The Best Seasonings for Chicken, Fish, Steak, Vegetables and More

You know what you are cooking.

You just do not know what to put on it.

Chicken is on the cutting board. Broccoli is waiting beside it. There are ten seasonings in front of you—and suddenly choosing one feels like the hardest part of dinner.

It does not have to be.

This guide matches the Fresh 10 with the foods you cook most often, from chicken and fish to vegetables, potatoes, eggs and rice.

Find your ingredient. Pick the flavor that sounds good. Season lightly, cook and taste.

Dinner starts here.

The quick seasoning guide

These are starting points—not rules. Chicken does not know it is “supposed” to be Garlic & Herb. If Smoky BBQ sounds better, use it.

The best seasonings for chicken

Chicken is one of the easiest foods to season because it can take on almost any flavor direction.

Best all-purpose choice: Everyday Seasoning

Use Everyday Seasoning when you want savory chicken that can go with almost any side. It works for roasting, grilling, sautéing, air-frying and sheet-pan dinners.

Pair it with potatoes, rice, broccoli, green beans or a simple salad.

For familiar savory flavor: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend for roasted chicken, chicken pasta, cutlets or chicken served with vegetables and potatoes.

It is the comfortable choice. Garlicky, aromatic and easy to pair with the rest of dinner.

For bright chicken: Citrus Pepper Blend

Use Citrus Pepper Blend on grilled chicken, chicken salads, bowls or chicken served with green vegetables.

Finish with lemon or lime when the dish needs actual acidity in addition to citrus flavor.

For smoky chicken: Smoky BBQ Rub

Use Smoky BBQ Rub on chicken thighs, drumsticks, wings, tenders or breasts.

It works on the grill, but it is just as useful in the oven or air fryer.

For tacos and bowls: Everyday Mexican

Use Everyday Mexican for chicken tacos, fajita-style bowls, quesadillas or chicken served with rice, beans, peppers and corn.

For spicy chicken: Chili Crunch Blend

Use Chili Crunch Blend on chicken going into noodles, rice bowls, wraps or salads.

How to season chicken

Pat the chicken dry. Add a light coating of oil and sprinkle the seasoning evenly over both sides. Add salt as needed, depending on whether the blend already contains it.

Cook chicken to a safe internal temperature of 165°F, then taste before adding more seasoning.

The best seasonings for fish

Fish usually tastes best when its seasoning supports its delicate flavor instead of covering it.

Best overall choice: Citrus Pepper Blend

Citrus Pepper Blend is the easiest match for salmon, cod, tilapia, halibut and other fish.

It adds a bright, zesty direction without requiring a complicated marinade. Use it for baked fish, grilled fillets, fish tacos or rice bowls.

Finish with fresh lemon when you have it.

For savory fish: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend when serving fish with pasta, potatoes or roasted vegetables.

It works especially well with baked white fish and salmon.

For simple everyday fish: Everyday Seasoning

Use Everyday Seasoning when you want the fish to remain flexible enough to serve with almost anything.

For a peppery finish: Cracked Black Pepper

Use Cracked Black Pepper with salt, olive oil and lemon for the simplest possible fish seasoning.

How to season fish

Pat the fish dry, add a small amount of oil and season the top lightly. Thin fillets need less seasoning than thick pieces of salmon.

Cook according to the type and thickness of the fish, checking early to avoid overcooking.

The best seasonings for shrimp

Shrimp cooks quickly and takes on flavor easily.

Best overall choice: Citrus Pepper Blend

Use Citrus Pepper Blend for shrimp served with rice, pasta, salads or vegetables.

For garlic shrimp: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend with olive oil or butter for an easy shrimp pasta or skillet dinner.

For spicy shrimp: Chili Crunch Blend

Use Chili Crunch Blend for shrimp noodles, rice bowls or lettuce wraps.

For shrimp tacos: Everyday Mexican

Use Everyday Mexican for tacos, fajita bowls or shrimp served with rice, corn and avocado.

Because shrimp cooks so quickly, have the rest of dinner ready before it enters the pan.

The best seasonings for steak

Steak does not need a long ingredient list.

It needs good salt, fresh pepper and a seasoning that can stand up to deep browning.

Best overall choice: Steakhouse Blend

Use Steakhouse Blend for grilled steak, cast-iron steak, steak bites or steak served with potatoes and mushrooms.

It brings the rich, savory flavor people expect from a steakhouse dinner.

For a classic steak: Kosher Flake Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper

Sometimes simple is exactly right.

Season with Kosher Flake Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper, then let the crust and the beef do the rest.

For garlic and herbs: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend when finishing steak with butter or serving it with roasted vegetables.

How to season steak

Pat the steak dry and season all sides. For thicker cuts, season far enough in advance for the salt to begin working into the meat—or season immediately before cooking if dinner is already late.

Cook to your preferred doneness and allow the steak to rest before slicing.

The best seasonings for burgers

Burgers need enough flavor to season the meat without becoming meatloaf.

Best overall choice: Steakhouse Blend

Use Steakhouse Blend for a classic, rich burger.

Season the outside of formed patties before cooking rather than repeatedly working the blend through the meat. Overmixing can make burgers tough.

For smoky burgers: Smoky BBQ Rub

Use Smoky BBQ Rub with cheddar, pickles or barbecue sauce.

For everyday burgers: Everyday Seasoning

Use Everyday Seasoning when you want a straightforward savory burger that works with any toppings.

For a simple finish: Cracked Black Pepper

Use Cracked Black Pepper with Kosher Flake Sea Salt for classic seasoning.

The best seasonings for pork

Pork works especially well with sweet, smoky, garlicky and savory flavors.

Best overall choice: Smoky BBQ Rub

Use Smoky BBQ Rub on pork chops, tenderloin, ribs or pulled-pork-inspired dinners.

For roasted pork: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend on pork tenderloin served with potatoes or vegetables.

For an easy weeknight pork chop: Everyday Seasoning

Use Everyday Seasoning when you want a versatile pork chop that can go with almost any side.

For deeper savory flavor: Steakhouse Blend

Use Steakhouse Blend on pork chops or tenderloin when you want a richer flavor direction.

The best seasonings for ground beef

The best seasoning depends on where the beef is going.

For tacos and bowls: Everyday Mexican

Use Everyday Mexican with ground beef for tacos, rice bowls, stuffed peppers or skillet dinners.

For burgers and potatoes: Steakhouse Blend

Use Steakhouse Blend for burger bowls, meatballs or ground beef served with mushrooms and potatoes.

For smoky skillets: Smoky BBQ Rub

Use Smoky BBQ Rub with ground beef, corn, sweet potatoes or beans.

For extra savoriness: Umami Boost Blend

Use Umami Boost Blend in meatballs, meat sauces or ground-beef skillets that need more depth.

The best seasonings for turkey

Turkey has a mild flavor and benefits from a confident seasoning blend.

Best overall choice: Everyday Seasoning

Use Everyday Seasoning on turkey burgers, ground-turkey skillets or roasted turkey cutlets.

For turkey meatballs: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend in turkey meatballs, pasta dinners or stuffed vegetables.

For turkey tacos: Everyday Mexican

Use Everyday Mexican with ground turkey and serve with rice, beans or tortillas.

For smoky turkey burgers: Smoky BBQ Rub

Use Smoky BBQ Rub with cheddar, slaw or pickles.

The best seasonings for eggs

Eggs may be simple, but they are not flavorless.

Best overall choice: Cracked Black Pepper

Use Cracked Black Pepper and Kosher Flake Sea Salt on fried, scrambled, poached or soft-boiled eggs.

For spicy eggs: Chili Crunch Blend

Use Chili Crunch Blend on fried eggs, breakfast bowls or egg sandwiches.

For savory scrambled eggs: Everyday Seasoning

Use a light pinch of Everyday Seasoning in scrambled eggs or omelets.

For deeper flavor: Umami Boost Blend

Use Umami Boost Blend with eggs, mushrooms and spinach.

Eggs pick up seasoning quickly, so start with a small amount.

The best seasonings for tofu

Tofu is not boring. It is waiting for a direction.

Best overall choice: Umami Boost Blend

Use Umami Boost Blend to give tofu deeper savory flavor before roasting, sautéing or air-frying.

For spicy tofu: Chili Crunch Blend

Use Chili Crunch Blend for tofu bowls, noodles or stir-fries.

For taco-style tofu: Everyday Mexican

Use Everyday Mexican with crumbled tofu, beans, corn or peppers.

For bright tofu bowls: Citrus Pepper Blend

Use Citrus Pepper Blend with tofu, rice, cucumbers and green vegetables.

Press or pat tofu dry before adding oil and seasoning. A dry surface browns better.

The best seasonings for roasted vegetables

Almost every Fresh 10 blend can work with vegetables. Choose according to the dinner you want.

For all-purpose roasted vegetables: Everyday Seasoning

Use Everyday Seasoning on mixed vegetables when you want one blend that works across the entire sheet pan.

For savory vegetables: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend on broccoli, green beans, zucchini, mushrooms and potatoes.

For bright vegetables: Citrus Pepper Blend

Use Citrus Pepper Blend on asparagus, broccoli, green beans, zucchini or salads.

For smoky vegetables: Smoky BBQ Rub

Use Smoky BBQ Rub on cauliflower, sweet potatoes, corn, carrots or chickpeas.

For spicy vegetables: Chili Crunch Blend

Use Chili Crunch Blend on broccoli, green beans, cabbage or roasted carrots.

For savory depth: Umami Boost Blend

Use Umami Boost Blend on mushrooms, cauliflower, eggplant or mixed vegetables.

Add oil, seasoning and salt as needed. Toss thoroughly and give the vegetables enough space to brown.

The best seasoning for broccoli

Best overall choice: Garlic & Herb Blend

Garlic and broccoli belong together.

Use Garlic & Herb Blend for roasting, sautéing or air-frying.

Other good choices include:

• Citrus Pepper for brightness
• Everyday Seasoning for versatility
• Chili Crunch for heat
• Umami Boost for deeper savory flavor

The best seasoning for cauliflower

Best overall choice: Smoky BBQ Rub

Cauliflower can handle bold flavor, making Smoky BBQ Rub an easy choice.

Other good options include:

• Everyday Mexican
• Garlic & Herb
• Umami Boost
• Steakhouse Blend

Cut the florets into similar sizes and roast until the edges are deeply browned.

The best seasoning for green beans

Best overall choice: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend for familiar savory green beans.

Try Citrus Pepper Blend when you want something brighter or Everyday Seasoning when the beans are sharing a sheet pan with chicken and potatoes.

The best seasoning for asparagus

Best overall choice: Citrus Pepper Blend

Use Citrus Pepper Blend with olive oil and Kosher Flake Sea Salt. Finish with lemon if available.

Garlic & Herb Blend and Cracked Black Pepper are also easy choices.

The best seasoning for mushrooms

Best overall choice: Steakhouse Blend

Mushrooms love rich, savory flavors. Use Steakhouse Blend and cook them until well browned.

Other good choices include:

• Umami Boost Blend
• Garlic & Herb Blend
• Cracked Black Pepper

Do not crowd the pan. Mushrooms need room for their moisture to cook away so they can brown.

The best seasonings for potatoes

Potatoes are a blank canvas—and they need enough salt.

Best overall choice: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend for roasted, smashed or sautéed potatoes.

For steakhouse potatoes: Steakhouse Blend

Use Steakhouse Blend on wedges, roasted baby potatoes or home fries.

For smoky potatoes: Smoky BBQ Rub

Use Smoky BBQ Rub on fries, wedges or sheet-pan potatoes.

For an all-purpose side: Everyday Seasoning

Use Everyday Seasoning when the potatoes need to work with the rest of dinner.

Season potatoes before cooking and taste again while they are hot.

The best seasonings for sweet potatoes

Best overall choice: Smoky BBQ Rub

The sweet and smoky flavors complement the natural sweetness of the potatoes.

Other good options include:

• Everyday Mexican
• Chili Crunch Blend
• Citrus Pepper Blend
• Steakhouse Blend

Roast until the edges caramelize.

The best seasonings for rice

Rice needs salt and a flavor direction.

Best overall choice: Umami Boost Blend

Use Umami Boost Blend to add savory depth to plain rice, fried rice or grain bowls.

For taco bowls: Everyday Mexican

Use Everyday Mexican with rice, beans, corn, chicken or ground meat.

For spicy rice: Chili Crunch Blend

Use Chili Crunch Blend on leftover rice with vegetables and an egg.

For herby rice: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend with butter or olive oil for an easy side dish.

Season the cooking water, then adjust the finished rice after tasting.

The best seasonings for pasta

Best overall choice: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend with olive oil, butter, Parmesan, chicken, shrimp or vegetables.

For simple peppery pasta: Cracked Black Pepper

Use Cracked Black Pepper with butter or olive oil and Parmesan.

For deeper sauces: Umami Boost Blend

Use Umami Boost Blend in tomato sauce, mushroom pasta or meat sauce.

For spicy noodles: Chili Crunch Blend

Use Chili Crunch Blend with noodles, vegetables, eggs, chicken or shrimp.

Remember to salt the pasta water. The seasoning added after cooking cannot completely replace properly seasoned pasta.

The best seasonings for beans

Best overall choice: Everyday Mexican

Use Everyday Mexican on black beans, pinto beans or white beans headed into tacos, bowls and skillets.

For smoky beans: Smoky BBQ Rub

Use Smoky BBQ Rub with beans, corn and sweet potatoes.

For deeper savory flavor: Umami Boost Blend

Use Umami Boost Blend in bean soups, stews and grain bowls.

For herby white beans: Garlic & Herb Blend

Use Garlic & Herb Blend with white beans, olive oil and greens.

The best seasonings for soup

Best overall choice: Umami Boost Blend

Use Umami Boost Blend when a soup is salted but still tastes thin or incomplete.

Other useful options include:

• Garlic & Herb Blend for chicken, vegetable and white-bean soups
• Everyday Mexican for tortilla soup, bean soup or taco-inspired soup
• Everyday Seasoning for an all-purpose savory base
• Cracked Black Pepper for finishing

Add seasoning early enough to develop, but wait until the soup has finished simmering before making the final salt adjustment. As liquid reduces, salt becomes more concentrated.

How to choose when several blends work

More than one Fresh 10 blend can work with almost every ingredient.

Use this shortcut:

• I want something familiar: Everyday Seasoning
• I want garlic and herbs: Garlic & Herb Blend
• I want something bright: Citrus Pepper Blend
• I want rich and savory: Steakhouse Blend
• I want sweet and smoky: Smoky BBQ Rub
• I want heat: Chili Crunch Blend
• I want tacos or bowls: Everyday Mexican
• I want more depth: Umami Boost Blend
• I want warmth and bite: Cracked Black Pepper
• Everything tastes muted: Kosher Flake Sea Salt

There is no seasoning police.

Choose the flavor you want to eat.

How much seasoning should you use?

Begin with a light, even sprinkle.

Add enough oil to help the seasoning coat chicken, fish, vegetables or potatoes. Check whether your blend contains salt before adding extra Kosher Flake Sea Salt.

Cook the food safely.

Then taste.

If you can barely detect the blend, add another small pinch. If you can taste the seasoning but the food still seems muted, it may need salt. If it feels heavy, add a little lemon or vinegar. If it needs deeper savory flavor, reach for Umami Boost.

Make one adjustment at a time.

Ten flavors. Plenty of dinner possibilities.

The Fresh 10 were chosen to work across the ingredients people cook most often.

You do not need a different seasoning for every piece of food. You need a few clear flavor directions that can move from chicken to vegetables, potatoes, grains and tomorrow’s leftovers.

The Flavor Station keeps all ten together on your counter, color-coded and ready to grab.

Find your ingredient.

Pick what sounds good.

Reach for the salt.

Dinner starts here.

Meet the Flavor Station

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best all-purpose seasoning?

Everyday Seasoning is the most versatile Fresh 10 option for chicken, fish, vegetables, potatoes and other weeknight foods.

What seasonings go best with chicken?

Everyday Seasoning, Garlic & Herb, Citrus Pepper, Smoky BBQ, Everyday Mexican and Chili Crunch can all work with chicken. Choose based on whether you want savory, bright, smoky, zesty or spicy flavor.

What is the best seasoning for fish?

Citrus Pepper Blend is the easiest starting point for salmon and white fish. Garlic & Herb Blend and Everyday Seasoning are also good choices.

What is the best seasoning for steak?

Use Steakhouse Blend for rich, savory flavor or keep it classic with Kosher Flake Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper.

What is the best seasoning for vegetables?

Everyday Seasoning and Garlic & Herb Blend work with a wide variety of vegetables. Citrus Pepper adds brightness, Smoky BBQ adds boldness and Umami Boost adds savory depth.

Should I add salt with a seasoning blend?

Check the blend’s ingredient list. If it contains salt, begin with a small amount and taste before adding more. If it does not, season gradually with Kosher Flake Sea Salt.

Can I use more than one seasoning blend?

Yes, but start with one. Each blend gives dinner a clear flavor direction and may be all the food needs.