This simple ground beef seasoning uses every day pantry herbs and spices to create a perfect mix that will take your ground beef dishes to the next level.
If you cook ground beef regularly, this homemade ground beef seasoning is the must-have spice mix in your cupboard. Just a tablespoon or two will enhance the flavor of the meat without the hassle of having to open countless different spice containers every time.
For me, this spice blend is the best seasoning for ground beef, and for a good reason. I use it for meatballs, meatloaf, burgers, Frozen Ground Beef, Ground Beef Zucchini and Potatoes (or any pan-fried ground meat dish), Beef and Bean Soup (or other soup beef dumplings), and so on.
And should I make some beef tacos or Ground Beef Quesadillas and be out of taco seasoning, I also use this beef spice mixture for those recipes. And check out our super spicy Peri Peri Seasoning; it’s great for tacos too.
Other advantages of homemade beef seasoning
- Ingredient list: When making your own spice blends, you will know exactly what they contain. You can adjust the spices or amounts to suit your personal taste or dietary requirements. There are no hidden, unwanted additives and no sugar.
- Budget-friendly: The blend is made with inexpensive pantry staples. Buying simple spices is usually cheap, but seasoning packages can be expensive. Mixing your own seasonings will save money.
- Quick and easy: Mixing everything will take just a few minutes. You can make a big batch and save time every time you cook something with ground beef.
- Versatile: As mentioned above, you can add it to almost any ground beef dish. And not only; I often add it to beef roast, pork, lamb, or even to simple soups or stews. And I even used it as a steak rub from time to time.
Recipe ingredients
- Dried herbs: Parsley, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Paprika and pepper: Sweet paprika, sweet smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and ground black pepper.
- If using smoked hot paprika, it’s preferable to leave out the red pepper flakes, or the seasoning might be too hot. You can substitute them with a bit of cayenne pepper or chili powder, about 1/8 teaspoon.
- I use Hungarian sweet paprika most of the time, but Spanish sweet paprika is also great.
- Garlic powder and onion powder.
- Fine sea salt or kosher salt – not table salt (All Amazon affiliate links).
How to make a good ground beef seasoning?
- Measure out the ingredients into a bowl. Don’t try to eyeball the amounts, do use teaspoons and tablespoons.
- Whisk the ingredients until well blended. Garlic powder tends to form tiny clumps; ensure these clumps disappear.
- Transfer the spice blend to a small jar.
How much of the spice blend do I need for a recipe?
- The recipe makes about 5 tablespoons of ground beef seasoning.
- You will need about 1 tablespoon per 1 pound (500 g) of ground meat.
- But of course, you should adjust the amount according to taste.
Expert Tips
- Use fine sea salt or kosher salt for the beef seasoning. Table salt (iodized) is too strong, and the seasoning will be too salty. If you still want to use it, reduce the amount a bit.
- Use good quality spices, especially paprika. I think if there is one spice where you will notice the quality, it’s paprika. Cheap paprika tastes only of dust.
Recipe FAQ
In a small, closed jar (or another small airtight container) in a dark, dry place like a cupboard. This keeps the moisture out and prevents the spice mix from hardening. If the jar is made of dark-colored glass is even better (but not mandatory).
Many people like to keep spice jars on open shelves because they look pretty, but light exposure and too much kitchen warmth are never good for spices; they will diminish their quality.
It will be great for at least 3 months, probably longer when stored correctly. I prefer to make a new batch every 3 months or so.
No, only dried herbs. Fresh herbs would spoil quickly in the mixture.
You can use fresh herbs only if making a single small batch that you will use at once.
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Homemade Ground Beef Seasoning
Equipment
- Small jar
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary Note 1
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika Note 2
- 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika Note 3
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes Also note 3
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt or kosher salt Note 4
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Measure out all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Whisk them well to distribute the spices and herbs throughout the mixture evenly.
- Transfer the blend to a small jar, close it, and store it in a cool, dark cupboard. It will last for at least 3 months.
- Use about 1 tablespoon for each pound (500 g) of ground beef. Or use it to taste.
Notes
- You can substitute oregano, thyme, and rosemary with 1 tablespoon of mixed Italian herbs.
- Use the best-quality paprika you can afford. When it comes to paprika, it really makes a difference; the cheapest paprika has no flavor at all; it just feels like dust.
- I always use sweet smoked paprika for this blend. If you use hot smoked paprika, leave out the pepper flakes, or the ground beef seasoning might be too hot.
- The recipe is developed using fine sea salt. If using table salt, use a bit less, or the mixture might be too salty.