Montreal Steak Seasoning substitute

Substitutes for Montreal Steak Seasoning with ratios

1. 2Coarse Salt Plus Cracked Pepper Plus Garlic Powder

   Close match

   Use 1 tbsp Montreal seasoning for every 1 tsp coarse salt + 1 tsp cracked black pepper + ½ tsp garlic powder

   The three-ingredient version, which is most of what the blend is by weight anyway.

   What changes

   Best for

   any grilled or pan-seared steak, burgers, a last-minute cook with a bare cupboard

   Honestly close, because salt and pepper make up the majority of Montreal spice. What is missing is the coriander and dill, so the crust tastes straightforwardly peppery instead of having that faintly citrusy, pickle-like aroma in the background. Nobody at the table will complain. If you have whole coriander seed, crushing a pinch into this takes ten seconds and gets you noticeably closer than adding anything else.

2. 3Coarse Black Pepper Plus Pickling Spice, Crushed

   Close match

   Use 1 tbsp Montreal seasoning for every 2 tsp cracked pepper + 1 tsp coarse salt + ½ tsp crushed pickling spice

   A clever shortcut, because pickling spice already contains coriander, dill and mustard seed, which are exactly the aromatics in Montreal spice.

   What changes

   Best for

   steak and roast beef, smoked brisket, when you have a jar of pickling spice and no separate coriander or dill seed

   This works better than it sounds and the family resemblance is real, since Montreal steak spice grew out of the pickling and deli-curing spices used for smoked meat. Crush the pickling spice coarsely and pick out any large bay leaf or cinnamon fragments first, because those will taste out of place on a steak and can turn bitter over the flame. Expect a slightly sweeter, more clove-and-allspice edge than the original depending on your blend.

3. 4Cajun or Creole Seasoning

   Taste and texture differ

   Use the same amount and taste for salt

   A ready-made savoury rub that will season beef properly, just in a different accent.

   What changes

   Best for

   burgers, steak when you want heat, chicken and shrimp, grilled vegetables

   It gets the salting job done and the crust job partly done, but the flavour lands somewhere else: cayenne heat up front, dried oregano and thyme behind it, and usually a much finer texture, so the coarse crackly crust does not form. A ribeye rubbed with Cajun seasoning is very good, it just does not taste like Montreal steak spice. Salt levels vary widely between brands, so taste the blend before you decide how heavily to season.

4. 5Steak Sauce Plus Cracked Pepper (wet, not dry)

   Taste and texture differ

   Use 1 tbsp steak sauce brushed on + 1 tsp cracked pepper + ½ tsp coarse salt for every steak

   A different route to the same destination when you have no whole spices at all but do have a bottle in the fridge door.

   What changes

   Best for

   pan-seared steak, burgers, broiled or oven-cooked beef

   Be clear that this changes the cooking, not just the flavour. A wet coating will not char the way a dry rub does, it browns and can burn because of the sugar in the sauce, and the meat will not develop a dry crust. Pat the steak dry, salt it, brush thinly, and cook a touch cooler. The flavour goes tangy and slightly sweet rather than peppery-savoury. Use this when the alternative is unseasoned steak, not as a first choice.

5. 6Just Coarse Salt and Pepper, Applied Properly

   Different taste

   Use ¾ tsp coarse salt + ¾ tsp cracked pepper for every pound of steak

   The answer plenty of steakhouse cooks would give you, which deserves stating rather than dressing up.

   What changes

   Best for

   high-quality steak, dry-brining a roast overnight, anyone who wants the beef to taste like beef

   The technique carries this more than the ingredients do. Salt the meat at least 40 minutes ahead, or overnight in the fridge uncovered, so the surface dries and the salt penetrates, then add the cracked pepper just before it hits the heat so it does not scorch. You lose the garlic-onion savour and the coriander aroma, so the result tastes cleaner and more purely beefy. On a good steak that is arguably better. On a cheap thin cut, the missing aromatics are more of a loss.