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Seasoning Blends I Put on Everything From Chicken to Popcorn Since 2022
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items Bland food used to be my whole personality. I'd grill chicken, roast veggies, make rice, and it all tasted like nothing. Then I started actually investing in seasonings instead of reaching for the same sad salt and pepper. This list is for anyone who...
Sections
7
All-Purpose Blends That Replace Five Other Bottles
Smoky and BBQ Blends for Grilling Season and Beyond
Spicy Seasonings for People Who Want Real Heat
Garlic and Herb Blends for When You Want Comfort Food
Ranch and Cheese Flavored Seasonings for Snacking
International Flavors That Make Weeknight Cooking Exciting
All-Purpose Blends That Replace Five Other Bottles
My spice cabinet used to look like a hoarder's shelf. Half the jars were expired and I never knew what to grab. These four cover about 80% of what I cook on any given weeknight.
Grab this before you do anything else. I used to fumble with garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika separately every single night. One shake of this on chicken thighs and my roommate thought I'd ordered from a restaurant. Perfect if you're someone ...
McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning 2.25 oz
Try this on scrambled eggs first and you'll understand the hype. I was skeptical because the name felt over the top, but my eggs went from forgettable to something I actually look forward to at 7 AM. Great for anyone doing meal prep who's tired of ea...
Flavor God, Everything Seasoning, All Natural, Non-GMO
Keep this next to the stove at all times. Before I found it, I'd stand in front of my spice rack for five minutes trying to decide what goes with salmon. Now I just hit it with this and move on. Zero sodium too, so if you're watching salt intake, sta...
Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute Blend, 2.2Oz
Use this on way more than chicken, despite the name. I tossed it on roasted potatoes last Tuesday and my partner ate the entire sheet pan before I got seconds. Stock up because once you start using it, you'll blow through a bottle in about three week...
Weber Kick'n Chicken Seasoning, Gluten Free, 5 oz
Smoky and BBQ Blends for Grilling Season and Beyond
I used to drown everything in bottled BBQ sauce because I didn't know how else to get that smoky flavor. These blends changed how I approach the grill, the oven, and honestly even my air fryer.
Toss this on pork chops about 20 minutes before grilling. The sweet-smoky combo is something I never would have figured out on my own. My neighbor smelled it over the fence and literally came over to ask what I was cooking. For anyone who wants that ...
Grill Mates Seasoning, Smokehouse Maple, 3.5 oz Bottle
Switch to this if you've been using liquid BBQ sauce as a crutch. I rubbed it on a whole chicken, threw it in the oven, and the skin came out with this deep, crusty bark that I thought only happened at BBQ joints. Dry rubs hit different once you try ...
Stubb's BBQ Rub, 4.62 oz
Bring this to your next cookout and watch people ask for the recipe. I sprinkled it on corn on the cob with butter and it was the thing everyone talked about, not the burgers, not the ribs. Works on anything you want to taste like it sat next to a ca...
Weber Smokey Mesquite Seasoning, 6 oz
Get this if you've ever ruined a good steak with too much salt or not enough pepper. The coarse texture gives you a real crust when you sear it hot. I went from overcomplicating steak night with marinades to just using this and a cast iron. Took me y...
Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning, 3.4 oz Bottle
Spicy Seasonings for People Who Want Real Heat
Hot sauce was my only move for years. Pouring liquid on everything made stuff soggy and one-dimensional. These dry blends give you heat plus actual flavor, which turns out is possible.
Snag a bottle before summer hits. I put this on mango, watermelon, cucumbers, and popcorn. My coworker from Mexico introduced me to it three years ago and I genuinely don't know how I ate fruit without it before. If you like that salty-spicy-lime com...
Tajin Clasico Seasoning, Chili Lime Seasoning, 9 oz
Try this on avocado toast and you'll never go back to the plain everything bagel seasoning. The jalapeno adds just enough kick without making your eyes water. Bought it on a whim and now it's the one jar I panic-replace the second it runs low.
McCormick Culinary Everything Bagel Seasoning 21 oz
Use this when you want Frank's flavor without soaking your food in liquid. I shook it on air fryer wings and they stayed crispy instead of turning into a wet mess. For anyone who loves buffalo flavor but hates soggy breading, this is the solve.
Frank's RedHot Kosher Original Seasoning Blend
Pair this with grilled shrimp tacos and thank me later. Before I found it I was squeezing lime and adding chili flakes separately, which never tasted right. The ratio in this bottle just works. Grabbed it for Taco Tuesday once and now Taco Tuesday is...
McCormick Chili Seasoning Mix, 1.25 oz Packet
Garlic and Herb Blends for When You Want Comfort Food
Some nights you don't want adventure, you just want something that tastes like your grandma made it. These are the cozy, savory blends I reach for when comfort is the goal.
Keep this within arm's reach of your stove. Buttered noodles went from a lazy dinner to something that actually tastes intentional. My kid used to push plain pasta around the plate but now asks for ‘the green garlic ones’ every week. Simple fix for p...
McCormick, Garlic Powder, Coarse Grind with Parsley
Toss this into jarred marinara and nobody will know you didn't make it from scratch. I used to feel guilty about using store-bought sauce until I realized a teaspoon of this closes the gap by about 90%. For anyone who wants homemade flavor on a Wedne...
Badia Italian Seasoning, 1.25 oz
Swap out your regular salt for this on garlic bread and the difference is immediate. I made garlic bread with plain salt for years like some kind of amateur. A friend watched me and said 'why aren't you using garlic salt' and I felt genuinely embarra...
Lawry's, Garlic Salt, 33 oz, Kosher, Coarse-Ground Blend
Use this on roasted vegetables if you want your family to actually eat them. Brussels sprouts used to get side-eyed at my dinner table until I coated them in olive oil and this blend. Now they disappear in minutes. Works on broccoli, cauliflower, zuc...
McCormick PERFECT PINCH Kosher Garlic & Herb Salt
Ranch and Cheese Flavored Seasonings for Snacking
Popcorn was my gateway. Once I realized you can put seasoning on snacks instead of just buying pre-flavored bags, a whole world opened up. These are the ones that made movie night at home actually compete with the theater.
Sprinkle this on popcorn with melted butter and your movie nights change forever. I used to buy those overpriced flavored popcorn bags until my sister told me to just use ranch powder. Felt silly for not thinking of it sooner. Also incredible mixed i...
Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Seasoning Mix (16 oz.)
Get this if microwave popcorn always disappoints you. The cheese flavor is sharp and real, not that fake neon orange dust. I air pop plain kernels now and dust them with this. Cheaper than bagged popcorn and tastes better. For anyone trying to snack ...
Kernel Season's White Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning
Throw this on fries straight out of the air fryer while they're still hot so it sticks. My frozen fries went from sad to something I'd genuinely order at a restaurant. Also works on roasted chickpeas if you're trying to find a crunchy snack that isn'...
Kernel Season's Nacho Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning
Pair a packet of this with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for a dip that's higher in protein and just as good. Brought it to a Super Bowl party and someone literally asked me for the recipe. It's two ingredients. Sometimes the simplest move is th...
McCormick Homestyle Ranch Dip, Dressing & Seasoning
International Flavors That Make Weeknight Cooking Exciting
Ordering Thai or Indian takeout twice a week was destroying my budget. These blends let me fake it pretty convincingly at home without needing 15 specialty ingredients I'd use once and forget about.
Toss this into a stir fry with whatever vegetables are about to go bad in your fridge. Saved me from wasting produce more times than I can count. The ginger-garlic balance tastes like something from a real takeout container. For anyone who wants Asia...
Simply Asia Sweet Ginger Garlic Seasoning, 12 Ounce
Use this in rice and beans and you'll understand why your homemade version never tasted like the restaurant's. The color alone makes your food look like you know what you're doing. My Dominican coworker approved it, which honestly meant more to me th...
Badia Sazon Tropical With Coriander And Annato, 6.75 oz
Grab this and a can of coconut milk and you're 15 minutes from a curry that tastes like effort. I used to think curry required a trip to a specialty store and an hour of prep. Turns out this plus some chicken and vegetables does the job on a Tuesday....
McCormick Kosher Curry Powder, 1.75 oz Bottle
Keep this in your rotation if you cook any kind of Latin-inspired food. Pork shoulder, black beans, even scrambled eggs get this treatment in my house. My Puerto Rican friend says it's the one shortcut she actually respects. Once you start using it, ...
Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning, 28 oz
Sweet and Savory Blends for Breakfast and Dessert
Nobody told me seasoning blends work on sweet stuff too. French toast, oatmeal, sweet potatoes. Once I figured this out, breakfast stopped being an afterthought and became something worth waking up for.
Dust this on buttered toast and you've got a snack that hits like nostalgia. My mom used to make cinnamon toast when I was little and I spent years trying to get the ratio right on my own. This nails it every time. Also incredible on oatmeal if plain...
McCormick, Kosher Cinnamon Sugar, 15 oz Bottle
Use this year-round, not just in October. Stirred into coffee with a little cream, mixed into pancake batter, sprinkled on roasted sweet potatoes. I used to buy pumpkin spice everything at coffee shops until I realized a $4 jar does it better. For an...
McCormick Kosher Pure Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend Extract
Drop one into your next pot of oatmeal or rice pudding while it simmers. The flavor is warmer and deeper than ground cinnamon, more like what you smell walking past a bakery. Also great in mulled wine if you're hosting during the holidays. Bought the...
Badia Cinnamon Sticks, 1.25 oz Bottle
Swap whatever imitation vanilla you have for this and taste the difference in one batch of cookies. My chocolate chip cookies went from ‘fine’ to ‘can you bring these to every gathering please.’ Not technically a seasoning blend, but it earned its pl...
McCormick, Vanilla Extract, 2 fl oz, Non-GMO, Pure