The $2.69 Trader Joe’s Find I’m Putting on Everything

Whenever I go grocery shopping with my 15-year-old son, I end up purchasing a lot of items that aren’t on my list. Usually, they involve foods that he will eat in the car on the way home, but he also has a good palate and will often find things that I might overlook.

For example, when I last went with him to Trader Joe’s, he asked if we could try the new-ish Salmon Rub Seasoning Blend. I am a big fan of a lot of their spice blends, so I was happy to give it a go—and I’m so glad I did.

Why I Love Trader Joe’s Salmon Rub Seasoning Blend

Trader Joe’s Salmon Rub Seasoning Blend has become my new favorite seasoning blend. The mix itself is a combination of paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, kosher salt, and thyme, and it costs $2.69 for a 2.6-ounce container.

When you first open the container, it smells deeply of paprika with a thyme undertone and enough black pepper to tickle your nose. My son, since he picked it out, made salmon with it first, and it truly does taste amazing on the fish. We kept it simple and liberally sprinkled this blend over salmon after drizzling it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

The cooked fish tasted so, so good. The brown sugar and paprika brought out the natural sweet and savory flavors of the salmon. The next time I made it, I also added a few squeezes of lemon juice, which enhanced the flavors even more.

While I wasn’t so surprised that this spice blend tastes great on salmon and other fish, I was amazed that it tastes so good on other things.  So far, we’ve tried it on chicken, pork, and veggies, and it has all tasted wonderful. I’ve also gone beyond dinner, adding the spice blend to omelets. It gave the eggs a little extra oomph, so I’ll probably add it to a breakfast casserole sometime. Speaking of breakfast, I think it would be ideal to add to candied bacon.

I’ll definitely be adding it to marinades and rubs before I grill meat when the weather finally allows for it. That, of course, includes salmon—this spice blend would be perfect for grilling fish over a plank.

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