Take your steaks and grilled meat from bland to bold with this simple cracked peppercorn steak rub recipe. All you need is 5 minutes and a handful of pantry ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Peppercorn steak rub is a perfect coating for your favorite cuts of beef, like juicy ribeyes, flavorful strips, or succulent pork chops and roasts to amplify their flavor.
- Use the steak rub to coat meat, or include it in marinades.
- Whip up a big batch of this simple homemade seasoning and store it in your pantry when you crave the classic steakhouse flavor.
Tools Used to Make this Recipe
Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to crush the coarsely ground black pepper and coriander for peppercorn steak rub to coat the steak. Store the spice blend in an airtight container like a mason jar.
How to Make Peppercorn Steak Rub
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Add whole black peppercorns and coriander seeds to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Process until coarsely ground.
Tip: For the best results, work in batches.
Step 2: Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and stir in the kosher salt, ground mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and dried thyme.
Expert Tips
- Start with fresh spices – this makes all the difference since spices lose their flavor over time, especially ground spices.
- Grind whole black pepper and coriander in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle for the best texture. You can use ground pepper and coriander, but it won’t have the coarse and chunky texture traditional peppercorn rubs offer.
- Store the spice blend in an airtight container to maintain freshness and flavor. Keep the container in a cool, dry place to ensure the best quality.
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Serving Suggestions
Homemade peppercorn steak rub is an excellent way to flavor meat before grilling, pan-frying, or roasting. Apply the rub generously to steak (ribeye, tri-tip, NY strip), pork chops, beef ribs, lamb roast, or grilled chicken, and pat it into the meat to ensure it adheres. I especially love to pair it with grilled bison steak, lamb shoulder chops, or meat with a sweeter flavor profile.
What to do With the Leftovers
- Storage – Transfer leftover peppercorn rub to an airtight container. It will keep in your pantry or cabinet for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you rub steak before or after cooking?
Pat the steaks dry, then press them into the peppercorn steak rub to start. When grilling the meat, sprinkle extra rub over the meat halfway through the cooking process since the rub can sometimes get lost or burnt during the grilling process.
More Spice Blend Recipes:
Peppercorn Steak Rub
- 6 tablespoons whole black peppercorn, coarsely ground
- 4 tablespoons coriander seeds, coarsely ground
- 6 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Add whole black peppercorns and coriander seeds to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Process until coarsely ground. Tip: For the best results, work in batches.
- Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and stir in the kosher salt, ground mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and dried thyme.
- Start with fresh spices – this makes all the difference since spices lose their flavor over time, especially ground spices.
- Grind whole black pepper and coriander in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle for the best texture. You can use ground pepper and coriander, but it won’t have the coarse and chunky texture traditional peppercorn rubs offer.
- Store the spice blend in an airtight container to maintain freshness and flavor. Keep the container in a cool, dry place to ensure the best quality.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.