Make this super easy homemade steak seasoning to add a kick of flavor to your steaks! The flavors of garlic, thyme, and sea salt provide amazing savory flavor and paprika creates a gorgeous warm presentation.
You’ll impress friends, family, and all of your guests with this simple but elegant steak rub. Perfect for grilling, pan searing, oven baking and more!
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👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
What makes this the easiest and best steak seasoning you can make at home? It's only 5 ingredients, most of which you likely already have in your pantry. This steak rub is also extremely customizable to your tastes and great to use on roasts, beef steaks, and more!
It also has a long shelf life, which means you can make substantial quantities ahead of time and keep them around. Never have a boring steak again with this homemade seasoning blend! And if you're looking for a good place to start, pair it with this Sous Vide Ribeye Steak for a tender and flavorful meal that will become an instant favorite!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- salt & pepper - for the best steak rub possible, use a nice sea salt and cracked black pepper to form a reliable flavor base.
- garlic powder - provides some saltiness and savory depth of flavor.
- paprika - this ingredient is more for color than flavor, but if you use smoked paprika it will contribute some warm and smoky flavor.
- thyme - gives your steak seasoning a nice herbiness and balances out the more salty and savory ingredients.
🔪 Instructions
- Add the thyme to a bowl.
- Follow with the sea salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Mix the seasonings well.
- Use for your next steak dinner or store in an airtight container.
👪 FAQs
While some people enjoy a steak that's seasoned with a simple combination of salt and pepper, it can elevate any steak dinner or dish to add some additional herbs and spices like thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, paprika, or onion powder.
Oiling your steak can be a great way to deepen the flavors while providing a seasoning blend a way to cling to the steak. If you go with this method, you'll want to use little to no oil in the pan while cooking, as the oil on the steak will be plenty to get it nice and brown on the outside but tender on the inside.
Short answer: at least an hour. When you season a steak, particularly when salt is involved, the seasoning will pull moisture and flavor out of the steak, dissolve it into salt crystals, and then this liquid will sink back into the steak, providing lots of flavor, tenderness, and juiciness.
But if you season a steak and cook it before 45 minutes or so elapse, you'll be cooking it before all of those juices can re-enter the steak. This can lead to steaks that are dry and lack flavor. If you really can't wait, it might be alright to cook the steak immediately after seasoning. I recommend giving it at least an hour for the "dry brine" process to run its course.
A lot! Though the amount depends on how thick the cut is. Many people learn the hard way how to under-season a steak, so don't be afraid to apply a generous amount of seasoning for a particularly flavorful and tender steak.
A good rule of thumb is approximately 1 tablespoon per pound of steak, but feel free to experiment with proportions and figure out what works best for you!
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- This steak rub can be used for much more than steak. Use it to season burgers, chicken, turkey, pork, grilled veggies, potatoes, or even mac and cheese!
- When seasoning a steak, be sure to evenly coat on all sides. This will create a beautiful crust that contrasts nicely with the tender inside.
📌 This is the best steak rub when you need something quick, accessible, and versatile! Take ingredients you already have and blend them into a delicious multi-purpose homemade steak seasoning.
📖 Substitutions and Variations
- For some addition flavor, use a tablespoon of onion powder or dried onion.
- Want a sweeter seasoning? Add some brown sugar.
- If you like a more herbal seasoning, you can also add some dried rosemary or oregano.
- To make this more like a Montreal steak seasoning, add onion powder and red pepper flakes.
- Some other seasonings that can change up the flavor profile: chili powder, ground mustard, cumin.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Store your homemade steak seasoning in an airtight container somewhere cool and dry. It should last at least a month, but like many seasonings it can last much longer than that if stored correctly.
💡 What To Serve With This Dish
Use your steak seasoning to add extra flavor to Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Potatoes or a Slow Cooker Braised Pot Roast with Root Vegetables. You can also use it to elevate this Steak and Potato Salad. If you're feeling adventurous, use it to spice up these Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls!
And if you just want to use it on a nice steak, serve alongside Cornbread Casserole for a filling and satisfying meal!
🧂 More Homemade Seasoning Recipes You'll Love
- Crab Shack Homemade Popcorn Seasoning - Elevate your popcorn game with this delicious seafood-inspired seasoning featuring Old Bay and more.
- Homemade French Fry Seasoning - Take any french fry or potato side to the next level, perfect to serve alongside a juicy steak!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - Live Well Bake Often brings us a recipe that's perfect for any fall or winter baking needs.
- Homemade Taco Seasoning - This affordable and easy taco seasoning from Spend With Pennies will save you money on taco nights!
Homemade Steak Rub Recipe
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📋 Recipe Card
Homemade Steak Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon thyme
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and mix until thoroughly combined.1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon thyme
Notes
- Add a tablespoon of onion powder or dried onion for additional flavor.
- You can skip the paprika if desired, as it’s mostly for color more than anything. Or use smoked paprika for a nice smoky flavor.
- Store the homemade seasoning mix in a sealed container in the pantry for up to a month. Do not freeze.
- Add a tablespoon of dried rosemary to the mix as well for additional herb taste.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Happy cooking!
Sara
This was the perfect steak seasoning. I love thyme so much and this had the perfect balance of thyme to the saltiness of the seasoning... so so good!
Aimee Mars
My husband always enjoys a good steak seasoning and this one hit the jackpot. The flavor and spices were just the right mix.
Biana
This steak seasoning looks super flavorful! Will be great in other dishes, too.
Jessie
I love how simple (and flavorful!) this seasoning is. I've always loved having a jar of steak seasoning in the pantry but am trying to make more of my own blends lately. This is going in the rotation for sure!