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This burger seasoning is a simple spice blend that adds bold, savory flavor to homemade burgers. A mix of garlic, pepper, smoked paprika, and herbs helps the patties develop a flavorful crust while bringing out the natural taste of the beef.
Instead of measuring spices every time you make burgers, keep a jar of this burger seasoning recipe in your pantry and use it whenever burger night comes around. It’s an easy way to add extra flavor to weeknight meals, and it also works well for turkey burgers, chicken burgers, meatballs, and roasted potatoes.
Why This Burger Seasoning Works
You don’t need a long list of ingredients to make great burgers. The right mix of spices simply helps the beef taste even better.
- Classic burger flavor: Garlic, black pepper, and paprika give burgers that savory, burgerhouse-style taste.
- Balanced seasoning: Salt, herbs, and spices boost the flavor of the beef without overpowering it.
- Quick and convenient: Keeping a jar of this blend in your pantry means you don’t have to measure individual spices every time you make burgers.
- Very versatile: It works well for burgers, meatballs, roasted potatoes, and grilled vegetables.
- More flavor than salt and pepper alone: The extra spices add depth and a hint of smoky flavor.
Ingredients for Burger Seasoning
This burger seasoning recipe uses simple pantry spices that bring out the natural flavor of ground beef.
- Sea salt: Helps the seasoning stick to the patties and enhances flavor. You can use coarse or fine sea salt. If using fine sea salt, use about half as much since it’s more concentrated.
- Black pepper: Adds classic burger bite. Fresh cracked pepper gives a stronger pepper flavor, but regular ground pepper works well too.
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika: Adds color and a light smoky flavor.
- Mustard powder
- Dried thyme: Adds a subtle herbal note.
How to Make Burger Seasoning
Combine the Seasoning
Measure the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, mustard powder, and thyme. Add the spices to a small bowl or airtight jar.
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Mix and Store
Stir or shake until the spices are evenly combined, then store in a sealed container in your pantry.
Tips for the Best Burger Flavor
- Use enough seasoning: Start with about 1–2 teaspoons of burger seasoning per pound of ground beef.
- Season the outside of the patties: Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over both sides of the formed burger patties instead of mixing it into the meat. This helps keep the burgers juicy and tender.
- Season right before cooking: Adding the seasoning just before cooking helps the burgers develop a flavorful crust.
- Smoked paprika adds grill flavor: It mimics the subtle smoky taste you get from outdoor grilling.
- Press the seasoning gently: Lightly press the seasoning onto the outside of the patties so it sticks during cooking.
- Use it beyond burgers: This seasoning also works well on roasted potatoes, fries, and grilled vegetables.
Best Ways to Use Burger Seasoning
This blend works well for burgers and many other savory recipes.
- Beef burgers: Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over both sides of formed patties right before cooking.
- Turkey burgers: Season the outside of the patties to add flavor to leaner ground turkey.
- Chicken burgers: Sprinkle on the outside of patties before cooking for extra savory flavor.
- Meatballs: Mix the seasoning directly into ground beef or turkey when preparing meatballs.
- Roasted potatoes: Toss potatoes with oil and seasoning before roasting.
- Air Fryer or Grilled vegetables: Sprinkle on zucchini, mushrooms, or peppers before grilling. You can also use the seasoning before air frying vegetables.
- Salmon burgers: For salmon burgers, I prefer using my salmon seasoning or Old Bay Seasoning recipe, which complements the flavor of salmon better. For that, I mix the seasoning directly into the salmon patty mixture so the flavor is evenly distributed.
What Makes a Great Burger Seasoning
A great burger seasoning brings out the flavor of the beef without covering it up. Salt helps the natural flavor of the meat shine, while garlic and onion powder add savory depth. Smoked paprika adds a little color and a light smoky flavor, and black pepper gives the blend a bit of bite. Together, these simple spices create a balanced seasoning that works well whether you’re cooking burgers on the grill, in a skillet, or even a turkey burger in the air fryer.
FAQs
The best burger seasoning usually includes salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. These spices enhance the natural flavor of the beef without overpowering it. I add a few more spices to take my burgers to the next level.
Burgers are best seasoned right before cooking. For ground beef burgers or other ground meat burgers, I find that it’s best to form your patties, then use the seasoning on the outside of the patty only. This helps the patty develop a crust that makes each bite more flavorful. For salmon burgers or other seafood burgers, I mix the seasoning lightly in the mixture before making the patties.
I use 2 teaspoons of this burger seasoning per pound of ground meat because we prefer more flavor. 1-2 teaspoons of seasoning per pound of ground meat will work best for most people.
Yes. Burger seasoning works well on turkey burgers, chicken burgers, meatballs, roasted potatoes, fries, and grilled vegetables.
I don’t recommend it since over-mixing the meat can make burgers dense instead of juicy. Adding the seasoning inside the patty also doesn’t allow you to as good of a flavorful crust on the outside of the patty.
Storage
- Store: Keep burger seasoning in an airtight jar in a cool pantry for up to 6 months.
- Shake before using: Spices can settle over time.
- Make fresh occasionally: For the strongest flavor, mix a fresh batch every few months.
Burger Seasoning
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Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt, fine, or 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1/2 tbsp Black Pepper, ground, or 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Dry Mustard
- ½ tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to an airtight container
- Mix the spices until incorporated
- Store for up to 6 months
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Recipe Notes
- Use enough seasoning: Start with about 1–2 teaspoons of burger seasoning per pound of ground beef.
- Season the outside of the patties: Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over both sides of the formed burger patties instead of mixing it into the meat. This helps keep the burgers juicy and tender.
- Season right before cooking: Adding the seasoning just before cooking helps the burgers develop a flavorful crust.
- Smoked paprika adds grill flavor: It mimics the subtle smoky taste you get from outdoor grilling.
- Press the seasoning gently: Lightly press the seasoning onto the outside of the patties so it sticks during cooking.
- Use it beyond burgers: This seasoning also works well on roasted potatoes, fries, and grilled vegetables.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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