The Best Burger Seasoning is super easy to make, cost efficient and completely customizable. Plus, it’s great on a roasted veggie tray, chicken tenders and French fries. It will up the flavor for so many different dishes.
I love to control the flavor of my recipes by making my own seasoning blends. These are two favorites: my Homemade Seasoning Salt and my Fajita Seasoning Mix.
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Why this Best Burger Seasoning Recipe is a Keeper
I love this recipe because it’s the perfect seasoning for homemade burger patties.
- Pantry Friendly: Uses simple spices you probably already have on hand.
- Big Flavor: Gives beef burgers bold savory flavor without complicated prep.
- Versatile Blend: Great for beef, turkey, chicken, fries, and vegetables. My test kitchen likes it better than mccormick grill mates blend.
- Make Ahead Friendly: Mix a batch ahead for quick dinners and cookouts.
- Serve With: Serve the best burger seasoning for grilling on a Steakhouse Burger or Pizza Burgers.
When Should you Season Beef Burgers?
Season just before cooking, you will get the best of both worlds: great flavor on the outside and a soft, beefy interior. Season both sides of each juicy beef patty before cooking.
What Reader’s Are Saying…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This seasoning took my burgers to a whole new level! Highly recommend!”
~ Cindy
Ingredient Notes for Burger Seasoning Blend
You only need a few simple ingredients that are generally pantry staples. Combine them right and you have perfection.
This is an overview of key ingredients. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Herbs & Spices: You will need an array of spices including freshly cracked pepper, chili powder and sea salt.
Variations and Substitutions for the Spice Blend
The best cheese burger seasoning is so versatile. I like to switch up the flavors by using different ingredients.
➡️ Add Heat: Sprinkle in a pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for spicy burgers.
➡️ Boost Smokiness: Use smoked paprika or spicy pepper for smoky cookout flavor.
➡️ Lower Salt: Reduce salt slightly if using salty toppings or sauces.
➡️ Add Sweetness: Stir in a little brown sugar for a different flavor profile.
➡️ Use on Turkey Burger Patty: This blend works especially well on lean turkey burgers, as well as ground beef burger patty or cook with flavorful pork sliders.
Kitchen Tools To Make Hamburger Seasoning Easier
Although there aren’t any tools needed to make turkey burger seasoning, a few are useful when it comes to storing.
- Jars with Lids: Keep your spice blend in an airtight container like a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
How to Make the Best Burger Rub
This 1-step spice blend is super easy to make. I like to keep a batch on hand throughout grilling season when I want to add a little umami flavor I will add a dash of soy sauce.
These are just highlights. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Make the Spice Mix: Combine the paprika, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, dried basil, dried parsley, chili powder, onion powder and mustard powder. Store in an airtight container in a dry, cool place.
Prep Ahead and Short Cut Tips for a Bold Burger Blend
Help your future self out and prep this spice mix ahead of time. It will be ready whenever you want to throw together your hamburger patty.
➡️ Mix a Double Batch: Keep extra seasoning ready for future cookouts.
➡️ Store Properly: Keep in an airtight jar away from heat and moisture.
➡️ Pre-Portion: Measure seasoning into small containers for your next cookout in your backyard.
➡️ Label the Jar: Add the preparation date for freshness tracking on all of your ready to use spices.
How Much Burger Seasoning Should I Use?
You should only need about 1 Tablespoon per pound of meat to season burgers! Add right before you make your patty. Try it when making Venison Burgers.
Store and Use Leftovers the Great Burger Seasoning
- Storing: Store this go-to seasoning in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
- Using Leftovers: Sprinkle evenly on fries, chicken, roasted potatoes, vegetables or steak. The aroma alone is elevated by using this blend.
Expert Tips for Making the Burger Flavor Blend
➡️ Season Generously: Gourmet burgers need enough seasoning to flavor the meat properly right before you cook the burger.
➡️ Handle Gently: Overworking burger meat creates a dense burger patty.
➡️ Store Airtight: Exposure to moisture dulls spice flavor quickly.
➡️ Taste the Blend: Craft spice levels before storing large batches. Add more salt or less salt depending on your families taste.
➡️ Use Fresh Spices: Older spices lose strength and flavor.
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Best Burger Seasoning
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Paprika
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic powder
- ½ Tablespoon Cumin
- ½ Tablespoon Ground black pepper
- ½ Tablespoon Dried Basil
- 1½ Tablespoons Dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Dry mustard
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.
- Store in an airtight container.
Christina’s Notes
- Use Fresh Spices: Fresh seasonings create the best flavor.
- Season Before Cooking: Add seasoning shortly before burgers hit the grill or skillet.
- Avoid Overmixing: Gentle handling keeps burgers juicy and tender.
- Store Airtight: Proper storage keeps the blend flavorful longer.
- Make Extra: This seasoning works well on more than just burgers.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
1/4 cup of salt was A LOT of salt!! My family would not eat their burgers. So sad. I thought it had some really good taste too it but it was extremely salty. Has anyone had any luck cutting the salt back? I want to give this another go but unsure of how to balance it all? Just double everything else??
If you don’t like the amount of salt, you can always scale it back to suit your tastes. I only use 1 tablespoon of prepared seasoning per pound of ground beef.
Even a tablespoon is way too salty. Your nutritional info says that there is 28362mg of sodium per serving. This is what the FDA says about sodium intake per day.
Americans eat on average about 3,400 mg of sodium per day. However, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day—that’s equal to about 1 teaspoon of table salt! For children under age 14, recommended limits are even lower.Jun. 8, 2021
Salt/Sodium-Free: Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving
Very Low Sodium: 35 mg of sodium or less per serving
Low Sodium: 140 mg of sodium or less per serving
https://www.fda.gov › food › sodiu…
Sodium in Your Diet | FDA
On a low sodium diet, I would only put a pinch of salt in the mix, max … 2 pinches. Your recipe is a heart attack or stroke waiting to happen!
Thanks for the feedback and you well-researched reply. I’m sure some readers will find it helpful.
It is only 1 tablespoon per pound of the whole blend. The whole recipe will season several Pounds of meat.
HTH
We really liked this seasoning on the burgers I made tonight. I did make one small change. We like smoked paprika so I used that for half of the paprika in the recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Great suggestion!
I love this recipe and it takes the burger to another level. I had dried onion to the meat as well as the seasoning. Cooking on the BBQ gave them a juicy charred flavour, awesome.
Hi,
How much dehydrated onion was added?
Respectfully
Frank
All of the ingredients are listed in the recipe. There is no dehydrated onion only onion powder.
Will this go good with chicken, tenderloin, etc? Thanks
I haven’t tried it on chicken or tenderloin. But I don’t see why not.
How many tablespoons per lb??
I use 1 tablespoon per pound.
This would be helpful to add to the content of the recipe/article.
Thank you for your feedback!
How does sugar get in it? It’s not in recipe but it’s stated in breakdown??? Thanks!
The sugars in the nutritional information can come from naturally occurring sugars. Not added refined sugar.
For the burger seasoning mix you indicate 1/4 cup of salt. It seems dreadfully high given that the other ingredients add up to about 8 tablespoons. I there a typo?
I want to make the mix to give at Christmas, but the salt amount leaves me perplexed.
Thanks.
1/4 cup is correct. I use 1 tablespoon of the seasoning per pound of beef so it doesn’t turn out to be that much. YOu can reduce it if you’d like.
I have been using this mix on everything, including garlic bread, pasta salad, etc. I started making it about 3 yrs. ago and my family loves the flavor(s) .
Delicious!
Is this best with just plain ground beef or will it work this burger recipe?
https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/homemade-hamburgers/
I would definitely try it in that recipe! It would only add more flavor.
That is quite a bit of salt. Is it possible to make this recipe with less?
Of course, feel free to adjust to suit your tastes. However, this recipe makes a lot and you only need 1 tablespoon per pound of beef. The amount of salt in 1 tablespoon of seasoning is reasonable.
Just tried it minus the cumin, was excellent and made my already good burgers even better.
Used 2 tbsp to 2lb beef and 1lb pork. Plus all my other goodies in the burger
Thanks for sharing your adjustments! I’m glad you found a version that you love :):
Your nutritional information on this recipe is really off. 60 Grams of carbs per serving??
The “serving” size is actually the entire batch.
I put it on every thing it works great on any kind of meat love it use it all the time ,terry p.s.try it
I’m so glad you like it! It’s one of our faves too!
Can you tell me what kind of salt to use?
I use plain old table salt.
I would use kosher salt. It sticks better to food.
Great suggestion!
How much seasoning for one lb. of hamburger?
I am anxious to try this ! What is the best way to store it, and how long will it stay fresh?
I keep it in a sealed jar in my spice cabinet. I’ve had it for up to 2 months – but it doesn’t last long in my house 🙂
I found out I only like cumin in Mexican food. The cumin took over the burger and gave it a Mexican flair we didnot care for. Maybe I have some overly powerful cumin.
I’ve found that when I purchase my spices directly from a spice store (not a grocery store) they are much stronger because they tend to be fresher. If that’s the case, you can always cut down on the amount of cumin in the recipe and adjust it to your tastes. 🙂
How much seasoning do I use for each lb of meat?
I use about 1 teaspoon
What % of your seasoning of total meat please. It is more acurate and easy to calculate.
Thanks
I’m not sure of the %. I always use the measurements mentioned in the recipe. Sorry.
One tablespoon per pound of ground beef.
Hi Ashley, This is a dry rub so just take a pinch and sprinkle it on each side of the burger. Let is sit for a little bit if possible to get the flavor into the meat. This recipe is excellent. I am trying it right now.
THat’s exactly what I do! 🙂
Did you ever receive an answer?
Her original page says to use 1 TB per 1.5 pound of meat. Here’s the link if you want to reference it. https://www.itisakeeper.com/11737/burger-seasoning-blend-2/
Thanks for jumping in and clearing that up 🙂
This burger seasoning blend looks spot on. Thanks for sharing! This recipe has been featured on this weeks Favorite Pins Friday! http://www.madeitloveitpaleo.com/2015/07/24/favorite-pins-friday-july-24th-2015/