Meat Seasoning

When you use the best spices for meat, you can make a great cut of beef, pork or chicken even tastier than it could hope to be on its own. And how do you get the best spices for meat? You make your own meat spice blend from scratch, of course! This rich, savory and slightly sweet blend of common kitchen ingredients yields an uncommonly tasty result.

You can make this meat spice blend in just a few minutes, then store it for up to a year, provided the herbs and spices were pretty new when you began the process. Now, as your appetite is likely already piqued, let’s talk about how to make the meat seasoning and how to use it.

How to Use Meat Seasoning

This seasoning can be liberally applied to so many of your favorite meats. Whether it’s a chicken to be roasted, a steak to be grilled or a pork chop to be fried, pat the meat dry, then sprinkle the meat seasoning blend over it. Let the meat rest for at least 10 or 15 minutes, ideally longer, before you start cooking so the flavors truly adhere and infuse.

Ingredients for Meat Seasoning

• Brown sugar: As always when you cook with brown sugar, you’ll want to pack it down as you measure it or you’ll risk using too little.
• Kosher salt: Kosher salt is distinctly different from regular salt, with the former having a much coarser grain.
• Paprika: Paprika adds its wonderful flavor and some welcome color to this meat seasoning.
• Chili powder: Chili powder also adds color and plenty of kick. You can use whatever chili powder is your favorite variety.
• Garlic powder: Garlic powder is potent stuff, so unless you’re a big garlic fan, you won’t want to use more than the 2 tablespoons called for here.
• Onion powder: Where you find garlic, you often find onion, and the same is true in powdered form for this flavorful meat seasoning.
• Ground cumin: Like the garlic, cumin is a strong flavoring agent.
• Dried oregano: If the dried oregano is in larger flakes, consider crushing them down a bit before you measure out the tablespoon.

Directions

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients

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Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, stirring well, then transfer the blend to an airtight container.

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Meat Seasoning Variations

• Add some heat: Adding a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mix will spice things up in a wonderful way.
• Halve the sugar: If you prefer your seasoning more savory than sweet, cut the brown sugar by half.
• Go mild: If you don’t like any heat at all in your food, cut out the chili powder and add an extra tablespoon or so of paprika.

How to Store Meat Seasoning

This blend of spices will keep well in a sealed container in a cool, dry, dark place for up to a year.

Meat Seasoning Tips

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What other spices and herbs could I add to the mix?

You don’t want to gild the lily, as it were, but you could certainly try a few more things here, such as ground thyme or parsley, or just some classic black pepper.

Are there any meats I should not use with this seasoning?

If you have a top-quality cut of steak, like a filet mignon, it’s best to stick with just some salt and pepper and let the meat do its own talking in terms of taste.

Would this be good on any vegetarian foods?

Absolutely! You could sprinkle it over tofu or tempeh, and you could also use it in many other ways, such as to flavor a soup or a salad.