Texas Roadhouse
Steak Seasoning Recipe
Eight spices you almost certainly already own, five minutes of work, and one jar that lasts six months. This is the blend that gets you the dark steakhouse crust at home.
5 min
Prep time
~½ cup
Makes
12-16 steaks
Seasons
Short answer: it is a salt-and-pepper base with brown sugar
Equal parts kosher salt and coarse cracked pepper, half as much brown sugar and paprika, then garlic powder, onion powder and a little turmeric. The brown sugar is the part most copycats leave out and it is exactly what caramelizes on the grill to build the dark crust.
Texas Roadhouse has never published its seasoning formula, and the version sold in bottles at the restaurant is not identical to what the kitchen uses on the grill line. But the profile is not a mystery. Taste it against a plain salt-and-pepper steak and three things stand out: a sweetness that browns rather than tastes sugary, a golden-orange tint, and a savoury depth from garlic and onion.
The recipe below reproduces that profile with pantry spices. It costs roughly $1.50 a batch against $6 to $9 for a bottle, and more usefully, you control the salt, which is the one thing store-bought steak blends almost always overdo.
Ingredients (and Why Each One Is There)
Makes about half a cup, enough for 12 to 16 steaks.
| Amount | Ingredient | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2 tbsp | Kosher salt | Coarse grain is essential. Table salt dissolves too fast and makes the blend harsh and over-salty. |
| 2 tbsp | Cracked black pepper | Coarse cracked, not fine ground. The visible flecks are part of the steakhouse look and the crust texture. |
| 1 tbsp | Brown sugar, packed | The quiet workhorse. It caramelizes on contact with the hot grill and builds the dark crust. |
| 1 tbsp | Paprika | Colour and gentle sweetness. Sweet paprika, not smoked, unless you want a smokier profile. |
| 2 tsp | Garlic powder | Powder, never granules or fresh garlic. Fresh burns on a grill at steak temperatures. |
| 2 tsp | Onion powder | Rounds out the savoury base and keeps the blend from tasting flat. |
| 1 tsp | Turmeric | The one people miss. Adds the golden undertone and a faint earthiness that reads as "restaurant". |
| 1 tsp | Cornstarch | Optional but recommended. Keeps the blend free-flowing and helps it cling to the meat instead of sliding off. |
The one substitution that ruins it: table salt instead of kosher salt. Table salt crystals are far smaller, so a tablespoon holds roughly twice the salt. If it is all you have, use half the listed amount and taste before adding more.
How to Make It
Five minutes start to finish. Steps 4 and 5 are where most people go wrong.
Measure into one bowl
Add all eight ingredients to a medium mixing bowl. Break up any clumps in the brown sugar with your fingers before mixing, since packed sugar will stay lumpy otherwise.
Whisk for a full minute
Whisk until the colour is completely uniform with no streaks of paprika or turmeric. Under-mixing is the most common mistake and leaves some bites salty and others bland.
Transfer to an airtight jar
A small mason jar or an old spice container works. Label it with the date. The blend keeps its potency for about six months in a cool, dark cupboard.
Season generously, then rest
Coat both sides of the steak more heavily than feels comfortable, about 1 teaspoon per side for a 6 to 8 oz cut. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before it hits the heat.
Cook on high heat
Grill or cast-iron sear over high heat. The brown sugar needs real heat to caramelize, which is what produces the dark crust rather than a dusty coating.
Batch Sizes
Scale it up or down without recalculating every line.
| Batch | Salt | Pepper | Brown sugar | Everything else | Yields |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small (1 steak dinner) | 1 tsp | 1 tsp | ½ tsp | Halve everything else | ~1 tbsp |
| Standard (this recipe) | 2 tbsp | 2 tbsp | 1 tbsp | As listed above | ~½ cup |
| Double batch | ¼ cup | ¼ cup | 2 tbsp | Double everything else | ~1 cup |
| Gift jar / bulk | ½ cup | ½ cup | ¼ cup | Quadruple everything else | ~2 cups |
Six Other Things to Put It On
A half-cup jar is a lot of seasoning for steak nights alone.
| Use it on | How much | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-cut steaks | 1 tsp per side | The intended use. Sirloin, ribeye, strip, filet all work. |
| Burgers | 1 tsp per lb, mixed in | Mix into the ground beef rather than sprinkling on top. |
| Roasted potatoes | 1 tbsp per 2 lbs | Toss with oil first so it sticks. Excellent on wedges. |
| Grilled chicken | ½ tsp per piece | Use slightly less; chicken carries salt more strongly than beef. |
| Pork chops & ribs | 1 tsp per side | The brown sugar suits pork especially well. |
| Roasted vegetables | 1 tsp per tray | Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans. Cuts the salt slightly if serving with a salty main. |
Getting the Crust Right
The seasoning is half the job. Heat and timing are the other half.
Season 30-40 minutes ahead
Salt pulls moisture to the surface, then it reabsorbs carrying the flavour inward. Season right before cooking and you get seasoned surface, not seasoned steak.
High heat, no exceptions
The brown sugar needs real heat to caramelize. On a medium grill the seasoning stays powdery and grey instead of forming a crust.
Pat the steak dry first
A wet surface steams instead of searing. Paper towel both sides before seasoning, and skip the oil on the meat entirely.
Use more than feels right
A teaspoon per side looks excessive on a raw steak. Much of it falls off during cooking. Under-seasoning is the most common home-cook mistake.
Add the cornstarch
Optional in theory. In practice, brown sugar draws moisture and a jar without cornstarch turns into a solid brick by month three.
Rest before cutting
Five to ten minutes off the heat. Cutting immediately spills the juices the salt spent 30 minutes drawing back in.
Copycat Texas Roadhouse Steak Seasoning
A copycat blend of the seasoning used on the hand-cut steaks. Eight pantry spices, five minutes, and it keeps for six months.
Prep
5 min
Cook
—
Total
5 min
Serves
24 teaspoons (about 1/2 cup)
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Measure into one bowl
Add all eight ingredients to a medium mixing bowl. Break up any clumps in the brown sugar with your fingers before mixing, since packed sugar will stay lumpy otherwise.
- 2
Whisk for a full minute
Whisk until the colour is completely uniform with no streaks of paprika or turmeric. Under-mixing is the most common mistake and leaves some bites salty and others bland.
- 3
Transfer to an airtight jar
A small mason jar or an old spice container works. Label it with the date. The blend keeps its potency for about six months in a cool, dark cupboard.
- 4
Season generously, then rest
Coat both sides of the steak more heavily than feels comfortable, about 1 teaspoon per side for a 6 to 8 oz cut. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before it hits the heat.
- 5
Cook on high heat
Grill or cast-iron sear over high heat. The brown sugar needs real heat to caramelize, which is what produces the dark crust rather than a dusty coating.
Notes
- Use kosher salt, not table salt. Table salt crystals are far smaller, so a tablespoon carries roughly twice the salt and the blend comes out harsh.
- The cornstarch is optional in theory but keeps the brown sugar from drawing moisture and turning the jar into a brick.
- Season steaks about a teaspoon per side and let them sit 30 to 40 minutes before cooking.
- Store in an airtight jar in a cool dark cupboard. Full potency for about six months.
Nutrition
Per 1 teaspoon
8
Calories
580mg
Sodium
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed and will vary with brands, substitutions and portion size.
Steak Seasoning: Common Questions
What seasoning does Texas Roadhouse use on their steaks?
Texas Roadhouse uses a proprietary blend that has never been published, but the flavour profile is consistently identified as a coarse salt and pepper base with brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a small amount of turmeric. The brown sugar is what separates it from a plain salt-and-pepper steak rub, because it caramelizes on the grill and produces the dark crust the chain is known for.
Can you buy Texas Roadhouse steak seasoning?
Texas Roadhouse sells a branded seasoning at many of its locations and through some retailers, typically around $6 to $9 a bottle. Making it at home costs roughly $1.50 per equivalent batch if you already keep basic spices, and lets you control the salt level, which is the most common complaint about store-bought steak blends.
Why does my homemade steak seasoning taste too salty?
Almost always because table salt was used instead of kosher salt. Table salt has much smaller crystals, so a tablespoon of it contains far more actual salt than a tablespoon of kosher salt. If kosher salt is not available, use about half the listed amount of table salt and taste before adding more. Under-whisking causes the same problem in a different way, leaving salt-heavy pockets in the blend.
How long does homemade steak seasoning last?
About six months at full potency in an airtight jar kept in a cool, dark cupboard. It stays safe well beyond that but the garlic and onion powder fade first, and the paprika loses colour. Adding a teaspoon of cornstarch helps prevent the brown sugar from drawing in moisture and clumping the whole jar.
How much seasoning should you use per steak?
About one teaspoon per side for a 6 to 8 oz steak, and slightly more for a thick ribeye or strip. It will look like too much, and that is correct: a significant amount falls off during cooking, and steakhouse crust comes from generous seasoning combined with high heat. Season at least 30 minutes before cooking so the salt has time to draw moisture out and then back in.
Do you need to add oil before the seasoning?
Not for steak. A dry surface sears better than an oiled one, and the seasoning sticks fine to a steak that has been patted dry. Oil the grill grates or the pan instead. For potatoes and vegetables the reverse applies, toss them in oil first so the blend has something to cling to.
Build the Whole Steakhouse Dinner at Home
The seasoning is one piece. The rolls and cinnamon butter are the other two.