Costco is selling the Kirkland Signature Sweet Mesquite Seasoning blend and I have to say that I am not a fan of the product. This is one of the few Kirkland brand products that I have ever disliked.
If I ever create a Kirkland Hall of Shame then this seasoning blend would go on the list.
I bought this at Costco after a fellow shopper told me how great it was and was his “go-to” seasoning for ribs so obviously some folks love the product.
Stick with me and I will cover the two main things I do not like about this blend so you can decide if it is right for you.
Kirkland’s Sweet Mesquite is NOT Sweet
I do not understand why companies give their products names that are inaccurate.
The very FIRST word in the product name is “Sweet”. Call me crazy but when I bought this jar of seasoning I expected it to kind of, you know, taste sweet.
When I got this stuff home I poured some of the blend into my hand, tasted it by itself and thought, “What the !@#$”
Then I read the ingredient list:
- Salt (not sweet)
- Black pepper (not sweet)
- Chili pepper (not sweet)
- Oregano (not sweet)
- Red pepper (not sweet)
- Dehydrated garlic (not sweet)
- Dehydrated onion (not sweet)
- Dehydrated red bell pepper (not sweet)
- Demerara sugar (sweet)
- Mesquite smoke flavor (not sweet)
- Citric acid (not sweet)
Seriously, three of the top five ingredients are Black Pepper, Chili Pepper and Red Pepper.
Who is the marketing idiot who decided to make a product that is Salty, Spicy and Savory and then sell it with the name “Sweet”??
Seasoning Does Not Spread Evenly
The second thing that I do not like about the seasoning blend is the texture. The mix has many small chunks of garlic and onion along with flakes of red bell pepper.
The texture is displeasing to me because it is hard to get an even coat of seasoning and I don’t like the sharp bursts of garlic flavor I get when I bite into a chuck of dehydrated garlic.
If you do end up buying this seasoning then I suggest running it through a coffee grinder to get a smaller average particle size and smooth the texture out.
Grilling Test
The label say that this blend is great with everything from steaks to ribs to turkey which, in my opinion, is just stupid. But yeah, sure, let’s go ahead and pretend that Steak Seasoning, Rib Seasoning and Turkey Seasoning are pretty much the same thing.
I have tried using the blend a couple of different ways like these grilled chicken legs served with some Spanish Style Grain Free Rice. I think the blend is okay but a little overpowering for poultry.
The salty spiciness of the seasoning does work well with steak and burgers. If you are picking up a picanha or tri tip at Costco then this blend might work for you.
If you want to use this seasoning to make some smoked baby back ribs then I suggest mixing it half and half with brown sugar then pulsing in a coffee grinder before use.
I use this a lot…I don’t find it hot at all…
I purchased this product as well, and I actually like it. My only complaint is that the ingredients say there’s no sugar and no added sugar, but contains Demerara sugar. Im in the process of reaching out to Costco about that. If someone were to be watching their sugar intake they have no idea how much sugar is in it.
The OLD VERSION WAS sooo much better. About 5 years ago we bought a jar. It had a black lid instead of copper and the taste was very different. We went online and people where upset and saying the same thing. When I say the first one was better I’m not exaggerating. I have no idea why I they changed it either.
The product was great a few years ago. Somehow they changed the recipe or the vendor and now it is awful. I wish Costco would care enough to correct this.
Me and my buddies love this stuff. This seasoning is great with clean ingredients! You’re giving it a bad review because it’s competing against your favorite rub and you want to sabotage it. Costco: Keep this stuff stocked around the world!
great clean ingredients is correct. My wife has MS and has to watch every ingredient in everything…..sweet mesquite was our most favorite spice to use…..