The Flavor Arsenal: My Go-To Seasonings for Blackstone & Pit Boss

Good equipment gets you on the griddle. Great seasoning is what keeps people coming back to the table. After years of cooking on both the Blackstone flat top and the Pit Boss pellet smoker, I've narrowed my spice rack down to a tight rotation of seasonings that actually earn their spot.

These aren't sponsored picks or random grabs off a shelf — these are the bottles I reach for every single week.

The Everyday Essential

Lawry's Coarse Ground Garlic Salt with Parsley is the single most-used seasoning in my kitchen. My philosophy is simple: if a dish needs salt, it could almost certainly use some garlic too. This bottle does both at once, with a coarse grind that adds texture and a parsley note that keeps it from being one-dimensional. It goes on eggs in the morning and steaks at night.

The Seafood Staple

Badia Louisiana Cajun Seasoning is what I reach for any time fish or shrimp hits the griddle. It has that classic Louisiana backbone — pepper-forward, earthy, with just enough heat to let you know it's there. Technically it works on anything, but on a piece of blackened fish over high heat on the Blackstone, it's hard to beat.

Griddle Favorites

The McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning is the Blackstone MVP. Rugged, peppery, coarse enough to create a real crust at high heat. The secret weapon: this is genuinely all a burger needs to go from good to great on a flat top. Don't overthink it.

Island Spice Jerk Seasoning — or "Pappa's Chicken Sh@#t" as it's known around our house — is the go-to for chicken. Authentic jerk flavor with the right balance of heat, allspice, and sweetness. It also works surprisingly well on pork tenderloin on the Pit Boss.

Weber Kick'n Chicken handles the middle lane: more heat than plain poultry seasoning, less than full jerk. It's the call when someone at the table wants flavor with a kick but doesn't want to break a sweat eating it.

Pantry Depth

Ancho Chile Pepper Powder is the one that surprises people. Unlike standard chili powders that just layer on heat, ancho delivers deep, dark chili flavor with a subtle sweetness underneath. I add it to everything from burger blends to roasted vegetables. It's the quiet depth charge in a lot of my cooks.

Dash Salt-Free Lemon Pepper fills an important gap: bright citrus punch with zero added sodium. That matters when you're already building salt into a dish through other seasonings. Especially good on chicken thighs and any light fish.

Dan-O's Crunchy Seasoning is the specialist pick for salmon. The texture it adds is unique — almost like a light crust that forms when the fish hits the hot griddle. If you cook salmon regularly, this one earns permanent shelf space.

Morton Nature's Seasons is the true all-rounder. One shake covers salt, pepper, and basic aromatics. It shines on asparagus on the Blackstone — high heat, a little oil, a heavy hit of Nature's Seasons, and you've got a side dish in under four minutes.

Global Flavors

Spiceology Korean BBQ Seasoning rounds out the roster when I want to take things in a different direction. Instant umami-forward, slightly sweet, sesame-and-soy flavor profile — all without a long marinade. It works on beef, chicken, and shrimp directly on the griddle and turns a quick weeknight cook into something that feels intentional.

Build your spice rack one solid bottle at a time. Start with the Lawry's and Montreal Steak, and work outward from there.