Why You're Better Off Not Buying Onion Powder At Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's has a rabid fan following thanks to retailing tons of unique products, from incredible snacks like dark chocolate peanut butter cups to novel dips and spreads like guacasalsa. Even spice blends like the Everything But The Bagel seasoning have garnered viral acclaim, and for good reason. However, while some spices are worth buying from Trader Joe's, you're better off skipping its onion powder. There's nothing wrong with the way Trader Joe's onion powder tastes, and it'll work well in bringing that aromatic onion flavor to recipes. But, at $1.99 a bottle, TJ's onion powder is excessively expensive. Just to put it into perspective, it's a dollar more expensive than the 99-cent bottle of onion powder at Dollar Tree, a spice that's definitely worth the inexpensive price. 

We compared the price of Trader Joe's onion powder to the onion powder from Target's Good & Gather brand, Walmart's Great Value onion powder, and Amazon Happy Belly onion powder, and all of them were cheaper. Since onion powder isn't exactly a vital ingredient in most recipes, one bottle could last you up to a year. On the other hand, fresh spices, herbs, and seasonings that you use on the daily are worth paying a higher price. To that effect, we highly recommend picking up Trader Joe's black garlic flakes, Portuguese flor de sal, and smoked paprika. But a bottle of onion powder that'll most likely sit on the spice shelf unused for weeks or months on end is hardly worth shelling out.

Onion powder may not be an everyday ingredient for most people, but it comes in handy when you want to amp up the aromatic savoriness that is characteristic of fresh onions. Onion powder is simply dehydrated onions ground into a smooth powder, effectively concentrating the onion flavor without adding moisture or texture. Soups, stews, salad dressings, and spice rubs for meat and poultry all benefit from onion powder. We even recommend adding onion powder to take homemade onion rings up a notch. If you want to skip buying it altogether, there are a few substitutes that'll bring a similar aromatic boost. 

Garlic powder or granulated garlic possesses the same savory, slightly sweet, slightly zingy profile as onion powder. Onions and garlic are, after all, both members of the Allium family. Onion salt is another worthy substitute and also happens to be a spice at Trader Joe's we think is worth the price tag. But, if you're substituting onion salt for powder, you'll need to use half as much onion salt as the powder specified in the recipe. 

You'll also need to reduce the amount of added salt too. Of course, you can always substitute onion powder with fresh onion either. However, since onion powder is highly concentrated, the proportions will need a drastic adjustment — for every tablespoon of onion powder, you'll need to add a cup of fresh onions. Luckily, though, fresh onions will work well as an onion powder substitute for soups, stews, marinades, and salsas alike.