Montreal Steak Seasoning Recipe

5 from 9 votes

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

montreal steak seasoning in tipped over glass jar


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!

two uncooked ribeye with spice rub

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.

montreal steak seasoning in glass jar

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.

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montreal steak seasoning in tipped over glass jar

Montreal Seasoning Recipe + Video

5 from 9 votes
This Montreal steak seasoning recipe uses basic spices and orange zest. Lower in salt than the original, it's great on any grilled meat.
Servings: 480 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes

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.

Video

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.

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

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.

Course: Pantry Staples
Cuisine: Canadian
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
titled image: jar of steak seasoning

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.

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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33 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Kevin I want to thank you for your spice blends; my husband is on a low sodium diet due to high blood pressure and thanks to your blends I am able to make tasty meals for us despite having to omit the salt. I bake everything from scratch, and cook all meals. Thanks for your inspiration!

    1. Making your own allows you to better adjust to suit your needs, right? So glad you enjoy these and thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know Jen. Cheers!

    1. Option for Canada was not there when I made this a year and a half ago, but recipe plugin has it now so updated. Thanks for the reminder Lordie! Cheers! 🙂

      1. Would you have a recommendation on how much fresh minced garlic should be substituted for the dried variety? I’m considering using this in a chicken recipe I discovered, because of a health issue with my husband, I am forced to severely cut back on any spicy ingredients (such as cayenne, black pepper, etc.) and this recipe seems like an ideal candidate for a contender as a substitute! The issue I have is the fresh versus dried, because I’ll be making mine using fresh orange zest and fresh garlic. Any recommendations for me? 😃

        Thanks for your time and consideration. Enjoy the weekend!

        [EDIT: Correcting an ‘autocorrect’ word change. SMH]

      2. And I’m guessing here, but approx 1/3 cup garlic chips = a little less than 1/4 cup minced fresh, or 10 teaspoons.

      1. 5 stars
        Anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows the term “American” is a term referencing the U.S. and its inhabitants. While Canada is in North America, it is never referenced as “American.” Perhaps you need a refresher at that “college” you must have attended because they failed to distinguish the term for you. Maybe they were spending too much time on other non-essentials. 😆😉

        Besides… you’re commenting to something that was ~3 years old and had already been addressed. Way to go! 👏

  2. 5 stars
    So happy you shared this recipe! Montreal seasoning is my favorite for grilling. How cool that you make your own blend, I am going ahead and pinning them all – I know they will come in handy!

  3. 5 stars
    You always post the best homemade spice blends, Kevin. Montreal is my favorite for steaks on the grill and I’m happy to have YOUR formula (because I trust it!) for making my own.

    1. Thanks Marissa, I love to make them myself and consciously cut the salt whenever I can without sacrificing the flavor. This is a good one!

  4. 5 stars
    Oh I’m busted! I am SOO guilty of using the store bought montreal seasoning. 🙂 Oops? To be fair, I don’t use it on MY food, but I’ve used it on the hubsters steaks. Wait.. that’s probably worse, huh? lol. All that stops now, because your seasoning looks PERFECT, Kevin! Even your photos are gorgeous. Only you could make seasoning look so puuuurrrty! Pinned! Can’t wait to try this! Cheers, buddy!

    1. Thanks Chey, you could easily cut this recipe into 4ths for a small batch. Have a great St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, too. Cheers!

  5. I hate those pre-packaged blends because of all that sodium. This is awesome! Pinning now, and sending to my dad, who is addicted to spice blends 🙂

  6. Oh my gosh, we are obsessed with this stuff at my house. My kids ask for it by name on their steaks. What a great idea to make your own!

  7. I tend to avoid the prepackaged seasoning mixes when possibly because they do have a lot of salt. Great idea making your own and I do enjoy Montreal seasoning. Love the touch of orange zest in there. Pinned! Perfect next time we break out steak for the grill…..spring can’t come soon enough 🙂 Have a great weekend and St. Patrick’s Day!

    1. I make most of mine in batches and prefer it. Thought I’d do a new video series on all of them. Have a great St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow as well Dawn! 🙂