Top Spices and Seasonings for Grilling

Half of the battle when grilling is getting the seasoning right. To ensure you’re well-equipped with seasoning know-how to create amazing grilled dishes this summer, we’ve listed the 8 best general spices and seasonings below.

Beyond these general seasonings, we’ve also included our top 6 seasoning blends for grilling. Whether you’re a novice griller or a seasoned pro, having these general seasonings and special seasoning blends on hand will have you ready to get that grill going and cook masterpieces all season long.

Top 8 General Spices and Seasonings

Salt

Salt is the most basic of seasonings and is used to add flavor to a wide variety of foods throughout the world. When added during the cooking process, it is a tried-and-true flavor enhancer. Finishing salts can also be used after cooking to further infuse flavor into your meats.

Pepper & Peppercorns

Pepper adds both heat and depth of flavor to an array of foods and enhances other flavors in the dish. Pepper comes in different forms, from finely ground to whole peppercorns. Choose to add pepper to your marinades, atop meat or veggies when grilling, or post-grilling for added seasoning.

Chili Powders

Chili powders are available in different varieties and the amount of heat and flavor a particular variety delivers is based on the peppers they’re made from. General chili powder is the mildest and used frequently in barbeque rubs. For an added kick of flavor, choose to add a variety of pepper powders such as jalapeno, sriracha, chipotle peppers, or cayenne!

Paprika

Made from ground sweet red pepper pods, paprika is available in sweet, spicy and smoked varieties. Known for its light flavor and rich color, it adds a wonderfully intense (but not overwhelming) flavor to many dishes, including meats and vegetables.

Ground Cumin

Ground cumin is a highly versatile spice that’s rich and earthy. It’s popularly used in taco seasonings but is also great if you’re looking to add a bit of warmth to meats or root vegetables.

Garlic Powder & Onion Powder

Both garlic powder and onion powder are staples that will enhance any homemade seasoning blend. Using just the right amount will add a nice nutty sweetness to vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood.

Dried Herbs

Dried varieties of herbs, such as rosemary, basil, parsley and oregano, are ideal for using in a rub or marinade – and you don’t have to worry about them going bad as you do with fresh herbs. Choose to infuse dried herbs into olive oil, soy, or other oils to create a marinade. Added to butter, herbs can create a unique seasoning experience when a dollop is added to just-off-the-grill meats!

Seeds

Seeds such as cardamom seed, celery seed and mustard seed add unique flavor to various dishes and are especially great to use in grilling. Whether you use ground seeds or whole seeds, they’ll bring delicious flavor to your dishes.

Best Seasoning Blends for Grilling

Backwoods Hickory Rub

Hickory powder combines with coarse spices like smoked sea salt and turbinado sugar, giving meats a wonderfully smoky and robust flavor.

Best for: Ribs, pork chops

Steakhouse Spice Blend

Made with a mix of peppercorns, smoked sea salt, garlic, onion and parsley, this unique spice blend is ideal for meats, but also works exceptionally well on vegetables and in side dishes.

Best for: Steak, burgers

Crazy Chicken Spice Blend

This spice blend is aptly named because it includes a crazy amount of spices that perfectly combine to add delicious flavor to any dish. While it is named “Crazy Chicken” – don’t let this limit you. Try mixed into burger patties or on pork!

Best for: Chicken, pork, burgers

Espresso Steak Rub

When you want steak with a rich, deep flavor, this is your go-to steak rub. With the ideal amount of salt, pepper, espresso beans, garlic, espresso sugar, onion and other seasonings, it never disappoints in creating the truly flavorful steak you crave.

Best for: Steak

Butchers Rub

Combining black pepper, kosher salt, garlic, onion, parsley, turbinado sugar and Worcestershire powder, this rub is our most popular seasoning for steaks, burgers, and meats. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’ll want to get some for this grilling season to wow your family and friends.

Best for: Steaks, burgers

Smokehouse Rub

To create a dish with the flavors of a Midwest BBQ, this tangy smokehouse rub is what you need. Great on pork, as well as poultry and seafood.

Best for: Pork, poultry, seafood

Grilling Gift Ideas

If you’re going to a BBQ and want to bring a gift for the grill master, we have some great options to choose from. Or, at home, offer a variety of options to your guests and season before grilling to create made-to-order favorites: