6 Costco Seasonings To Stock Your Pantry With And 3 To Leave On The Shelves

Anyone who cooks knows that the way you season your meal can make or break it — and, it's also possible to wait too late to season your dishes. Get a little overzealous with a spice blend and suddenly you have a meal that is over seasoned, potentially to the point of being inedible. Pick or mix the wrong ones and you're stuck with a dish where the flavors just don't harmonize, leaving you dissatisfied and with food you probably won't finish.

What's worse than improperly seasoning your dish? Buying a large container of a spice blend from Costco and being stuck with it if you don't end up liking it. Then it just sits in your cabinet until you inevitably end up throwing it out or giving it away.

That's why we decided to compile a list of seasonings from the wholesale club that members recommend stocking your pantry with and others they emphasized are better off left on the shelf. To learn more about our determination process for the list, you can visit the methodology slide at the end of this article.

I don't know about you but Montreal Steak Seasoning was a staple in my house growing up, and is a spice blend that I still use and keep stored in my cabinet today. It is a blend of coarse salt, black and red pepper, garlic, onion, sunflower oil, paprika, and other spices. Costco sells Montreal Steak Seasoning in a 29-ounce container, which is advertised as being equivalent to 822 servings. However, that will depend on the seasoning ratio you need for the amount of steak you're cooking.

When someone on Reddit asked what seasonings members buy in bulk, multiple people listed Montreal Steak Seasoning as a blend that consistently makes its way into their carts. "It is the perfect seasoning for anything," one commenter emphasized. "Steak (of course), chicken, pork chops, fries,  [...] vegetables, etc." Some Facebook users also advised using the seasoning on eggs, duck, lamb, burgers, carne asada, roasts, and ground beef. 

The seasoning is so popular that one Redditor saw it at a barbecue restaurant in Cheonan, South Korea as a dip. "Once went to a Korean BBQ joint downtown where you get to cook your own meat at the table. Somebody came prepared and whipped out a giant container of Montreal Steak Spice," a commenter from Montreal shared. In addition, steakhouse chefs told Mashed that Montreal Steak Seasoning is one of the best blends that can be found at a grocery store.

Despite Kirkland Signature's Everything Bagel Seasoning previously being listed as a Costco seasoning that your pantry needs, it received a lot of complaints from customers for being overly salty. Costco sells a 17.8-ounce container, which is meant to have 631 servings. That is if you stick to the recommended portion size of ¼ tsp, which one person noted was enough to season a frosted flake.

One poster on Reddit claimed that the seasoning was 40% salt. "I made bagels with the Kirkland brand Everything Bagels seasoning. I wish I would have tasted it first! It is really salty," a Facebook user shared regarding their experience. Some shoppers even resort to removing the salt from the spice blend by using a mesh strainer. Others order a salt-free version or simply buy the ingredients to make the blend themselves. Commenters also recommended Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel Seasoning — which has been called the most versatile seasoning in some people's kitchen — as being better and less salty than the Kirkland version.

Kinder's Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning is another spice blend that members highly recommend picking up at Costco. It is made with real dairy butter, herbs, cracked pepper, salt, dehydrated onion, red bell pepper, parsley, yeast extract, turmeric, and sunflower oil. The warehouse club sells the seasoning in a 10.4-ounce bottle.

Multiple members on Reddit referred to the seasoning as being a household favorite, amazing, and a winning combination with the warehouse club's prime steak. "Dumped it all over the Hasselback chicken breasts I made tonight. Then I stuffed it with Costco bacon, Costco havarti cheese, and rubbed the top with garlic infused olive oil from Costco. It was magnificent," a Redditor shared about using the spice blend. 

Besides chicken and steak, shoppers also recommended using the Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning on popcorn, shrimp, potatoes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, bell peppers, kale, asparagus, meatloaf, pork, green beans, roasted carrots, eggs, as well as in pasta sauces and soups. In addition, some customers advised mixing the spice blend with Kinder's The Steak Blend or The Blend. Some people warned that home cooks using the seasoning will need to adjust temperatures when searing steak, as the spice blend tends to burn before the protein is ready.

The Kirkland Signature Organic No-Salt Seasoning is not well liked by shoppers according to reviews, which isn't great considering the warehouse club sells it in a 14.5-ounce bottle. The seasoning is made with organic onion, garlic, carrot, black pepper, red bell pepper, tomato granules, orange peel, parsley, bay leaves, thyme, basil, celery, lemon peel, oregano, savory, mustard seed, cumin, marjoram, coriander, cayenne pepper, critic acid, and rosemary.

Despite the abundance of ingredients in the spice blend, there were complaints about it lacking flavor or the taste being unbalanced. "The Trader Joe's no Salt 21 Seasoning Salute is far beyond better in flavor than Kirkland (in my opinion)," a user on Reddit stated. "I am struggling to use the Kirkland one and wish I would have returned it immediately." In fact, not being able to get through the bottle seemed to be a common trend, as multiple people stopped using it after discovering they didn't like it. 

One member explained that they used to like the seasoning but claimed that it tasted like dirt ever since the formula or supplier changed. Another customer called the Kirkland Signature Organic No-Salt Seasoning a horrible imitation of Mrs. Dash seasoning. "If you use this and nothing else you will have some pretty sad food," a commenter added. In addition, the seasoning was said to make everything taste like stove top stuffing, which might be a good thing for some people but not everyone. One Redditor simply called it a waste of money and told others to put it in their birdhouse.

Kinder's Caramelized Onion Butter Seasoning is supposed to taste like onions that have been slow cooked with butter. It blends toasted onions and real dairy butter with garlic and sea salt. While Kinder sells the seasoning in a 6.2-ounce bottle, Costco offers the spice blend to members in a 12-ounce container.

A majority of shoppers on Reddit seem to enjoy the spice blend and use it on a wide variety of foods. "The caramelized onion butter sprinkle is something I didn't know I needed," one commenter said. "It's awesome on soooo many things." Users recommended smart ways to use the store-bought spice blend, including putting the seasoning on popcorn, burgers, steak, potatoes, chicken, eggs, fish filets, grilled cheese, pizza, wings, french fries, and pasta. 

"I recently purchased the caramelized onion butter for the first time. It is awesome. Smells great," another customer shared. "Easily can add to marinade with other spices. I don't notice the salt first. Mostly the buttery onion flavor." A different user advised that they prefer using the Caramelized Onion Butter Seasoning as a finishing spice on cooked meat. For salt conscious diners, it's worth noting that some people warned to use a light hand with the spice blend at the risk of making the dish too salty. 

Spiceology seasonings have been dubbed the $5 spice blends that you should never pass up at Costco. One blend that was specifically highlighted is the Greek Freak, which is described as a Mediterranean blend that is aromatic, herbaceous, and can be put on everything. It contains herbs, garlic, orange peel, and sun-dried tomato, and the warehouse club sells it in a 6.7-ounce container.

"I got it at Costco. I think it's the garlic with the sun-dried tomatoes that makes it so tasty, it's so fresh tasting," one shopper on Reddit explained. "I use it on chicken, potatoes, bread spread with creamy cheese." A customer on the Mediterranean diet also highly recommended the spice blend to others, noting that it was their current favorite. In addition, a Redditor stated that they put Greek Freak on lamb when smoking it. 

The seasoning also seems to complement vegetables well, as a different user advised adding it to a salad made with cucumber, tomato, red onion, hard boiled egg, everything but the bagel seasoning, and olive oil, in order to take it to the next level. Another salad-related hack for the spice blend was to use it to make a vinaigrette. On top of that, Spiceology shares a recipe that uses Greek Freak, Adam McKenzie Garlic Junkie, lemon juice, and olive oil to elevate hummus.

Saffron is one spice Costco sells that might make some members stop in their tracks when they see it. The Kirkland Signature Organic La Mancha Spanish Saffron jar is advertised as containing one gram of saffron. The packaging states that the seasoning makes dishes come to life, and recommends putting it in rice, soups, sauces, ice cream, sweets, and baked goods.

However, based on customers' reactions to the warehouse club's saffron, it doesn't seem to liven up their food the way it's supposed to. "I used it to make paella a few months back and was very underwhelmed with the flavor (or lack thereof) that it contributed," a shopper on Reddit said. Commenters also complained about the spice not being of great quality, noting that they had to use a lot more saffron than they usually do with other brands. One person claimed that the product didn't contain the listed amount of product, which they noted is a significant problem considering the price of the spice. 

Shoppers instead recommended getting saffron from Trader Joe's or Iranian markets for a better quality. "Costco saffron — do they sell only Kirkland brand or something else too?" a Facebook user questioned. "Tried Kirkland but didn't like it at all." The answer appears to be yes, as one Redditor highlighted the Secret Hint Organic Greek Saffron as being better than the Kirkland brand.

Kinder's Garlic & Herb Seasoning is made with sea salt, dehydrated garlic, cane sugar, spices, lemon peel, dehydrated onion, chili pepper, citric acid, and lemon juice. Costco sells the spice blend in an 11-ounce container, and some locations offer it in a two-pack.

Members seem to overwhelmingly enjoy Kinder's Garlic & Herb Seasoning, referring to it as legit, their holy grail, and always a good idea to pick up. One Redditor noted that they couldn't put the spice blend in their cart quick enough after trying a sample. "Love the garlic and herb. I meal prep weekly and will often mix this with their Santa Maria, put it on some chicken and grill it," a customer stated. "The mixing of seasonings is great because it can be used for so many different meals, our go-to's are Caesar salads, fajita wraps, keto quesadillas, pretty much anything!" You don't need to layer seasoning blends though, as one commenter said they enjoy the Garlic & Herb Seasoning by itself when meal prepping chicken.

In addition, shoppers recommended putting the seasoning on salmon, wings, salad, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, eggs, and halibut. Kinder's also has a Garlic & Herb Seasoning that contains no salt that people like. "Can confirm. Picked it up after seeing this post. I love it," a commenter shared. 

Lawry's Coarse Ground Garlic Salt with Parsley is what it sounds like: a blend of coarse ground salt, garlic, and parsley. A Reddit post described it as being a garden-fresh mixture that enhances anything you put it on. Despite being so simple, the seasoning seems to be fairly well liked by Costco members, which is good considering the warehouse club sells it in a 33-ounce container.

Multiple customers listed Lawry's as one of the seasonings they buy in bulk from the warehouse club. "I love Lawry's garlic salt. It's in flakes like kosher salt and just tastes totally different than granulated garlic salt," one shopper said. "The parsley flakes basically do nothing but they make it feel fancy!" One Redditor provided a copycat recipe for people to experiment with. "I prefer it on vegetables, especially pan seared asparagus in some olive oil," a user stated. One commenter agreed that the seasoning elevated the vegetable, while another emphasized that Lawry's is fantastic on everything.

On top of that, a Costco member in Canada shared that their friends from the U.S. bring the seasoning to them as a gift since it's not sold where they live. There were warnings to use the spice blend sparingly to prevent making your dish overly salty. It was also noted that the seasoning can burn when pan searing food.

Costco's seasoning aisle has such a wide variety to choose from, and with the large size of the containers, it can feel almost daunting to make sure that you buy the right ones or risk wasting them. That's why when we compiled a list of the best and worst spice blends from the warehouse club, we started by looking for discussions on platforms like Reddit, where customers talked about their favorite seasonings to buy at Costco.

From there, we did further research to not only confirm that the spice blends were well reviewed, but also to see what food items people recommended using them with. In addition, we verified that the seasonings were still sold at the warehouse club. When determining what spice blends shoppers should avoid, we switched our process to look for the seasonings members struggled to use, felt were lacking in flavor, or said were not worth the price. Of course, that is somewhat dependent on the reviewer's taste, but we made sure to pick those with consistent negative customer experiences.