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Some people collect baseball cards or green glass or import cars. I collect Trader Joe’s seasoning jars. When they add new ones like Aglio Olio, I bring them home. When they retire one like Ajika Georgian, I freak out for a few hours and then reset myself by sprinkling Green Goddess over some roasted potatoes on the Blackstone Adventure Ready Griddle.

Whether you’re cooking on a Blackstone or a hot summer sidewalk, it doesn’t matter because a fried egg can be transformed by any Trader Joe’s seasoning blend. You can travel the world and not leave your back deck if you have these imaginative ingredients. It’s that wall of wonder in the back of any TJ store and there’s a magnet or something that pulls you in.

You will always need their basics like sea salt and rainbow peppercorn mill shakers, and maybe Everyday Seasoning. But Trader Joe’s keeps adding new ones, and I keep growing my collection. Reporting live right here from the TJ Seasoning Aisle, your intrepid DrizzleMeSkinny correspondent has these 20 examples that make Blackstone life even better:

1. Salmon Rub

Nearly a half-million tons of salmon are consumed by Americans each year, and the three reasons are taste, sustainability and versatility. You can prepare it on pretty much any cooking surface, and nothing beats the Blackstone recipe. For this post, I bought Trader Joe’s Salmon Rub seasoning and sprinkled it liberally onto a TJ salmon filet that I split into two. The salmon was placed on the right cooking zone at medium low, and covered with a dome. Within 10 minutes, it was the most tender, perfect salmon I have ever eaten, with a crisp crust. I made a bed of Turmeric fried rice on the left zone, then sat the salmon in the rice bed. Here’s another Blackstone Salmon version.

2. Seasoning In A Pickle

Hi, you had me at Seasoning in a Pickle. Next.

3. Nori Komi Furikake Japanese Multi-Purpose Seasoning

Boil some white rice or use a rice cooker. Ignite the Blackstone and crack one or two eggs on the griddle then remove so the yellow is runny. Sit the egg(s) over your rice, and then for the main ingredient welcome to FURIKAKE LAND! I will eat Trader Joe’s Nori Komi Furikake Japanese Multi-Purpose Seasoning on absolutely anything and I want to go to Japan just to eat food that has this beautiful salty and mild accompaniment. Add it to your stir fry, which you can make just by setting your Blackstone cooking zones to high and turning it into a wok that you keep stirring up. This ingredient is massive in Asia and Hawaii, a natural companion to ramen and noodles, and all you need is some imagination to make it work on countless recipes.

4. Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend

If you can only buy one TJ seasoning then this is it because it makes everything a toasty wonderland. In fact, this might have been my earliest introduction to Trader Joe’s, period. In addition to sesame it includes sea salt, garlic and onion. Many mornings start with toasted English Muffins, topped with cream cheese, then slices of avocado, then a drizzle of olive oil topped by generous sprinkling of EBTB. On the Blackstone, you can add it to a pat of butter on your steak, top eggs and hash browns, or mix it into waffle batter. This seasoning is such an institution, they even made Everything but the Bagel Seasoned Bite Sized Crackers and Everything but the Bagel Cheddar Cheese.

5. 21 Seasoning Salute

Start with a recipe that can be jacked-up with all kinds of seasoning and sauce options, like Blackstone Smashburgers. Use Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute blend instead of just garlic powder and onion powder, and you are opening up all the doors. Here’s the roll call inside the jar: 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.

6. Everything But The Elote

“Elote” means corn cob in Spanish, and a Mexican Elote is your basic grilled corn on the cob with all the fixins including mayo cream sauce, chili powder, cheese and lime. That’s standard street food south of the border. So grill some shucked and buttered cobs on your Blackstone for about 10 minutes, less if you use a dome. Then add a mayo sauce with lime juice, and once that’s all slathered on, finish it with this cheesy and smoky seasoning. Enjoy the slightly spicy kick! You’ll want to shake this over your popcorn, too.

7. Turmerica The Beautiful

OK, I made up everything after the first eight letters, just because I think Trader Joe’s should make that the official name of this spice! Just calling it “Turmeric” is so 2,000 years ago. Ancient health nuts have sworn by its medicinal properties for millennia and today I sprinkle it on about half of all the food I make, like this batch of fried rice I made on the Blackstone 28 Inch Griddle last night. Turmeric contains Curcumin, which has mighty anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Severely low levels can play a role in raising your susceptibility to diseases such as heart and metabolic disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and autoimmune conditions. Incorporate this into your diet and help to increase disease-fighting antioxidants.

8. Sriracha Sprinkle Seasoning Blend

How can you make a common grilled cheese sandwich into something sensational? Lightly butter or oil two pieces of that viral Instagram Lentil Bread you just created for Weight Watchers points. Fill it with lowfat American cheese and thin slices of tomato and/or avocado. Sprinkle Sriracha on the outside of both crusts. Oil your Blackstone griddle and grill the sandwich on medium, flip, and appreciate the deep orange hue and spicy pepper and garlic jolt. Great to dip into a bowl of tomato soup, too. For tofu loving vegetarians, this sriracha blend is also a great way to enjoy the Blackstone life.

9. Spanish Saffron

Our winner for prettiest Trader Joe’s seasoning container, it also gets points for everything it can do. We make Blackstone chicken with it and it smells so unique you won’t ever forget it. Spanish Saffron is different than more expensive Persian Saffron and has a dark yellow color. It was once used to make medicine and dye fabric. If you can make a Risotto on the Blackstone, then don’t miss the chance to use this TJ ingredient.

10. Traditional Tunisian Harissa

Are you that person who puts ketchup on her or his scrambled eggs every single time? Well, you might be that person who needs Trader Joe’s Ketchup Flavored Sprinkle Seasoning Blend right in the scrambled egg mixture. My local TJ is out of that one, so let’s go to plan B for Blackstone. Scramble your eggs on the sizzling griddle, then pile them onto toasted bread with a few large avocado slices. Spread this Trader Joe’s Harissa hot chili pepper paste with herbs and spices on the inside of the toast. It’s like no scrambled eggs you’ve ever had.

11. Green Goddess

This versatile seasoning blend is a can’t-miss for any veggies you grill on the Blackstone portable griddle, whether at home or on the road. Devote one side of your griddle to absolutely any veggies you can think up, like halved Brussel sprouts or roasted peppers or sliced onions. Roasted potatoes are a blank canvas for any Blackstone seasoning, including this one. There’s a good reason these little containers are lined up throughout the Trader Joe’s frozen-food section with waffle-cut fries, tater tots, potato fries and country potatoes! You can’t resist!

12. Chile Lime Seasoning Blend

While you are making one of these mouth-watering Blackstone dishes, how about munching on some chunks of watermelon with this sprinkled on. Not lying at all! You can also use it on the Blackstone as a nice way to dust fish, chicken, baked potatoes, fries or tots.

13. Mushroom & Company Umami Seasoning Blend

Two words: Butternut Squash. This is the first recipe I used with Umami and I never want to stop. Bake a butternut squash in the oven for a couple of hours, then chop it into square chunks, and toss them in a bowl with olive oil and this mushroom blend. Then plop them onto the griddle and cover with a dome and go crazy. It is a little earthy and infused with a “pleasant savory taste,” which is the Japanese translation for umami. Add it to any Blackstone recipe that is “missing” something. You can also use Trader Joe’s Ground Fermented Black Garlic, which is subtly sweet and full of umami.


14. Agli Olio

Where have you been all my life? Any Blackstone chef will be obsessed with this recently added seasoning, which makes everything better and especially Italian. Classic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Italian for “garlic and oil”) in Napoli combines just four ingredients: spaghetti, olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. You can make a Blackstone version by building a pile of pasta on your sizzling surface, generously add olive oil, and mix it all with a heaping helping of this TJ seasoning.

15. Organic Crushed Red Pepper

Hi, my name is Mark and I am an addict. I shake this stuff over way too many foods but I don’t care. I lost control somewhere with pasta and pizza, and it’s even in the TJ item right before this one. Now I just randomly shake it on foods and I am totally out of control and sure to need detox. Watch out, pancakes!

16. Cuban Style Citrusy Garlic

I’m never going to beat the Cubans they make at The Columbia legendary restaurants here on Florida’s Gulf Coast, but I know what I like and the Blackstone makes a fun meal. Start with proper Cuban bread, good and crusty, an Italian loaf if you need. Fill it with slices of ham and capicola, surrounded on each side by swiss cheese, and add a layer of crisp dill pickles. Spread mustard on the surface of each bread slice, and sprinkle this zesty TJ seasoning over all the mustard. Close it, smash it on the left half of the Blackstone with a grill press, and on the right half build a pile of rice and beans featuring this seasoning and lime juice. Here’s another Blackstone Cuban Sandwich recipe you can try as well.

17. Ranch Seasoning Blend

I have a son who puts Ranch dressing on just about every single food in life, and that includes drive-thru chicken. So you can just cut straight to the chase and put the Ranch IN the chicken. Drizzle pieces with oil and rub them down good with this Trader Joe’s Ranch Seasoning, and then drop them onto the hot Blackstone cooking surface. Keep the temperature no higher than medium, and use a dome if you want the chicken finished more quickly. Cut inside to make sure there’s no pink, and serve my son with . . . guess what . . . still more Ranch dressing! This is also really good to sprinkle over any pizza in life whether you’re baking it or eating from delivery.

18. Green & Red Hatch Chili Flakes

New Mexican cuisine wouldn’t be the same without red and green Hatch Chiles, and the dried version gets you a little closer to the Land of Enchantment. Sprinkle it over those irresistible Blackstone Nachos you just made!

19. Pizza Sprinkle Seasoning Blend

Speaking of pizza, Trader Joe’s says you can “pizza-fy” your favorite flavor with any dish. OK, we’re ready to try that on Mild Italian, Andouille and Bratwurst Sausages the next time out on the Blackstone grill. It has a nice tomato-ey and zesty flavor that is going to be fun for experimentation. And Blackstone barbecuing is all about experimentation.

20. Italian Style Soffritto Seasoning Blend

The “holy trinity” of Italian cooking consists of these fine ingredients: onion, celery and carrots. There’s even an actual MasterClass to show you how to make a basic Italian Soffritto that is the base for all good things in life. Trader Joe’s took all that and put it into this seasoning, so you could say it’s the holy trinity in a jar. Keep it right there on the shelf of your Blackstone and you are on your way to a delicious Italian dish already.

And that’s it from the Trader Joe’s Seasoning Section. These are just as good on your Weber gas grill, Big Green Egg, Traeger pellet grill or Pit Boss smoker, and we’ll look at those as well.

Now if that friendly lady can just stop offering free samples of those dang Key Lime Tea Cookies (OK, we’ll take another! That wasn’t us walking by earlier!) we’ll be on our way to use these TJ seasoning blends in some more Blackstone recipes.

About Mark Newman

Mark has 20-plus years of BBQ experience working on just about every device and cooking medium. He is the owner of Cast Iron Country, scouring the nation for vintage cast iron cookware like Griswold and Wagner, and then professionally restoring and re-homing this Americana for a new generation of chefs. He is also a No. 1 bestselling author of four books and a crafted expert on open fire cooking.

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