Steak Seasoning

At a glance

What stands out: Combine pantry ingredients to make a standby steak seasoning! It adds so much flavor to any cut of steak, with warmth, herbal notes, smokiness, and savory flavor. Delish!

How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: jar for storage
Servings: 11 tablespoons

Best Seasoning Blend For Steak

Steak is good but it comes alive when you add the right seasonings—and this blend has all of them! The combination of herbs and spices in this seasoning blend adds depth and complexity to the flavor of steak, making it even more rich!

Whether you cook the steak on the grill, in a cast iron skillet or grill pan on the stove, or in your air fryer (yes, you can air fry steaks!), this steak seasoning is the one simple trick that takes any steak dinner to the next level.

And steak seasoning is versatile! We confess that we use our steak seasoning on chicken more than we use it on steak. It’s memorable on steak, of course, but we just eat chicken more often. Since we can’t get enough of this seasoning, why wait until we’re having steak to sprinkle this on our dinner?

From-scratch Steak Seasoning

Pantry ingredients. If you cook often, you probably have all the ingredients you need to make this recipe in your pantry already. This makes it much more economical than store-bought seasoning blends and if your spices are fresh, the taste is exceptional.

So much flavor. There are endless ways to make steak seasoning but this is our spin on it. It starts with a base of kosher salt (salt, after all, is the ultimate flavor enhancer!) and freshly ground black pepper which adds a nice warmth. Then we add our own special concoction of herbs and spices to the seasoning making it savory, smoky, earthy, and herbaceous.

Creates that reliable “crust”. When you add the steak seasoning to both sides of the steak and then cook it as you normally would, the seasoning creates a nice crust on the outside, similar to blackening seasoning.

Great for gifting. Pair steak seasoning with other from-scratch seasonings like salmon seasoning and BBQ rub and you’ve got the reliable gift for the grilling enthusiast in your life.

What goes in

• Kosher salt: We always use kosher salt for cooking. It’s less refined and doesn’t have additives like iodine. There’s less of a tendency to oversalt because of the larger sized crystals.
• Ground black pepper: For the most flavor, use freshly ground black pepper rather than buying it already ground in the jar or can.
• Garlic powder and onion powder: Dehydrated and then pulverized into a fine powder, garlic powder and onion powder add a savory base of flavor to the seasoning. Please don’t confuse them with garlic salt or onion salt which are mostly salt with a little flavor added.
• Paprika and smoked paprika: Paprika brings an earthy flavor to the table and smoked paprika adds that smoky element. Don’t substitute anything for the smoked paprika; it’s essential for a standby flavor.
• Thyme and rosemary: Both are woody herbs that pair exceptionally well with steak. Dried herbs are straightforward, inexpensive, and convenient

How it comes together

Combine. It’s straightforward. Simply measure out each spice and herb, and add all of the ingredients to a jar or bowl.

Mix. Stir everything together, or put the lid on the jar and shake it.

Use. Apply a generous amount to steak before cooking. We recommend patting the steak dry with paper towels first and then rubbing the seasoning into the meat with your fingertips. This helps the seasoning stick better so you can get a nice crust.

Tips for Using Steak Seasoning

• Start by knowing how to cook steak. No seasoning can overcome a poorly cooked steak! In addition to grilling and stovetop cooking, you can use this seasoning to make air fryer steak bites or this oven-baked steak sheet pan dinner.
• Use it beyond steak. Don’t limit this seasoning to steak alone—try it on pork chops, chicken, or even roasted vegetables for some amped up flavor. (we think it would be memorable on roasted asparagus!)
• Tenderize tougher cuts. Some steaks, like flank steak, skirt steak, flat iron steak, or round steak, benefit more from a marinade. We love this flank steak marinade.
• Make compound butter. If you like adding a pat of butter to your steak, this seasoning also makes an awesome compound butter. Let the butter soften at room temperature, then mix in the seasoning, form the butter into a log on a piece of plastic wrap, and wrap it up and refrigerate until it’s solid. (You can use this compound butter on Instant Pot corn on the cob, too.

Keeping leftovers

Store your from-scratch seasoning in the pantry or another place where it’s protected from heat, moisture, and light. Dried seasoning blends don’t spoil, but they will lose flavor as time goes on, so we recommend using it within 6 to 12 months. If you don’t think you’ll use it all in this time, you can always scale down and make a smaller batch.

Cajun Seasoning

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

• Yield: 11 tablespoons
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper (freshly ground is best)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon crushed rosemary

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Stir until well combined.
2. Transfer the steak seasoning to an airtight container or spice jar for storage. It makes about ⅔ cup of seasoning.
3. To use, apply generously to both sides of steak before cooking.
4. Cook as desired.

Notes

Storage : Store at room temperature away from heat, light, and moisture. It will keep for six months to a year, assuming that the dried herbs you used are fresh. If you notice that the seasoning has lost some of its aroma, color, or flavor, it should be discarded. The seasoning mix won’t go bad but may lose some of its potency.

Not just for steak: The seasoning mix can be used for other types of meat, such as pork, chicken, even fish. Sprinkle it on burgers before you cook them. Try it on vegetables, too.

Make it spicy: Add ½ teaspoon cayenne powder.