Quick Answer: Best overall: Boar's Head (Tasting Table's #1 of 12 brands). Best cured meats: Creminelli. Best salami: Gusto. Budget board: Primo Taglio at Safeway and Albertsons stores.
Our top picks
A board doesn't need a specialty shop. Packaged deli meat covers both jobs: cured salami and prosciutto for the main meats, and turkey or ham for roll-ups on kid and budget boards.
All 6 picks
Prices are store listings checked November 2026; supermarket prices vary by store.
Best overall
Boar's Head
- Ranked
- #1 of 12 at Tasting Table
- Best for
- Ham, turkey, pepperoni
- Where
- Deli counters, packaged
Why it's here: Tasting Table's top brand for range and consistent quality, and Sporked's winner for deli ham, honey ham, corned beef and bologna.
Watch out: A 2024 listeria outbreak led to the biggest recall in Boar's Head history, and some shoppers still avoid it.
Why we picked it (sources)
Tasting Table; Sporked; recall coverage from Tasting Table.
Best cured meats
Creminelli
- Ranked
- #2 of 12
- Best for
- Prosciutto, pepperoni
- Where
- Whole Foods, specialty stores
Why it's here: Silky pre-sliced prosciutto and well-spiced pepperoni; Tasting Table found the pre-sliced packs as good as the whole sticks.
Watch out: Small packs for the price.
Why we picked it (sources)
Best salami
Gusto
- Ranked
- #3 of 12
- Try
- Sopressata, Genoa
- Type
- Sliced salami, pepperoni
Why it's here: Rich, peppery salami that isn't greasy; Tasting Table said it might have taken first place with a bigger range.
Watch out: Salami and pepperoni only.
Why we picked it (sources)
Best budget board
Primo Taglio
- Ranked
- #4 of 12
- Range
- Cold cuts, prosciutto, pepperoni
- Where
- Albertsons-family stores
Why it's here: A store brand that covers a whole board for less: well-sliced cold cuts plus prosciutto and pepperoni that aren't greasy.
Watch out: Only at Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco and their sister stores.
Why we picked it (sources)
Best clean label
Applegate Naturals
- Ranked
- #8 of 12
- Range
- About 16 deli meats
- Packaging
- Small, stays fresh
Why it's here: Consistent quality across a big range, in small packs that stay fresh for smaller households.
Watch out: Nothing exciting; it's a safe pick.
Why we picked it (sources)
Best for roll-ups
Hillshire Farm
- Ranked
- #7 of 12
- Style
- Thin-sliced
- Where
- Nearly every grocery store
Why it's here: Thin slices roll easily around cheese sticks and pickles for kid boards, and it's affordable at nearly any store.
Watch out: Thin slices tear; roll them rather than fold.
Why we picked it (sources)
Deli meat on a board: what to buy and how to use it
- Cured meats (salami, prosciutto, soppressata) are the main event; cooked deli meats (turkey, ham, roast beef) are for roll-ups and kid boards.
- How much: about 2 oz of meat per person as an appetizer, more if the board is dinner.
- Read the label: short ingredient lists taste better. Tasting Table's last-place brand, Land O'Frost, was watery and bulked out with fillers.
- At the counter, ask for thin slices laid flat with paper between layers.
- Roll-ups: wrap turkey or ham around a cheese stick, pickle spear or asparagus, seam side down.
Going deeper on cured meat: the best salami, the best prosciutto and the best meats for a charcuterie board.
Deli meat questions
What is the best deli meat brand?
Boar's Head, Tasting Table's #1 of 12 brands. For cured meats, Creminelli; for salami, Gusto.
Is Boar's Head still the best?
It still wins taste tests. After its 2024 recall some shoppers switched; Creminelli and Gusto are good cured-meat alternatives.
What deli meat is best for a charcuterie board?
Genoa salami, soppressata, prosciutto and pepperoni. Add turkey or ham roll-ups for kids.
What's the worst packaged deli meat brand?
Land O'Frost came last in Tasting Table's ranking: watery and short on flavor.
How much deli meat per person for a board?
About 2 oz per person as an appetizer.
How we picked these, and sources
We used Tasting Table's ranking of 12 packaged deli meat brands, Sporked's deli meat taste tests, and Tasting Table's coverage of the 2024 Boar's Head recall. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Tasting Table: 12 best packaged deli meat brands, ranked
- Tasting Table: the packaged deli meat brand to skip (Apr 2025)
- Sporked: the best deli meat from our taste tests
- Tasting Table: why some shoppers avoid Boar's Head
Shopping at Safeway? See the best Safeway and Albertsons charcuterie items. Every guide is on our charcuterie buying guides page.
