What To Season Steak With? 15 Best Steak Seasonings

Whether you are dragging yourself through a tough week or are getting in the mood for holiday festivities, there’s one thing that you are probably looking forward to: a world-class steak!

A well-seasoned steak with a sideline of spinach or potatoes can leave you satisfied like no other meal. Beef consumption amounted to a whopping 130 billion pounds globally in 2020. This means a lot of us are enjoying beef steaks on weekends and holidays.

Many food lovers head out to enjoy a mouth-watering steak in the nearest restaurant because they make it way better than a self-prepared steak.

To spill out a little secret, the difference is probably because of expert seasoning. Seasoning can be defined as the difference between a good steak and a steak that left you craving for more even when you were full to the stomach.

To do away with this problem once and for all, we have provided a detailed list of the best ingredients you can use to season your steak and make it lip-smacking delicious.

What to season the steak with? Best steak seasoning ingredients

Seasoning steak may sound like a common task, especially if you are in the habit of regularly preparing steaks. However, doing it the best way with some of the most delicious seasoning ingredients is something you may have missed out on. Let’s find out which ingredients can make your steak stand out without further ado!

1) Salt

Salt is the most common and popular ingredient for seasoning a steak. If you are not looking for something fancy and just want to savor the taste of a simple steak, seasoning with salt is the way to go.

Using sea salt or kosher salt is preferable to using table salt as it is less processed. The larger crystals help in better absorption and enhance the overall taste of the steak.

2) Black Pepper

If you are looking for a greater zing in your beef steak, black pepper is your go-to ingredient. The primary purpose of seasoning the steak with pepper rather than adding it while eating is to get a more delicious taste.

When the steak is seasoned with black pepper, the pepper flavor is soaked up in the steak, improving the overall taste.

There are numerous black pepper steak recipes out there that can leave you craving for more. For instance, Black Pepper Beef Steak is a favorite globally, with loads of black pepper used in the seasoning process.

3) Garlic

The garlic is another popular ingredient which you can use to season your steak.

Garlic is used mainly as a flavoring agent for many different foods, including steak.

The best way to season your steak with garlic is to gently rub a clove on the steak. It is also important not to go overboard in this process as the smell of garlic may remain, leading to a bitter taste in your mouth. Conversely, you can also use garlic powder to season your steak.

There are many recipes out there that use garlic to make the perfect steak. This includes Garlic Rubbed Steak served with mouth-watering garlic sauce and butter.

Garlic and butter complement a garlic-rubbed steak like no other, with the final steak being delightfully scrumptious!

4) Onion

Onions can also be used to season your steak to tenderize the meat and improve its flavor.

Using onion for seasoning the beef can make the steak more flavorful, complementing the natural taste of meat. While any type of onions may work, sweet onion is preferable as they are healthier and have high nutritional value.

Beef Steak with Caramelized Onions is perhaps one of the most common steak recipes used. Onion seasoning combined with caramelized onions offers a unique yet strong taste that many enjoy throughout the globe.

5) Mustard

Mustard is a constant ingredient for many food enthusiasts. Mustard can also season beef and give it a bitter-sweet taste, which many steak eaters find delicious.

You can use different types of mustard to season the beef, such as Yellow or Dijon. Mustard can also be paired with another ingredient such as honey to provide a sweet-spicy taste.

Mustard Steaks are famous in many regions of the world. You can find various recipes on the internet to cook the perfect mustard steak. Mustard steaks are primarily eaten without a sauce as they are already brimming with taste.

A common sideline such as mashed potatoes is preferred.

6) Rosemary

If you love a good beef steak but do not like the greasy texture, rosemary is a perfect spice to season your steak with.

Rosemary has a powerful, woody, minty taste that blends in perfectly with a beef steak.

You can create a rosemary mixture to season the steak by mixing rosemary with garlic or salt and covering the steak with this mixture.

Fresh rosemary is always better than using stale or dried spice, which can affect the final taste of the steak.

7) Thyme

When it comes to seasoning with herbs, thyme tops the list.

Thyme has a minty, lemonish taste that goes perfectly with beef.

You can use both dried or fresh thyme to season your steak to perfection. Dried thyme is preferred as it provides a crunchier taste which increases the overall likeability of the dish. Thyme is pressed and rubbed on the steak to instill its flavor in the beef steak.

The most popular thyme-based steak recipes include thyme paired with garlic. Garlic and thyme are a killer combination when it comes to beef steaks.

You can use thyme to create the garlic butter and after adequate heating, add it to the top of your steak. Enjoy with a sideline of bread and a minted soda to savor the taste.

8) Parsley

Parsley is another beloved choice to season a steak for many beef-steak lovers.

Seasoning your steak with parsley before grilling can add a much-needed freshness and earthiness that leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth.

Just like previous ingredients, parsley is also combined with different spices and herbs to enhance the overall taste of the steak.

The mix includes seasoning the steak with a combination of parsley, chili powder, and mustard, among many others.

9) Chile Pepper Powder

While smoky or sweeter steaks are a common choice for steak lovers, many food enthusiasts love spicy steaks. If you are one of these people, then Chile Pepper may be an apt choice for you.

With a sharp, tangy taste, Chile pepper powder can season the steak and meld a hot taste in the steak. Ancho Chile Powder, made only from one ground pepper, is another common choice for seasoning steaks.

The majority of the recipes prefer Ancho Chile Powder compared to general Chile Powder. This is because general Chile Powder is made up of different ingredients itself such as onion and oregano.

Ancho Chile Powder is considered better because of its original taste and moderate heat, a perfect complement for a delicious beef steak.

10) Tarragon

Tarragon is another favorite when it comes to unique seasoning for your beef steak.

French Tarragon, the most common choice, has a subtle taste that goes well with the meat of all kinds, including beef.

Tarragon can be used to season your steak by crushing dried Tarragon and rubbing it on the steak. You can enhance the taste by using Tarragon with other spices such as mustard to create a stronger flavor.

You can find various recipes on the internet related to mouth-watering Tarragon Beef Steaks. Most of these recipes use Tarragon to create the sauce, which is poured over the streak after cooking.

There’s no doubt that a delicious sauce is an essential part of the beef steak. However, if you season your steak with Tarragon beforehand, your steak-enjoying experience can improve multifold!

11) Smoked Paprika

If you like your steak smoky and spicy, smoked paprika should be your top spice.

Seasoning your steak with smoked paprika helps create a smoky, hot taste that enriches the final steak taste multifold.

To make the perfect seasoning for your steak, you can also combine a few other ingredients, such as garlic, mustard, or pepper. If you don’t like the smoky taste, you can opt for regular paprika to season your steak.

Several recipes combine the spicy flavor of paprika with the natural taste of beef to create that perfect beef steak. Smoked paprika steak is a delicacy in itself and is usually taken without any sidelines. The raw, smoky flavor has all the taste you need in the world!

12) Red Pepper

Red pepper can also season a beef steak, especially if you are looking for a spicy/fruity taste.

Rubbing the steak with red pepper can enhance the overall taste of your beef steak and instill a spicy flavor in the meat.

Red pepper can also be combined with ingredients such as honey, mustard, brown sugar, oregano, and paprika to create a customized blend that is heaven to your taste buds.

It is important to note that fresh red pepper is always better at enriching your steak with flavor.

13) Cumin

If you are looking for a slightly sweeter taste for your steak, cumin can be your safest bet.

Cumin is also used to season a beef steak, especially by food enthusiasts looking for innovative flavors to satisfy their taste buds.

Cumin is crushed and applied to the beef in a generous quantity so that its flavor is soaked in the meat. However, too much cumin can effectively ruin your steak by removing the original taste of beef.

So, what goes best with a cumin-seasoned steak? The answer is anything and everything! However, a salad or light sauce such as peppercorn enhances the overall quality of your meal. Let the sweet, nutty taste take over as you enjoy a refreshing beef steak with a cool salad to complement it!

14) Oregano

Oregano is another popular choice when it comes to seasoning steak with herbs. They add a slightly bitter yet bold taste to your steak, which goes amazingly well with beef.

You can either use oregano alone to season your steak or combine it with a few other ingredients to add more flavor.

One seasoning recipe that stands out combines oregano and lemon, the mixture then rubbed on the steak to season it well.

15) Brown Sugar

If you like to experiment with your steaks and have a sweet tooth, we have the perfect seasoning for you! Brown sugar is a great seasoning ingredient, giving the meat a caramelized, sugary taste.

Brown sugar helps in tenderizing the meat and helps make the steak crustier, which is an instant favorite for many steak lovers. If you like mild flavors with crusty layers, brown sugar is definitely your seasoning ingredient!

What seasoning should I put on steak?

As discussed above, there are different ingredients you can use to season your steak.

Whether you are craving something spicy, mild, sweet, or a combination of these, you can easily use a blend of different herbs and spices to create the perfect seasoning to put on your steak.

Suppose you like to experiment with your steak. In that case, you can create a custom seasoning by experimenting with different ingredients such as honey or basil.

The best way to season a steak

Seasoning steak the correct way can improve its taste drastically when you sit down to eat it. The best way to season a steak is to apply the combination of ingredients you are using generously.

This is because a steak is quite thick, and so you want to cover as much ground as possible to meld the flavor.

For instance, if you use black pepper and kosher salt, make sure that you don’t underdo it.

You should apply the ingredient heartily and press the salt and pepper to increase the flavor. It is advisable to season the steak way before you start (up to 18 hours before). However, you can always do it right before you begin as well.

Final words

There are so many combinations you can use to create the perfect seasoning for your steak. You can exclusively use spices or herbs or a mixture of these to develop mouth-watering seasonings on your steak.

Correct seasoning can help tenderize the meat and add flavor to the steak, making it taste heavenly when you finally sit to eat it.

So, whether you are cooking for the weekend or entertaining guests, the perfect seasoning can help you cook the best steak!

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