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We’re big into cooking at our house. During the week, we rarely eat meals out of the house. This means we’re usually cooking dinner every night, unless we have leftovers. Having a few go-to spices for meals is key for us to not be completely overwhelmed in the constant cooking.
Here are our top 5 spices that are at our house at all times. Click on their photo to add to your next Amazon order!
1. Holy Voodoo
This spice is the perfect blend of spice without being hot. It has the flavors of paprika, garlic, onion, and jalapeƱo with a great zing. I’m the person that sometimes thinks Chipotle chicken is too hot, so trust me when I say this isn’t hot at all (if used in moderation).
Taco Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are a thing at our house. They’re usually the go-to meal because we all like them and they’re usually pretty easy to make. We’ve used Holy Voodoo on chicken, steak, burgers, eggs, fish, and ribs. It goes great on everything! We go through far too many bottles of this stuff than I care to publicly admit. If you’re looking to replace several spices in your cabinet, this one is it.
2. Traeger Blackened Saskatchewan Dry Rub
When my husband brought this home, my immediate response was “blackened what?” Usually, if I can’t easily pronounce something, it isn’t going on my food. My husband got a Traeger for Christmas a few years ago when he first started getting into BBQ and was testing out all their spices. Out of all of them, this turned out to be my favorite.
He tried this on chicken first, which is usually our spice test since most everything goes on chicken. It was amazing! My main use for it now is actually fish (usually salmon). We put a little bit of Italian dressing on salmon, then cover it with this rub and it is to die for. Literally, we haven’t made it in a while because my husband, out of nowhere, tells me he really doesn’t like salmon that much. I’ve made it for dinner once a week for years. I would eat it probably every day of the week to be honest.
One tip of advice, use this spice sparingly. It definitely has a kick if you use a lot!
3. Honey Hog
I’ve always struggled to find a good spice to put on chicken. I’ll usually like something, then get tired of it after a few weeks. This has been the only spice we’ve used that I continue to enjoy on chicken.
Honey Hog adds the perfect amount of sweetness to chicken or pork without being overwhelming. My husband (can you tell he’s the spice executive in our house?) found this for my dad for Father’s Day. He brought it on our family beach trip, which we ended up grilling chicken one night. I think every person there ended up ordering it after dinner.
4. Traeger Veggie Rub
We’re a big meal prep family. Sunday mornings are typically spent cooking all of our lunches for the week and sometimes a few dinners too. I will usually load up a sheet pan with veggies and roast them in the oven. Traeger Veggie Rub is on EVERYTHING.
Seriously, I haven’t found a veggie that this stuff is not good on. It’s actually pretty good on chicken, turkey, and pork too. It just adds something extra
5. Salt and Pepper
You probably read this and are thinking “really?” Well, yes. Salt and pepper are the best overlooked spices for any meal. You can use them as a rub for any meat, or put on veggies. This is actually my husband’s favorite way of seasoning meat, and it’s always delicious. When meat is cooked correctly, you really don’t need anything else.
We rarely use anything other than these 5 spices at our house. They are vital for us to make quick, healthy, and delicious meals at home. Are there any spices you can’t live without? Let me know if the comments!
