When a new spice at Trader Joe’s drops, you can rely on the internet to have opinions. Living in the age of TikTok, you just have to search and scroll to hear a person’s thoughts on pretty much any product—and see the inventive ways they use it. That’s exactly what happened when the new Trader Joe’s ketchup seasoning—the Trader Joe’s Ketchup Flavored Sprinkle Seasoning Blend, officially—dropped a few months ago: As soon as the spice hit shelves, people posted plenty of ideas and suggestions for adding it to all kinds of meals.
The seasoning’s label says you can use it on whatever you’d typically put ketchup on—burgers, fries, eggs (although that pairing tends to stir up mixed feelings), etc.—but there are no limitations on the innovative ways to spice up your foods with the Trader Joe’s ketchup seasoning. You can obviously use it on whatever your heart desires, but start here if you’re looking for inspiration.
What’s in the ketchup seasoning?
According to its nutrition facts, there’s no added sugar in this spice blend. Although the seasoning lists sugar as an ingredient, it can be assumed that the sugar content comes from whatever is naturally included in the tomato processing. The other ingredients are quite simple: tomato powder, salt, vinegar powder, rice concentrate, onion powder, and garlic powder. Based on this, you can expect it to deliver a savory, acidic flavor (much like ketchup, not surprisingly).
What’s the consensus on TikTok?
Reviews on the Trader Joe’s ketchup seasoning are pretty split. The main complaint users have is that they can’t really taste the seasoning when cooking with it: In a video posted to TikTok, creator @thirstycafe added what seems like a good amount of the seasoning to their air-fried sweet potato fries, only to report that they could barely taste its flavors.
Others say it’s a fun way to make unique snacks, like ketchup-flavored Lay’s potato chips, which are only available at select retailers. Despite opposing opinions, the seasoning only costs $2.99—so you might as well be the judge and find out for yourself.
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The Best Ways to Use Ketchup Seasoning
Dusting the spice over chips or fries, adding it to buttery popcorn, or sprinkling it on eggs or hash browns are just a few fun ways you can give the Trader Joe’s ketchup seasoning a try. For lunch, it would nicely complement a buffalo chicken salad or a zesty southwest corn, chicken, and black bean salad. At dinnertime, use it to season your beef if you’re making homemade burgers or to spice up your chicken for enchiladas, stuffed peppers, or soups. If you’re someone who believes ketchup belongs on anything and everything, don’t hold back—but it’s probably best to keep it away from any sweets or desserts (unless that’s something you’re into).
