The Great Value Burger Seasoning That's Worth Skipping For Something Better

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Walmart's Great Value brand lives up to its name, with countless products that are often as good as name brands but cost a fraction of the price. Unfortunately, not every Great Value product is worth putting into your shopping cart. And the Great Value burger seasoning that we think you should skip is the Signature Burger seasoning.

In a ranking of 10 different store-bought burger seasonings, Great Value Signature Burger seasoning came in 7th place. Despite the generic look of the bottle, this seasoning certainly packed a punch of flavor. It features onion, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, red chili flakes, cumin, and oregano, providing a complex profile of smoky, savory, spicy, and aromatic flavors. It also has a slightly sweet-tasting note that balances the heat and smoke from the spices. The mixture has a coarse texture that makes for a good crust on the burger, while its flavor is versatile enough to use on other proteins or even in a bowl of chili. However, we were more than troubled by the addition of artificial ingredients like caramel color and artificial flavor. A spice blend is flavorful enough thanks to the concentrated tastes of aromatic powders, dried herbs, and vibrant spices. Artificial flavors and coloring are not only unnecessary, but they also pose health risks. Certain types of caramel color have been shown to produce byproducts that may be carcinogenic. And while artificial flavors are monitored heavily by the FDA, they're still lab-produced chemicals.

Many customers gave Great Value's burger seasoning 5-star reviews on Walmart's website, with one stating that it "adds good flavor to burgers." However, others were nonplussed by the flavors in the seasoning. One Walmart customer said, "some might like this but I didn't. Average at best." Yet another customer complained that "the cumin overwhelms the other spices and makes burgers taste like chili." While a customer compliments the seasoning for having relatively low sodium, it's hard for us to get past the chemical ingredients. So, if you're looking for a natural and super flavorful option, the best store-bought burger seasoning is from Four Sixes Cowboy Camp, a company and ranch owned by the creator of "Yellowstone."

Of course, you can always craft your own burger seasoning. Experts say that the best burger seasoning blend is often the simplest since elaborate seasonings might detract from the burger's natural umami-richness. All that a burger patty really needs is a hearty coating of salt and freshly ground pepper to help its natural flavors sing. If you want to experiment, you can always try Rachael Ray's genius method for testing burger seasonings that entails forming a tiny "test patty" that will cook quickly to apply the experimental seasoning to. That way, you can sample the seasoning in real time before deciding whether to apply it to the subsequent batch of burgers.