Ranking the 7 Best and Worst Store-Bought Pepperoni Brands

Pepperoni is delicious on pizza with its varying sizes, bold, rich flavor, and spices that make it more interesting than any basic salami. But pepperoni shouldn’t be relegated to a pizza topping and nothing more. It can be used in so many ways, from a flavorful addition to a sub sandwich to a frizzled topping to crispy fried eggs with runny yolks.

Like many types of charcuterie, pepperoni quality can differ dramatically between brands. Some brands offer high-end pepperoni that tastes so good on its own that you won’t want to put it on top of your pizza for fear that the cheese may overwhelm its flavor profile, while others offer barely-flavored, ultra-processed varieties that you’re better off avoiding altogether. If you don’t buy pepperoni on the regular, how do you know which brand is which?

I’ve tasted my way through seven pepperoni brands, paying attention to flavor, fattiness, and size, to help you decide which one you should snag the next time you’re at the grocery store. Whether you’re making a pizza from scratch or looking for a way to make your lunch routine more interesting, some of these pepperoni options may be just what you’re looking for.

Out of all the pepperoni brands I tried for this ranking, Margherita pepperoni was the worst. If you tried it on its own, you may not realize that the quality is inferior to other brands, since most of these brands taste somewhat alike. However, tasting them alongside so many other varieties, it was clear that this one was going to land at the bottom of the pack.

The first thing I noticed about this pepperoni was that it’s super oily. There’s nothing wrong with some oiliness — after all, we’re talking about charcuterie, most of which is relatively fatty by nature — but this level of fattiness is just over the top. It looked like each slice was sweating, and after eating a slice, it left an unappetizing film in my mouth that required several sips of water to rid myself of.

Flavor-wise, the situation isn’t much better. Essentially, this pepperoni just tastes super processed. There’s not much complexity there: I mostly picked up on that fattiness and plenty of salt. As opposed to some of the other brands of pepperoni on this list, Margherita’s variety didn’t have any acidity or brightness to it. Although it’s not actively unappealing, you’re better off choosing a different brand if you want a better pepperoni experience.

Depending on where you live, there’s a good chance that you see plenty of Hormel products at your local grocery store. That name recognition might prompt you to pick up a package of Hormel original pepperoni, but believe me when I say that it’s a product you can probably skip if you care about the quality of the meat you’re eating. This is another variety of pepperoni that’s quite oily, although considerably less so than the Margherita. Still, that intense oiliness offers an unpleasant textural experience — and makes for a messier cooking process.

Here, too, the flavor of the pepperoni isn’t that pronounced. That’s not to say it tastes bad — it doesn’t taste like much of anything at all. However, Hormel ranks higher than Margherita specifically because it has more of a light, bright lift in its flavor. It’s nothing to get excited about, particularly if you have access to any of the other brands on this list, but it’s not the worst of the bunch.

Signature Select’s products can be incredibly hit or miss, so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that its pepperoni falls in the middle of the pack. It’s not the worst option you can find, particularly if you’re opting for pepperoni that doesn’t need to be refrigerated before it’s opened, but there are better brands out there if you don’t mind spending a bit more money. That being said, Signature Select’s sliced pepperoni is one of the most affordable brands on this list, so it’s not terrible if you’re searching for more of a budget product.

These pepperoni slices are considerably thinner than most of the others I tried. That makes them quite pliable and gives them a nice mouthfeel, particularly when you fry them — this yields a subtle crispiness that’s hard not to love. But where they succeed on the texture front, they fail when it comes to flavor. This pepperoni is salty without much else in terms of flavor, which leads to a somewhat boring bite. If pepperoni isn’t the star of your dish and you want to save money, this is a good option. Otherwise, choose a brand that offers a higher-end product.

Out of all of the shelf-stable pepperoni brands I tried, Sugardale pepperoni is by far the best. It doesn’t quite stand up to the fresh, refrigerated brands on this list, but at least it comes close. Opening the package, I noticed a slightly funky aroma — not in a bad way, but more of a funkiness that signals the complexity to come once you actually taste the food in question. The flavor itself lacks that funkiness and isn’t quite as bold as some of the others on this list, but it does have a pronounced paprika note that makes this brand stand out from the others like it.

Like the Signature Select pepperoni, this variety has a softness and pliability that yields a super crispy texture once it’s cooked. Even eaten cold, that softer texture is a nice touch, making this pepperoni an unobtrusive addition to a sandwich. If, for whatever reason, you’re looking for a package of pepperoni that you can keep in the pantry until you’re ready to use, Sugardale should be on your radar.

Trader Joe’s is known for its smaller-than-average selection compared to most chain grocery stores in the United States. That means you have to push your cart through fewer aisles, helping you get in and out of the store quicker, but it also means that you have fewer options when it comes to specific products like pepperoni. Luckily, the pepperoni that Trader Joe’s carries is one of the better brands I tried for this ranking. The Ciao Pizza Prima pepperoni feels substantial and high-quality when you take it out of the package, and it has an appealing, spiced aroma that’ll make you want to take a bite.

When it comes to texture, this is one of the firmer pepperoni varieties I sampled, and that chewiness can be nice in some contexts, especially when this pepperoni is used on a pizza. This brand stands out because the flavor has a lovely lemony brightness that helps break up the fattiness on the palate. The oiliness of pepperoni sometimes distracts from the more nuanced facets of its flavor profile, but that’s certainly not the case here — that note of lemon is loud and clear. So, now you know that you don’t have to make a separate grocery store trip just to buy pepperoni when you’re already making a Trader Joe’s run.

If you’re looking for pepperoni that’s fit to put on a charcuterie board, you should try to find Primo Taglio uncured pepperoni. Unlike most of the other brands on this list, this pepperoni is a larger size, meaning that it’s not necessarily designed solely to put on pizza. The flavor is significantly more complex than the shelf-stable pepperoni brands on this list, with a richness and complexity you’d expect from actual charcuterie. The flavor is a bit funky in a good way, with peppery notes that add some bite to the meat. However, the flavor isn’t quite as bold as some of the others on this list — rather, you’re getting a product that has more subtlety.

Texture-wise, this is one of the thicker cuts of pepperoni on this list, and it has a good mixture of fatty and lean portions in each slice, unlike the more processed varieties you’ll find. Overall, this is a solid brand to choose when you want pepperoni that’s slightly more elevated than the standard.

Not all Boar’s Head deli meat is created equally, but if you’re looking for higher-quality cuts of meat, it’s generally a good brand. That’s certainly true when it comes to Boar’s Head sandwich style pepperoni. This is undeniably my favorite pepperoni of the group, thanks to its bold flavor, larger size, and rich texture. This pepperoni is bright red, not in the artificial way, but more in a way that indicates that it contains plenty of seasonings. There’s a peppery flavor there without actually getting any spiciness, but it’s also quite salty. On its own, all that salt might be off-putting, but it works well when balanced with the other flavors present in this product.

One of the biggest perks of choosing this brand of pepperoni is the fact that you’re going to get bigger slices. Of course, you can still use this pepperoni on pizza, as it allows for more coverage of your pie. But it’s also ideal for building sandwiches and charcuterie boards, and who doesn’t like their pepperoni with some range? Head to your local grocery store’s refrigerated section to snag some for yourself the next time a recipe you’re making calls for pepperoni.

I chose these pepperoni brands based on local availability, and I opted for “original” flavors versus lighter or turkey-based varieties. The criteria for this ranking are flavor (with special emphasis on both complexity and balance) and texture; I also considered the size when applicable. I tasted the pepperoni from all of these brands uncooked, straight out of the package, to determine the placement of this ranking, although I also cooked with all of them to get a better sense of how the flavors and textures change in different contexts. I drank a few sips of water in between each taste to ensure a clean palate.