Experts say that all you need to season your steak is salt and pepper… But not in my book.
Why should you limit yourself to the bare minimum when you can go all out with flavor?
There are more fun and interesting ways to season a steak. These are just a few of my favorite spice rubs that will no doubt take your juicy meats from 0 to 100!
1. Cowboy Dry Steak Rub
We’re starting off strong with a steak rub that will make any cowboy proud.
It covers all the bases to make your steak as flavorful as you can imagine: tasty spices? Check! A hint of sweetness? check! A little bit of heat? Check!
This recipe also puts an interesting twist to steak rubs, because believe it or not, it contains a secret ingredient that helps you achieve perfectly crisp and charred meats every time.
It’s… ground coffee!
Apart from that, there are other notable ingredients that make this rub special. These include brown sugar, paprika, and dry mustard. But of course, there’s a lot more where that came from.
And don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging. If you want to make this seasoning at home, here’s a 10/10 recipe you can follow.
2. Brown Sugar Mesquite Steak Rub
When it comes to making spice rubs, there are a bunch of ways you can go about it. The cowboy dry rub is just one way, and here’s another.
Much like the first recipe, this seasoning also has a complex flavor profile. It’s got some sweetness to it as well as some heat. But what makes it different is the addition of mesquite.
Compared to other spices, mesquite is not as well-known. Fortunately, it’s been making some waves in the world of BBQ lately, and I’m all for it.
If you haven’t heard of mesquite yet, it’s essentially a kind of flour that comes from mesquite pods. These are typically found in Mexico, and sometimes in the southwestern U.S.
Many recipes use it as a natural sweetener or a healthier alternative to granulated and powdered sugar because of its sweet and smoky flavor.
In this recipe, however, mesquite powder is used to caramelize the surface of the steak, thereby locking in the moisture and all the juicy goodness of the meat.
So, if you want to make this spice rub at home, you can check out the full recipe here.
3. Texas Roadhouse-Inspired Steak Rub
Have you ever been to the iconic Texas Roadhouse restaurant? If so, you’ve probably had their famous steaks. And do you know what makes them so popular?
You guessed it: each steak is seasoned with a special (and top secret) rub!
Since the ingredients are classified, we can’t recreate their seasoning exactly, but we can definitely come close to it. So, after some trial and error, I think this is the recipe that gives the best results.
All you need to do is grab a couple of spices, like ground black pepper, paprika, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Then, give them a good mix, and you’re ready to season your steak! Yes, it’s that simple.
Still, if you want a more in-depth look at this recipe, you can get valuable tips and tricks, read up on some Q&As, and learn something new about this steak rub here.
4. Montreal Steak Rub
Looking for bolder flavors to complement your steak? Well, it doesn’t get bolder than this.
The Montreal steak rub is a blend of all the gutsy and brash spices you can think of. To name a few, it has smoked paprika, dried garlic, dill seeds, chili flakes, and coriander.
Rest assured that when you liberally season your steak cut with this dry rub, it will leave a lasting impression. So, get the precise measurements for this recipe right here.
5. Lemon Pepper Steak Rub
I don’t know about you, but there’s something about combining the zesty flavors of lemon with the salty, smoky taste of steak that just feels right.
Oftentimes, we associate steak rubs with tons of spices. While that’s usually the case, there are some recipes out there that are effortless, yet superb. And this blend is a prime example.
You only need four ingredients: lemon peel, ground peppercorns, kosher salt, and garlic powder. For more detailed step-by-step instructions, click this link.
Spice Up Your Steaks With These Steak Rubs
Steaks are a staple in every cookout. So, there’s a high chance that everyone already knows what to expect when it’s a part of your menu.
If you want to add a wow factor to your proteins, you have to up your game, and one surefire way to do that is to incorporate spice rubs.
This list gives you five incredible (yet super easy) recipes to start with. Once you get the hang of it, you can expand your spice rub repertoire and try other more unique flavor combos.
Featured image credit to @jugglingactmama.
