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Herbs and spices are great flavor enhancers, and when combined with salt they can make a dish shine. These culinary powerhouses amplify your eating experience, making your meal more enjoyable. A pinch of one ingredient and a dash of another turns basic salt into an umami-loaded seasoning; however, if you are looking for a shortcut that blends many different seasonings and spices together in one container, look no further than seasoning or seasoned salt. Seasoning salt, at its most basic, is comprised of salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. But from there, it’s really a matter of taste and preference.
Some versions also contain turmeric, sugar, and even cornstarch to keep it from clumping. Other iterations might use cayenne pepper for a little kick or celery salt for a peppery, grass flavor. There are plenty of ready-made options of seasoning salt that you can find at just about any grocery store, including Lawry’s seasoned salt. This salt was developed in 1938 by Lawrence Frank, a founder of Lawry’s Restaurant. Frank was looking for prime rib seasoning nirvana and created a 17-spice blend to achieve it, and thus Lawry’s seasoned salt was born.
Make your own
Since then, this signature blend has become a convenient vehicle for added savoriness with little effort. The good news is seasoning salt is an easy DIY task requiring minimal skill, but gives you ultimate control over the amount of each ingredient you want to use. Break out the spice jars and start blending. With a little trial and error, a home cook can develop their own winning seasoned salt combination. Select a salt that makes sense for your use. Flakes, coarse, table salt — each has a role to play in the kitchen. Give it an Italian flair by adding basil, oregano, and thyme to it, or use some red pepper for a little heat. Store it in a recycled spice shaker and it’s ready to go when you need it.
Seasoning salt is perfect for seasoning steaks, punching up the taste of vegetables on the grill, or giving seafood a dusting to elevate its briny bite. You can also use it in place of salt and pepper in some of your favorite salad dressing recipes. Use seasoning salt when you make Ina Garten’s four-ingredient lemon vinaigrette or when you want to elevate french fries. Your taste buds will thank you.
