Seasonings are good and fight inflammation.
By Kanwal
10 Trader Joe’s spices and seasonings under $3 we can’t live without
The Spice Girls may no longer be together, but one stroll down the aisle at Trader Joe’s will certainly “Spice Up Your Life.”
With so many different shakers on the store’s well-stocked shelves, choosing between the myriad of seasonings at one of America’s favorite grocery stores can sometimes be a little overwhelming. Trader Joe’s not only offers the classics, like garlic salt and chili powder, but their versatile seasoning blends have become increasingly popular among home cooks looking for an easy way to quickly boost the flavor profile of any dish.
To help shoppers find the ideal spice blend to perk up their pantries, here are 10 of the best spices and seasonings we just can’t live without. And for less than $3 each, you won’t be able to either.
21 Seasoning Salute, $1.99
It may not seem possible, but this small shaker contains 21 different ingredients. Seriously. It’s hard to imagine separately measuring out more than 20 of your go-to spices at once to amp up eggs, chicken or even some avocado slices for a healthy snack. With this, you can.
The salt-free blend includes onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato, lemon juice and lemon oil.
Chile Lime Seasoning Blend, $1.99
Does anyone else find that every time they make something like tacos or Pad Thai, they forgot the all-important lime? Keep this spicy little number on hand and those dishes will never lack zest again. With just the right balance of salt, heat and lime juice powder, this simple blend brings a fresh citrusy zing to variety of recipes.
Dukkah, $2.99
An Egyptian blend of crushed nuts, seeds and warming spices like fennel, coriander and anise, dukkah can sometimes be pretty pricey. But a whole jar runs cheap at Trader’s. You can mix it into bread crumbs to give fried chicken an elevated crunch or add it straight to some olive oil for dipping crusty bread.
Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend, $1.99
Just two bucks gets you a whole shaker of one of the most popular products at Trader Joe’s. It’s packed with all of the savory flavors found in an everything bagel (sesame, sea salt, garlic and onion) making it the perfect spice to amp up any morning meal. This awesome mix is great on everything from proteins, to veggies, popcorn and, yes, even bagels.
Everything but the Elote, $2.49
When you’ve got a hankering for the classic Mexican dish made with corn smothered in Parmesan or cotija cheese and spices, this seasoning is a must. It combines all of the flavors needed to make elote shine: chile pepper, Parmesan cheese, chipotle powder, cumin, dried cilantro and sea salt.
Mushroom & Company, $2.99
TJ’s “multipurpose umami seasoning blend” elevates burgers, stir-fries, roasted vegetables or any kind of dish that would benefit from a more complex, earthy flavor. The seasoning includes a mix of dried porcini and white button mushrooms, onion, mustard seed, red and black pepper and thyme.
Organic Chili Seasoning Blend, $2.29
Organic chili pepper, organic cumin powder, organic garlic powder and organic oregano are all blended into one so you don’t have to worry about buying a bunch of seasoning packets every time you want to make a pot of delicious chili. This blend also happens to be organic and kosher.
Pumpkin Pie Spice, $1.99
Once again, Trader Joe’s provides a shortcut in the baking department. Rather than measuring out all of the spices required to make anything taste just like pumpkin pie, this has all the stuff you need in one container. A sprinkle or two of this seasonal spice will bring forth notes of cinnamon, ginger, citrus, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom to help warm up everyone’s favorite fall dishes.
South African Smoke, $2.29
Ready to grill or roast some hearty cuts of meat but don’t know quite how to get that luscious mesquite flavor? A hefty grind from Trader Joe’s South African Smoke should do the trick. The smoked paprika imported from South Africa has a wonderfully poignant flavor that’s rounded out by sea salt, garlic and basil.
Vegan Chicken-less Seasoning Salt, $1.99
For anyone who is vegan, vegetarian or just looking to cut back on eating meat, this bouillon-like seasoning will be an extremely helpful asset in the kitchen. Unlike bouillon cubes that need to be melted into water, this mix of sea salt, onion and garlic powder and turmeric can be sprinkled onto vegetables, into soups or dusted on anything that needs an extra layer of flavor.