The best prosciutto (like, the really best, most amazing, prosciutto) is probably not available at your local grocery store. It’s probably sold in Italy at a specialty meat store and it’s probably pretty expensive. So we’re not talking about the best prosciutto in the world. We’re talking about the best prosciutto to buy within a few miles of your home.
A lot of grocery store pre-sliced prosciutto tastes off to me. All too often, it tastes like the meat has turned. And it’s usually too thick. So I started this taste test trepidatiously. But I was happy to find way more really great prosciutto than bad prosciutto. Yes, there is obviously some Italian prosciutto in the mix, but American prosciutto producers showed up to play as well.
What Is Prosciutto?
Want to know more about prosciutto? Check out this explainer.
If you’re crafting the perfect charcuterie board, making a panini, or simply looking to drape wafer-thin sheets of meat into your mouth (my preferred method of prosciutto consumption), here are the best prosciutto brands to seek out at your local grocery store.
- Veroni Prosciutto Italiano
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This Italian prosciutto is the best prosciutto to buy if you’re making a panini or a meaty caprese salad. It’s very thin and delicate, but it packs a savory punch of flavor—so you don’t need to pile an entire package of it onto a sandwich to know you’re eating meat. It needs big slabs of mild, creamy mozzarella and herbaceous fresh basil to balance out that saltiness. It would also totally rock on pizza. Cook up one of the best frozen cheese pizzas and layer a few slices of this prosciutto on when it comes out of the oven. Then have me over to share it. I’ll bring the wine.
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- Trader Joe’s Sliced Prosciutto
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At just $3.99 for a four-ounce package, this is one of the best deals at Trader Joe’s. It’s mild, it’s tender, and it has a nice, rich meaty flavor with a salty finish. I’d like this wrapped around a slice of ripe cantaloupe or peach. It’s just thick enough to add some texture but not so thick that a piece of delicate fruit will be overwhelmed by meat. But at $3.99, you can also take risks. What else can you wrap in prosciutto? Plums? Zucchini? Totino’s Pizza Rolls? It’s the best prosciutto that won’t break the bank, so go ahead and get buck wild.
- Fratelli Beretta Organic Prosciutto
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This prosciutto is as close to fresh sliced prosciutto in terms of texture as you can get. It’s stretchy and soft and tender. It is delightful. And the flavor is good, too. It’s sweet and not too salty at all—a very delicate flavor. Don’t try to cook with it or even put it on a sandwich. It needs to be enjoyed solo or with a very mild cheese on a cracker. Allow me to quote from my tasting notes, “Yum yum yum.”
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- Priano Prosciutto Italiano
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If you’re a little squeamish about prosciutto—maybe it seems too raw or you can’t handle the white band of fat—this is the best prosciutto for you. It’s very lean and on the dryer end of the spectrum. It also doesn’t have any of the gaminess of other store-bought prosciutto. Instead, it’s intensely meaty—like a really good pork chop.
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- Creminelli Prosciutto
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Even though this American-made prosciutto is so extremely thin, it still has a lot of flavor. In fact, it has little flavor crystals—almost like the kind you get in parmesan. If you, like a certain Stephen King character, insist that your prosciutto be “thinner,” then this is the best prosciutto for you. Plus, it comes in a tray that is made from 80% recycled materials and the pigs are humanely raised.
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- True Story Prosciutto
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You can’t always trust fancy packaging, but you should in the case of this prosciutto brand. The prosciutto inside the packaging lives up to the promise of the appealing font and farmhouse chic styling of the label. Made with Berkshire and Duroc pork (which, per the company, are raised crate-free on family farms with no antibiotics), it’s a thicker cut of prosciutto—almost like a fancy country ham. Use it to make an occasion-worthy eggs Benedict or an upscale breakfast sandwich.
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- Appleton Dry Cured Ham Prosciutto
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I initially wrote this Aldi prosciutto off because of its very rectangular pieces. But I was so very wrong to judge a cured meat by its shape. The flavor is out of this world—it’s savory and sweet (almost fruity) with a wonderfully fatty finish that just keeps going. At $4.29 for a four-ounce package, it’s also shockingly affordable. I will go to Aldi just to stock up on this prosciutto. It’s perfect for a platter, great for a sandwich (thanks to its shape!), and ideal for pretty much anything else you might want to do with it.
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Best for Panini
Best Budget
Best for Charcuterie Board
Best Lean
Best Very Thin Cut
Best Heritage Pork
Best of the Best
Other prosciutto brands we tried: Del Duca, Ferrarini, Boar’s Head Prosciutto di Parma, Boar’s Head Prosciutto Riserva Stradolce
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!