The $2.49 Trader Joe’s Find I Can’t Stop Putting on Everything

With winter in full swing, my husband and I tend to keep things cozy at home. This means lots of cooking between breakfast, lunch, dinner, and recipe development for work. I don’t mind—cooking is one of the coziest activities of them all—but sometimes I cannot stand to mince another clove of garlic. I just… can’t.

That might be why I gravitated toward Trader Joe’s latest spice mix during a recent grocery shopping trip. I spotted it on the new item endcap, and at just $2.49 I had to snatch it up. Now I can’t stop putting their Aglio e Olio Seasoning on everything.

Okay fine, almost everything. I am not, for example, sprinkling it on my cereal. But I am putting it on just about everything savory. The blend of garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, and flaky salt adds a garlicky, slightly spicy punch to everything it touches. Inspired by the classic pasta dish, it’s more versatile than it sounds.

Why I Love Trader Joe’s Aglio e Olio Seasoning

The blend of flavors is spot on for me—it’s heavy on the garlic with a touch of spice and a bit of herbaceousness thanks to the parsley. The flaky salt is a nice touch, but there’s not so much that it’ll throw the saltiness of your dish off. I like that the garlic isn’t powder, but rather little toasty chunks, like in their Everything Bagel Seasoning. This helps keep the seasoning from caking and adds better garlic flavor.

Beyond the flavor and the blend, the best thing about this spice mix is all of the things you can do with it.

How I Use TJ’s Aglio e Olio Seasoning

Let me count the ways. I started by using it on a flatbread I made with TJ’s long, rectangular pizza crust (big fan). I topped the crust with seasoned ricotta cheese and roasted vegetables, then sprinkled the whole thing with the seasoning before baking. It added the garlic and spice that the dish really needed. I’d recommend adding it to pizzas and flatbreads alike.

Then I added the Aglio e Olio Seasoning to a simple pasta sauce of olive oil and lemon to serve as a base for saucy chicken. Another success, which led me to more experiments: adding the seasoning to scrambled eggs, roasted vegetables, salads, sandwich spreads, and more. Trader Joe’s recommends mixing it with olive oil for a flavorful dipping sauce for bread, which is guaranteed to be good. I’d also recommend adding it to other dips, like white bean dip or atop hummus.

My One Tip for Using This Seasoning

My biggest tip for using TJ’s Aglio e Olio Seasoning (other than use it far and wide with abandon!) is to remove the plastic sprinkle top. You’ll notice when you open the cap that there’s a plastic barrier with holes for a controlled pour. This is pretty standard for spice mixes, and it’s added with the best of intentions. However, since the garlic and other ingredients are different sizes and weights, they don’t pour out at the same rate. 

Ditch the plastic sprinkle top and dig in with a measuring spoon instead. You’ll want to add it to dishes by the spoonful, anyway!

_{To learn more about our approach to product recommendations, see HERE.}