Our Secret Weapon Ingredients Will Make Your Food Taste Better

Vinegar helps bring your food into focus—it can brighten dishes that feel flat, sweeten plates that are overly bitter, or simply add an unexpected pop to a boring plate.

Try: Slow-Cooker Marmalade-and-Vinegar Pork

Red-wine vinegar acts as both a tenderizer and flavor-enhancer in this braised pork recipe.

A dab of red, green, or yellow curry paste will add a complex mixture of flavors (think ginger, lemongrass, and garlic) to stews, stir-fries, dumplings, kebabs, noodle dishes, you name it. 

Try: Green Thai Chicken Soup

Green curry paste is the secret to the long-simmered flavor of this quick and easy chicken soup made with store-bought broth and rotisserie chicken.

Citrus juice, especially lemon, is an excellent substitute for salt—a squeeze will brighten almost anything. And don't forget about citrus zest—it's an equally powerful flavoring agent for chicken, pork, pasta, risotto, and so much more.

Try: Citrus Salad Dressing

Orange and grapefruit are terrific in salads—here, segments are tossed with greens, and the juice revs up the yogurt dressing.

A spoonful of this salty, tangy Southeast Asian condiment will add savory depth to stir-fries, soups, salads, noodle dishes, and curries.

Try: Sticky Chicken Wings

Fish sauce is teamed with brown sugar, lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, and serrano chile for these finger-lickin' good wings.

So much more than a sandwich spread, bold, tangy Dijon adds rich body to sauces and dressings and even helps create a crisp breadcrumb coating.

Try: Sauteed Chicken in Mustard and Herb Sauce

Dijon adds a much-needed kick to the white wine-cream sauce for these succulent pan-seared chicken breasts.

Use these smoky gems to spice up deviled eggs, pizzas, or pork chops, or consider blending them into dips or layering them in sandwiches.

Try: Polenta with Roasted-Pepper Ragout

Roasted peppers plus garlicky white beans and creamy polenta equals a winning meatless supper.

Chop up a few fillets for sauces, dressings, and of course Caesar salad—their bold flavor will mellow and the results will be mouthwatering. 

Try: Anchovy Dip

Whip up a batch of this addictive anchovy-and-parsley dip for your next party and watch it disappear (and see how many guests can guess the secret ingredient!).

Schmear this savory blend of black or green olives onto sandwiches, use it as a marinade for pork chops, or gussy up finger food with it.

Try: Linguine with Tapenade

No time to make pasta sauce from scratch? Reach for tapenade instead and pair it with cherry tomatoes, arugula, parsley, and feta.

This singular spice blend is a must in classic seafood recipes including crab cakes, lobster rolls, and shrimp boils. But we also love adding it to more everyday dishes, from deviled eggs and snack mixes to roasted sweet potatoes and egg salad.

Try: Spicy Turkey Thighs

Punchy, powerful Old Bay is the key to turning up the volume on these roasted turkey thighs.

These canned chiles are a great way to add intense heat and a rich, sweet smoky flavor to sauces and dishes including tacos, shrimp and grits, ribs, meatballs, potato salad.

Try: Chipotle-Glazed Meatloaf

Trade ketchup for chipotles and you'll be rewarded with a turkey meatloaf that's way more interesting.

Not just for dipping, this condiment can be used to perk up salads, soups, stir-fries, noodles, fish, and fried chicken, just to name a few.

Try: Soy-Lemon Flank Steak

Soy sauce also makes a great base for marinades, including this garlicky-lemon version for juicy flank steak.

A staple in Indian, Thai, and Caribbean cuisines, mild-flavored coconut milk is used to enrich curries of all stripes. It's also wonderful in creamed greens, marinades, and soups.

Try: Thai Coconut Chicken

Coconut milk, garlic, and ginger make a delicious braising liquid for chicken thighs.