Montreal Steak Seasoning Recipe

Make this Montreal steak seasoning recipe with just 6 spices. A zesty, gluten free blend for seasoning steak, pork or other grilled meats.

Montreal seasoning is based on the dry-rub mixture introduced to Montreal, Canada by Romanian Jewish immigrants.

The flavor of the Canadian steak seasoning is bold and zesty, with a mild sweetness from orange zest. It tastes similar to the pickling spice used for making corned beef or pastrami.

This isn’t just any ordinary steak seasoning though; I honestly think the flavor outshines the spices used at famous steakhouses all over the world!

Montreal steak seasoning

This homemade spice blend is a copycat version of the incredible Montreal seasoning you can find in most markets and in volume at Costco. The added bonus here is, by making it yourself, you’ll know exactly what’s in it. Plus, you can control the amount of salt to keep it low in sodium, and it’s gluten free and vegan.

Ingredient notes

Replicating McCormick® Montreal seasoning exactly isn’t as easy as it may seem, because the ingredient label is vague. According to the label on the bottle, the ingredients in the spice blend are:

Coarse Salt, Spices (Including Black Pepper and Red Pepper), Garlic, Onion, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor and Extractives of Paprika.

McCormick website

My guess is as good as yours as to what their definition of “spices” is. Anyway, like the original Montreal seasoning, my blend also includes salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika, plus:

• Dried garlic – I use dried minced garlic, (sometimes labeled garlic chips. If you plan to use the blend right away and not store any of it, feel free to use fresh minced garlic for better flavor.

• Dill seed – If you don’t see dill seed in the regular spice aisle, you can substitute caraway seed. Otherwise, dill seed is often used for pickling, so it’s sometimes kept in the aisle near the canning supplies.

• Orange peel – If there is a Penzey’s spice store near you, they sell dried orange peel in chip form, which I love. Otherwise, orange zest or finely chopped orange peel will work perfectly.

Montreal steak seasoning recipe video

Check out the video in the recipe card below to see how easy this Canadian steak seasoning is to make!

Uses

I enjoy adding Montreal steak seasoning to grilled meats, especially a juicy grilled ribeye topped with herb butter. But it’s also great on chicken, pork, and even grilled salmon.

If you’d like to make Montreal steak marinade, it’s simple to do! Just whisk the following ingredients together in a bowl. This makes enough for marinating 2 pounds of steak:

• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of spice mixture
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce

How to make and store homemade Montreal seasoning

To make the blend, just add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.

This Montreal steak seasoning recipe makes 2 1/2 cups of spice mix. Store the spices in a sealed jar and keep them in a dry location of your kitchen, away from heat or moisture.

Be sure to check out my complete collection of homemade spice blends.

This post, first published on Kevin is Cooking Sept 2, 2013, was last updated with new content on Jan. 13, 2022.

Montreal Seasoning Recipe + Video

This Montreal steak seasoning recipe uses basic spices and orange zest. Lower in salt than the original, it's great on any grilled meat.

5 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Pantry Staples

Cuisine: Canadian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 480 servings

Calories: 2kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 cup black pepper coarse ground
• 1/2 cup kosher salt coarse grind
• 1/3 cup dried garlic chips (See Note 1)
• 1/3 cup onion powder
• 3 tbsp paprika
• 3 tbsp dill seeds or caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp dried orange peel (See Note 2)

Instructions

• In a bowl mix the kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, dehydrated garlic, onion powder, paprika, dill seeds and orange peel. Store in a dry location in an airtight container.
• This recipe makes 2 1/2 cups (See Note 3). Store in a sealed jar.

Notes

1. Feel free to use fresh garlic if using the rub immediately. If you want, you can substitute 3 tablespoons of granulated garlic for the garlic chips.
2. I typically use Penzy’s orange peel that comes in small chip form. If using a fresh orange: Using a citrus zester, remove half of an orange’s peel, being careful not to get any of the white pith part. You want just the zest and its essential oil. If not planning to use right away, spread the orange zest on a piece of parchment paper to dry out. This helps prevent the Montreal steak seasoning from clumping.
3. This recipe makes 2 1/2 cups = 40 tbsp = 120 tsp = 480 1/4 tsp servings. Use as you prefer.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 2kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @KevinIsCooking and hashtag me #keviniscooking!

Other homemade spice blends to make

Making spice blends at home saves money and allows you to control the ingredients, too. The next time you’re making chili, use homemade chili powder.