The Trader Joe's Seasoning You Should Be Using On Chicken

It's one thing to walk into a regular ol' grocery store looking for seasonings. But it's an entirely different experience to walk through the quirky atmosphere of Trader Joe's to peruse its unique varieties, many of which may be difficult to find elsewhere. TJ's Japanese furikake seasoning, for instance, is often a staple in Asian markets, while its truffle powder seasoning sounds like something available in specialty food stores.

More straightforward seasonings, such as salt and pepper, are certainly available, but one aspect that elevates this section of Trader Joe's is its seasoning blends. According to Kitchn, seasoning blends, or spice blends, are a mixture of several other types of seasonings. These may be a combination of dried garlic, dried herbs, chipotle powder, buttermilk powder, and/or cane sugar, along with other flavors.

Some of the more popular Trader Joe's seasoning blends include ranch, green goddess, chile lime, and "everything but the elote" flavors. These may be used to enhance dishes like rice, yogurt, salads, eggs, and tacos. Spice blends may also save time during the seasoning step when cooking. For example, instead of reaching for cumin, oregano, coriander, and/or additional seasonings for chicken, you could just use the Cuban-style seasoning blend from Trader Joe's.

Speaking of chicken, there are always new ways to amplify such beloved flavors thanks to seasoning blends. And we've found a top pick that will add textural contrast and perhaps a bit of nostalgia for bagels. 

This bagel-inspired seasoning blend isn't just for garnishing avocado toast. According to Trader Joe's, pizza dough, mac and cheese, popcorn, and of course, chicken, pair very well with the myriad of seasonings in the bottle. We're talking about poppy seeds, sea salt flakes, sesame seeds, and garlic and onion that's been dried, so you get lots of different flavors that "blend" well together (pun absolutely intended).

To use this seasoning blend on chicken, many home cooks opt for one of two routes: using it as a rub or in a breadcrumb mixture. The rub works best for roasted meats, and it doesn't have to be chicken either, per Taste of Home. Just treat this like any other seasoning rub, and then roast your meat of choice as normal.

Betty Crocker mentions that some of the seasoning can be mixed with breadcrumbs (these breadcrumbs should first be lightly sautéed in a pan with butter). Chicken thigh pieces (the recipe uses four) can then be placed into a bowl of beaten eggs, followed by the bagel-flavored breadcrumbs. Bake the chicken for a half hour (or up to 35 minutes) in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for a crispy and flavorful exterior.

Alternatively, you can cook chicken cutlets in a pan instead of baking them in an oven. In fact, to make her Crispy Everything Chicken Cutlets, Ree Drummond covers the chicken with breadcrumbs and seasoning then cooks them in a skillet over medium heat.