Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning

Easy recipe for homemade Montreal steak seasoning plus bonus Montreal chicken seasoning, using spices you already have. Simple, delicious, and no MSG! It can also be used to marinade meat ahead of time.

If you use any store-bought rubs or seasoning blends, chances are you’re serving MSG for dinner.

I know it sounds gross, but the same additive most commonly associated with Chinese take-out can be found in our spices (listed as one of over 50+ different names) and can cause some pretty nasty side effects too!

We’re always taking steps toward better health – and saving money at the same time – and one of them is making our own seasonings. We already covered the most commonly used spice blends in cooking and baking, so today we’re featuring spice blends designed especially for meat to the mix: Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning and Homemade Montreal Chicken Seasoning.

Do you have a Dutch oven? They are the quintessential all-in-one pot for meat. You can sear, sauté, and fry. You can braise, poach, and bake.

And you can do it in the oven, you can do it on the grill, you can do it over an open fire. Honestly, when it comes to cooking meat, you can’t beat a Dutch oven!

Now… let’s start seasoning!

Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning

Montreal steak seasoning is the most commonly used blend in our kitchen. We love it because:

• It’s versatile. We put it on steaks (of course), but we also put it on potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, carrots… pretty much any vegetable we can get our hands on…
• And so flavorful! Steak seasoning adds such great flavor to so many different foods that few other blends can replicate.
• It’s free of preservatives and fillers. I’m REALLY not a fan of the MSG, and this homemade seasoning recipe is free of all flavor enhancers and artificial preservatives, yet it tastes just like the real thing!

What is Montreal Steak Seasoning Made of?

• Coarse salt
• Cracked pepper
• Onion flakes
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Coriander seed
• Dill
• Garlic flakes

Psst!I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen for your sea salt! You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a bag for just 1¢!! (Get your penny bag of salt on this page.) 

The two secret weapons? Coriander seeds and big spices.

• Coriander. This spice is often used interchangeably with cilantro, but we’re using the seeds in this recipe to impart a spicy citrus taste that compliments the pungent garlic and onion!
• Big spices. The size of the spices matters! If you want “flavor you can see,” be sure to use cracked black pepper and garlic and onion flakes. Of course, you can substitute granulated and still get a delicious seasoning, but if you really want to mimic the real thing, bigger pieces of spice are what you need!

What is ‘natural flavor’ in Montreal steak seasoning?

The term ‘natural flavor’ is often another word for MSG. When I read the labels of store-bought items, and I see ‘natural flavor,’ I always put them down.

What can you use instead of steak seasoning for chicken?

Despite the incredible versatility of steak seasoning, there’s one thing I don’t use Montreal steak seasoning on, and that’s chicken.

Steaks are heavy and thick and can withstand the dark, robust flavor that steak seasoning is known for.

But it’s just too much for chicken, in my opinion. Chicken is lighter in nature, so it needs a lighter spice to compliment.

What are the ingredients for Homemade Montreal Chicken Seasoning?

• Coarse salt
• Garlic flakes
• Onion flakes
• Cracked pepper
• Parsley
• Crushed red pepper
• Coriander seeds
• Paprika
• Thyme

How do you make steak seasoning from scratch?

It’s super quick and easy!

1. Combine ingredients in a glass jar.
2. (If seasonings are whole, process them in a blender, food processor, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle so that they’re still large, but not whole.)
3. Shake well to combine!

Are you more of a dry rub person than a seasoning person?

Turn any seasoning into a rub by adding just a hint of liquid.

The most common ingredient is brown sugar, which is naturally moist from the molasses. Plus the sugar caramelizes as it cooks, creating a crust on the meat. You don’t have to use sugar though – a tablespoon of olive oil will work too.

The key to seasoning with a rub is to a) lay it on thick and b) let it sit for several hours in a plastic bag. Do both and your meat will be packed with flavor.

Or do you prefer marinades instead?

Adding 1/3 – 1/2 cup of oil and a bit of vinegar turns any seasoning mix into a marinade.

Mix up the oils and vinegar flavors to find your own favorite combinations for meat, poultry, pork, and seafood. I like this marinade bottle because it has suggestions for a variety of oils and vinegar/acid right on the bottle!

Like rubs, the key to marinades is time. Be sure to let the meat marinate for at least one hour (the longer the better).

Can I freeze Montreal steak seasoning?

If you often find yourself short on time, make a batch of homemade Montreal steak seasoning and keep it in the pantry. When you get home from shopping, separate out your meat. Add a couple of tablespoons of steak seasoning, a generous pour of oil, and a splash of vinegar and seal it up for the freezer. When you pull the meat out to thaw, it’ll marinate at the same time!

More Seasoning Recipes

• Homemade Italian Seasoning
• Blackened Seasoning
• Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
• Homemade Poultry Seasoning
• Easy 9 Spice Mix

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Montreal Steak Seasoning and Montreal Chicken Seasoning

Easy recipe for homemade Montreal steak seasoning plus bonus Montreal chicken seasoning, using spices you already have. Simple, delicious, and no MSG!

• Author: Tiffany
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 6 Tbsp 1x
• Category: Sauces & Condiments
• Method: Bowl
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For Steak Seasoning:

• 4 tsp coarse salt
• 1 Tbsp cracked pepper
• 1 Tbsp onion flakes
• 1/2 Tbsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp thyme
• 1/2 Tbsp rosemary
• 1/2 Tbsp coriander seed
• 1/2 Tbsp dill
• 1 tsp garlic flakes

For Chicken Seasoning:

• 4 tsp coarse salt
• 4 tsp garlic flakes
• 3 tsp onion flakes
• 2 tsp cracked pepper
• 2 tsp parsley
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp thyme

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in a glass jar and shake well to combine. If seasonings are whole, process in a blender or food processor so that they’re still large, but not whole.

Do you have a Dutch oven? What’s your favorite way to use Montreal steak and chicken seasonings?

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