The Best Local Salsas for Dipping Chips and Topping Tacos
Image: Jane Sherman
The bad news about our taste test of 11 different local salsas is that all the winners are house brands from small local markets, so you may have to put a little effort in to get your hands on them. The refrigerated tubs at mainstream grocery stores simply couldn’t compete with these mini-but-mighty neighborhood spots churning out fresh dips.
The good news is that Seattle still supports a robust network of these shops, which means your next batch of powerful pico de gallo could already be close to home—and, if not, these are worth the trip.
La Vista Salsa
Winner
The crunchy freshness of the spicy salsa verde cruda and complexity of the deep red roasted chile poblano show off the power of simple ingredient lists and small batches. This one-man show only makes two styles each week, so we’ll be back soon to try the rest.
$5.99/8 oz, available at Leschi Market
Mendoza’s Mexican Mercado Salsa Roja
Spice Master
The picosómetro on a chalkboard in this Aurora market warned that the salsa roja was “spicy-licious,” though not quite “Who ever made this salsa was mad.” Blended and rustically dotted with pepper seed bits, this fiery stoplight-red sauce lit up tacos and mouths.
$8.50/12 oz, available at Mendoza’s Mexican Mercado
Ken’s Market Smoked Salsa Verde
flavor fave
What began as an annual special when Ken’s smoked Hatch peppers each August has become a year-round nacho-night requirement. The house-smoked peppers (Anaheim outside summer’s Hatch season) give it sat-too-close-to-the-bonfire smokiness; a touch of avocado smooths the texture for maximum dip-ability.
$4.99/8 oz, available from Ken’s Market
