastes great on all kinds of tacos. Some cooks recommend pairing it with chicken, but it also works great with carne asada and tender birria tacos. The salsa verde is also very versatile. Use it to brighten-up slow cooker al pastor and carnitas or inject some zest into fish tacos. On top of all these other upsides, these Herdez products are easy on the wallet. As of this writing, a 16-ounce bottle of the brand's mild salsa verde or medium salsa casera costs less than $3 at Walmart.