New Trader Joe’s Product! We Tried the Crunchy Chili Onion Sprinkle Seasoning Blend

Trader Joe’s is really testing me. Every time I try one of their new products I inevitably wonder, “Who asked for this?” Burrata minus the mozzarella? Pesto that tastes like lemon Starburst? It’s like they go out of their way to come up with things no one wanted but that we’ll definitely buy out of morbid curiousity. And now they’re at it again with a dry spice version of their uber-popular Chili Onion Crunch. The canister recommends putting this new Crunchy Chili Onion Sprinkle on eggs and popcorn and french fries, and it may have occurred to you that, yes, those are all things you could have done with the Chili Onion Crunch. But I was willing to give this a go and see if the Crunchy Chili Onion Sprinkle Seasoning Blend makes it worth leaving the oil behind.

The first whiff promises a lot! The aromas of onion and Szechuan peppers are just powerful enough to clear up my nose for the first time since I adopted a cat I didn’t realize I was allergic to. I like where this is going. The seasoning itself has an orange tint (probably because it contains paprika) and the various granules are almost the size of Nerds candy, noticeably larger than the average spice blend but a requirement to get the crunch. I threw a dash of spice back into my mouth like I was taking a shot of whiskey and, yep, it has kick. You have to understand, I’m a Midwesternern who’s in the recovery phase of a spice-intolerant childhood. But it’s a seasoning that’s meant to be sprinkled into a dish, so I didn’t get too freaked out. The flavors of onions and peppers are complemented nicely by salt, the main ingredient in the blend.

New Product!

Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion Sprinkle Seasoning Blend

Trader Joe’s

Pros: Adding a sprinkle of this blend into a dish was the perfect thing to space out the spice. My choices for this taste test were scrambled eggs and french fries but Trader Joe’s also mentioned it’d go well in burgers or on tofu. The heat intensity mellowed out, so there was a chance to really taste all of the beautiful flavors that were hiding behind the heat. Because it’s a dry blend compared to the oily chili crisp you’re used to, you’re able to really feel the crispy, crunchy bits pop in your mouth with each bite. There’s salt and pepper in the mix, so there’s no need to have anything else on hand to sprinkle into your food. One bottle of this stuff could get you a long way. This stuff is going to travel much better. If I carried a purse, I think I’d take this with me everywhere I went. Heck, I might get one just for this seasoning blend! It’s very useful.

Cons: The moment you’ve all been waiting for. My time to go off on Trader Joe’s for making something they didn’t need to make. They already have a beloved condiment with these exact flavors. Everything you could put this spice blend on, you could put their chili crunch oil on. But the spice blend works, so I’ll allow it! And honestly, I think there’s a benefit to the dry version. I spill food on myself a lot. Like an ungodly amount. Thanks to TJ’s, I only have to worry about brushing a few specks of spice off of my shirt instead of trying to remove a big ole splotch of oil! Trader Joe’s made a true believer out of me.

Rating:

10/10

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