13 Trader Joe's Seasonings That Deserve A Spot In Your Spice Cabinet

From frozen foods like the beloved Mandarin Orange Chicken to fun-for-all-ages snacks, Trader Joe's has made a name for itself with its unique, signature food products, many of which are inspired by international cuisines. That brand focus — globetrotting flavor in fresh, high-quality, and inventive items — extends to the spice aisle, where you'll find a diverse array of blends and mixes to spice up your cooking. Packaged in pre-mixed blends, these seasonings not only simplify cooking but bring bold, fun flavors into your kitchen, and are also easy to use for cooks of all skill levels. On top of signature Trader Joe's blends, some of the chain's staple options, like its garlic salt, are also worth the purchase on account of their freshness, quality, and exceptional flavor.

Looking at factors like taste, availability (plenty of Trader Joe's products come and go by season), and how unique the seasoning was, I — a diehard Trader Joe's shopper of many years — narrowed down which Trader Joe's spices are worth a spot in your spice line-up. I explain more about my methodology at the end of the story, but for now, let's get cooking.

Although everyone has their preference, the everything bagel is one of the most popular types of bagels out there, largely due to its distinctive seasoning. When Trader Joe's first released its premixed everything bagel seasoning in 2017, it became an instant favorite for many, myself included, and has had a place on my spice rack ever since.

Along with black and white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried minced onion, and dried minced garlic, the Trader Joe's take on everything bagel seasoning includes big flakes of sea salt. Unscrewing the lid releases a wonderfully nutty scent, the flavor is a big, salty hit to the taste buds, and the texture is delightfully crunchy. The scent, flavor, and texture are also long-lasting, extending well past "Best By" dates. Beyond using it for bread and other savory baked goods, I use it as a topping for avocado toast, add it to breading for chicken, sprinkle it on tomato soup, and much more, so it works for all manner of dishes.

Although you can make your own "Everything but the Bagel" seasoning at home, it's more efficient to have a premixed version ready to go, especially if it only costs $1.99. They're also a year-round feature on the TJ's spice aisle (unless you live in South Korea, where they're banned on account of the poppy seeds). While there are copycat versions at other stores, I still always go with the OG on account of its long-lasting flavor and texture, plus the cute packaging.

While you can buy taco seasoning from most stores, I think the Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning is a cut above the rest. Coming in little 1.3-ounce packets, the TJs version mixes sea salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, brown cane sugar, dried garlic, dried onion, black pepper, paprika, dried red bell pepper, red chili pepper flakes, dried oregano, and smoked paprika into a finely ground blend.

The flavors are well balanced, with the peppers, onions, cumin, oregano, and garlic adding some earthiness to contrast with the zesty peppers and paprika. There's also an undercurrent of sweetness courtesy of the brown cane sugar. It packs just enough heat without being overpowering and works great for all sorts of seasoning needs. I use it to bring flavor to big pots of beans or meat, or add it to cut-up onions and bell peppers to saute for at-home burrito bowls. It's also so cheap, costing just $0.99.

The only downside to Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning is that the tiny packets it comes in aren't resealable. If you don't use the entire thing in one go — which I never have, a generous sprinkling is usually sufficient to impart flavor — you'll need to clip it closed to maintain flavor and quality. Even after opening, it still tastes fresh, as long as you store it in a cool, dry place and seal the top with a clothespin or the like.

As much as I love to cook, there are plenty of nights when I have no energy for anything elaborate and just want a simple but tasty, well-balanced, and wholesome meal. A nicely baked salmon with sides is a go-to for me in these instances, with the right seasoning to elevate it. Since I especially like spicy food, I was first drawn to this Salmon Rub seasoning blend for its smoky zest, and now use it beyond salmon for other fish and proteins like cod, shrimp, and steak.

The key is the well-balanced mix of sweet, savory, and spicy: brown sugar with smoked paprika, black pepper, kosher salt, rice concentrate, and dried thyme. On the nose, it smells sweet and smoky on account of the sugar and paprika, but the flavors are nicely balanced. When baking, the sugar gently caramelizes into a subtly crispy crust, and the seasoning doesn't overpower the base ingredient. At $2.69, she's one of the pricier options on the Trader Joe's spice aisle, but it's a lovely blend to have on hand and lasts a while as well (bottles come in 2.6-ounce sizes).

Japanese dishes are a staple in our house, so our fridge and cabinets are filled with all sorts of Japanese condiments and seasonings: soy sauce, mirin, the much-loved-by-chefs Kewpie mayo, and this Nori Komi Furikake Blend from Trader Joe's. Furikake is a common Japanese seasoning blend made with dried seaweed, sesame seeds, herbs, salt, and fish flakes, which is typically sprinkled over rice to add flavor and texture.

This Trader Joe's rendition features slender strips of dried nori seaweed with kelp powder, salt, and black and white sesame seeds. The kelp and seaweed bring that briny, salty-and-sweet sea-like essence, balanced with the savory salt and nutty sesame seeds. Both the nori and seeds incorporate crunch and texture. I take a page from Japan's book and frequently use it on rice dishes, but I also add it to fish, ramen, udon, and as a flavor enhancement when I make marinated eggs with soy sauce. It also works well as a seasoning for a Chex Mix snack mix. You can pick up a jar for $2.99.

Mexican cuisine is one of my favorites, so dishes like burritos, tacos, enchiladas, tamales, posole, and mole are on frequent rotation in my home. Living in an apartment, it's a bit more difficult to make elote — grilled corn coated in mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime — but I can still add that distinct taste to corn, vegetables, roasted chickpeas, meats, rice, and other ingredients with the "Everything but the Elote" seasoning blend.

A lovely orange shade, this finely ground powder incorporates salt, chile pepper, Parmesan cheese, cilantro, cumin, cane sugar, and some other elements. The cheese and pepper zest comes through both by taste and scent, and there's some fire to the chile powder but not too much to be overpowering. The powder also has a nice crunch to it. One of my favorite ways to use it, though, is sprinkling it on fresh-popped, buttered popcorn for a snack. It costs $1.99 and is one of Trader Joe's more unique offerings. Some other stores and brands have elote seasoning blends, but they're not as common and usually more expensive (a bottle of Private Selection Elote Street Corn Blend costs around $4.99 at Fred Meyers).

This distinct blend, inspired by Cuban cuisine, is a great choice for people who do a lot of grilling or eat lots of meat. The mix of earthy, herbal spices like basil and oregano, zingy lime, and savory onion and garlic all comes together for a multi-faceted blend that nicely complements all different kinds of proteins. It can serve as a great rub or marinade for poultry, infuse extra flavor into vegetables, and boost rice or beans.

Altogether, there's a lot of different flavor elements at play. As the name suggests, garlic and citrus are front and center with garlic, lime juice, and lemon and lime oil. These are complemented by salt, black pepper, onion powder, bay leaves, cilantro, basil, oregano, cumin, coriander, parsley, and marjoram. While you likely have most of these spices individually in your spice cabinet, it's nice to have them all premixed together in a $2.29 package.

This blend will be a hit for spice lovers and fans of Mexican cuisine. Made with chile peppers and lime juice, it's inspired by a popular Mexican street food snack called "fruta con chile y limon." Street vendors cut up slices of fruit like pineapple and mango and sprinkle them with a zesty red spice blend, squirting some lime juice on top for citric tartness.

However, this spice blend's uses go far beyond fruit. I've used it to add seasoning to ground beef for tacos and chicken and steak seasoning rubs. It works great for seasoning bell peppers and onions for fajitas and adds some kick to eggs. I prefer to make my beans from scratch instead of buying canned in order to add different flavors, so I've also used this blend for this purpose. The lime and chile mix is also great for rimming fruity cocktails like margaritas.

It costs $2.29 and is worth adding to your spice cabinet for the blended flavors. You can easily find other spicy chile blends, but the addition of the lime and citrus (incorporated as a powder and citric acid) is what sets it apart.

Probably the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "Green Goddess" is the famous Green Goddess dressing and its twin, the popular Green Goddess salad, but this seasoning blend inspired by the dressing works for lots of other dishes. I've personally used it to season roasted or baked vegetables, white sauces for pasta, and marinate steak and chicken. That being said, it has many more uses beyond its namesake dressing and salad.

Costing $2.99, the blend is made with onion, salt, ground black pepper, parsley, spinach powder, green onion, and dried chives. The four green spices add herbaceous, earthy notes, while the onion comes through nice and strong. The blend is more on a chopped and diced side instead of a fine powder, so there are also some more textural and visual elements at play. I particularly like using this one for the onion flavor; I get especially weepy cutting onions, so it's nice to simply sprinkle some of this blend to get the flavor without the fuss if I'm in a hurry or doing a very basic dish.

Another great option for lovers of garlic and Italian food is the Aglio Olio seasoning blend. Meaning garlic and oil in Italian, the spice blend is based on a traditional Neapolitan pasta dish that features chili peppers, garlic, and olive oil.

With the addition of parsley and sea salt, it's a well-balanced mix full of Italian-inspired flavors. The gentle zest of the chili peppers, savory garlic, and herbaceous parsley work as a seasoning blend for all sorts of Italian-esque dishes from pasta to focaccia. It's especially good for rubs or marinades; I use it frequently to season chicken. You can mix it with olive oil for dipping bread or do homemade salad dressings. It's a versatile blend you'll find all sorts of uses for, and being premixed saves you a bit of extra time in the kitchen. It's also an easy-to-find year-round Trader Joe's staple, costing $2.49 for 1.7 ounces.

If you love stuffing as much as I do, you need the Trader Joe's Everything but the Leftovers blend in your seasoning toolkit. It's a limited-time offering that only comes out toward the end of the year in time for Thanksgiving, so you'll want to stock up when it's available. I usually grab several bottles — they last a fair amount of time; my current bottle's best-by date isn't until the end of 2025 — because I use it so much.

A mix of onion, sea salt, black pepper, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, yeast, celery seeds, and some other elements, it tastes like Thanksgiving in a jar. The prevalence of herbal, earthy seasonings like thyme and sage works for so many dishes apart from Thanksgiving staples. I use it as a catch-all seasoning for chicken, vegetables, stews, roasted potatoes ... the list goes on and on. The use of two different yeasts enhances the savory flavor as well. With all these much-used spices conveniently mixed together in one blend, it's so easy to use. When it's available, it costs $2.99 for 2.6 ounces.

Garlic and salt are two of the most commonly used seasonings, so why not kill two birds with one stone and combine the two into one seasoning? Trader Joe's takes it one step further with its Garlic Salt blend, mixing chunky sea salt crystals, dried roasted garlic, dried onion, and dried parsley. Sealed inside a glass container, the blend maintains freshness until needed, when an attached grinder releases the flavors and scents as you crank the bottle and break down the seasoning bits inside.

Instead of reaching for multiple seasonings, I can quickly add crunchy salt and earthy elements to a dish with this blend. I use it for so many dishes: adding a salty, garlicky kick to roasted vegetables like broccoli, seasoning chicken or other meats, and elevating soups and stews. As a self-proclaimed garlic girl, I especially like that the garlic is very prevalent and front-and-center, both for taste and smell. The grinder is also a fantastic perk, keeping the seasoning fresh, and at 2.46 ounces, she lasts a long time. It's also just $1.99.

I'll admit it: I'm not a big mushroom person. When my partner (who loves mushrooms) wanted to first try this blend a few years back, I was skeptical. However, this blend works whether you like mushrooms or not because the white button and porcini mushrooms are nicely complemented by dried thyme, black pepper, crushed red pepper, kosher salt, onion, and dried mustard seed.

The result is an earthy, rich seasoning that I now use for stews, vegetables, and proteins. It's well-rounded and boasts a rich, savory taste that makes your mouth water. It very much captures that umami element, and since umami seasonings like MSG can elevate all sorts of dishes from MSG-seasoned steak to miso eggs Benedict, this seasoning is a nice way to get that meaty, pleasant flavor. It costs $2.99, which is more on the high end for Trader Joe's custom spices, but worth it for the versatility and lovely flavor.

The Trader Joe's Smoked Paprika seasoning is an excellent example of a staple spice that Trader Joe's takes to the next level. You can easily find smoked paprika at most major stores, so it's far from an offering that's solely unique to Trader Joe's. However, the TJs version is a lovely interpretation worth having on your spice shelf, both for flavor and also because of its pretty, patterned packaging.

Made with Valencian paprika from a Spanish food purveyor that has been making it since 1945, the Trader Joe's Smoked Paprika boasts smoky-scented aromas and flavors, tinged with sweetness and spice. The powder is finely ground, making it easy to work with, and the tin's lid has a hole-dotted shaker side and a hole for teaspoons if you want more careful measuring. At $2.49, it's at the higher end of the Trader Joe's spices price range, but worth it for the freshness, quality, and robust flavor. Paprika is used for all sorts of dishes, from sprinkling on deviled eggs to mixing into mashed potatoes, so you'll definitely put this one to frequent use.

As a maybe-too-frequent Trader Joe's shopper who has used many of the above seasonings for years, here's how I approached recommending which spices I thought deserved to be on this list. One factor was uniqueness: were these signature blends you could only find at Trader Joe's, or were they common spices you can find at most stores? I tried to stick with Trader Joe's exclusives that you could only find there, or, in the case of the smoked paprika, pick staple spices I felt were better than other brands.

Flavor and usability were key: was it a good flavor combination? Did it taste and smell good? Did it add something extra to a dish beyond taste and scent, like texture or an enhanced visual presentation? Was it versatile enough to be used for a wide range of dishes or just a few? Were they easy to use for home cooks of all ages? These were all questions I considered evaluating each seasoning option.

Since spices can last a long time, longevity was another consideration. Did these have long shelf lives, and would they still taste and smell fresh over time? I also considered availability — whether they are on sale year-round or just during a particular time of the year, could you find these at most or all Trader Joe's stores — and price, as spices and seasonings are a basic kitchen staple and most shouldn't be too expensive.