Our 5 Favorite Secret-Weapon Seasoning Mixes
Looking for a quick way to make your weeknight roasted vegetables better without putting forth any more effort? These are our staff's favorite seasoning mixes. Each of them is basically a one-stop sprinkle to super flavorful roast chicken, crispy, umami-packed potatoes, spicy salads, and more exciting popcorn. When you have these in your arsenal, flavorful, exciting Tuesday night dinner isn't just a dream. It's a reality.
Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Laura Rege1/5Red Boat Anchovy Salt
Senior food editor Anna Stockwell was super stoked to find out that her favorite brand of fish sauce, Red Boat, is producing a new anchovy product: anchovy salt. Yes. Fish-flavored salt. "I know it sounds a little dicey—or, okay, downright disgusting," says Anna. And she admits that when you first come into contact with the stuff, all of your worst suspicions are only confirmed. This stuff smells terrible—like, the you can smell the funky stench of it from a few feet away kind of terrible. It's also kind of an ugly brown color. "Do not let those things deter you!" she says. "The funk is where the flavor is." Anchovy salt turns everything you cook with it into a certified umami bomb. Read more about why Anna loves it, and how she uses it, here.
Photo by Paul Wagtouicz2/5Australian Chicken Salt
Packed with mouth-watering umami and rich flavors, chicken salt is the seasoning you need in your life and on your snacks. It’s from Australia, which makes sense since, as a country they seem to know what they're doing when it comes to powerfully savory, explosively flavorful condiments (we’re looking at you, Vegemite). In fact, in the land down under, chicken salt is so ubiquitous, it's the default seasoning for fast food fries. But, luckily, if you're not in Australia, you can buy chicken salt online. Rim your Bloody Mary glass with it. Use it as a dry rub all over your chicken (Chicken on chicken is a surprisingly powerful combo). Or, of course, sprinkle some on top of fries for an Australian takeaway classic at home. Read more about why we love it here.
BUY IT: Chook Chicken Salt, 6.5 oz for $10 at Savory Spice Shop
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell3/5Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt
Before there was a Kardashian for every K name and before everything bagel spice was the seasoning packet du jour, there was Krazy Salt. (Or, Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt, as it is officially known.) It's a humble little seasoning mixture that promises to "add tantalizing flavor to poultry, fish and vegetables!" When was the last time you were promised tantalizing flavor? Probably not recently! Deeply savory, uber-salty (even though it's apparently ' Low in Sodium'—okay Jane, you Krazy gal!), ever-so-slightly bitter, and intriguingly nuanced in flavor, the tantalizing mix contains salt, dehydrated onion, and garlic. But, here's where things get Krazy: The only other item on the ingredient list is the mysteriously nonspecific "herbs and spices." Read on to find out the other secret ingredients and how we use this seasoning mix.
BUY IT: Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt, 4 ounces for $6 on Amazon
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews4/5Togarashi Seasoning
Togarashi itself means "chili pepper" in Japanese, but most of the time when you buy togarashi you are looking at Shichimi togarashi, a blend of seven spices. (If you just want straight heat, you should look for Ichimi togarashi, or straight chili pepper.) Schichimi togarashi always includes the dried red chili pepper, and usually also contains sesame seeds (sometimes both black and white), a little dried orange peel, dried seaweed, and a hint of ginger. Depending on who makes your blend, you may also find hemp seeds, garlic, yuzu, or poppy seeds thrown in the mix. Think of it as a spice blend with a trifecta of flavor—heat, citrus, and umami. (Be warned, though: the heat definitely takes center stage. A pinch goes a long way.) We like this blend from the Japanese brand House—it makes a mean spicy mayo. Read more about how to use it and why it's delicious here.
BUY IT: House Shichimi Togarashi, $6 for .63 ounces on Amazon
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Judy Mancini5/5Everything Bagel Seasoning
Are you a member of the cult of Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning blend? This blend of the toppings you'd usually find on an everything bagel—sesame seeds, dried minced garlic and onion, poppy seeds, and a hearty dose of sea salt—is salty and umami-rich and, frankly, hard not to like. Still, if you're not yet a believer, or if you just bought your first bottle, you might be wondering what to do with it. The answer is, of course, do everything with it. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
BUY IT: Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning blend, 2.3 ounces for $7 on Amazon
