This Is The Only Burger Seasoning Blend You'll Ever Need

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Dusty old cookbooks, handwritten recipe cards, and, of course, the internet are filled to the brim with all manner of ideas for how and even when to season your burgers. Each method has its merits. Whether you come from a household that salts the beef before forming patties, a long line of last-minute sprinklers, or even folks who give burgers an umami boost with fish sauce, odds are you've done at least a little experimenting in pursuit of the tastiest results. All that tinkering ends today — Burlap & Barrel's Umami Steak Seasoning is the final word in the great burger seasoning debate.

This terrific mix marries granulated garlic and shallots, wind-blown sea salt (!), black Urfa chile, a duo of fancy peppercorns, smoked paprika, and coriander for a burst of earthy savoriness right out of the jar. The garlic brings its signature pungency, the shallots add a touch of vegetal sweetness, the chile's just a wisp hot, and the peppercorns, paprika, and coriander all carry a familiar bouquet to fill out the full profile. 

This dynamic blend is intended for steaks, but treating your burgers like steaks affects the most delicious outcomes, and this is among the easiest ways to do so. Spice rack-friendly, 2.3-ounce containers are available for about $13, or you can commit to a mighty 19-ounce portion directly from Burlap & Barrel for just under $40.

You can tinker with when to add Burlap & Barrel Umami Steak Seasoning to your burgers, just as you would with salt. The company suggests using it both before cooking and as a finisher, and also promises that it helps promote browning. We've found that shaking on a good coating before searing yields excellent results, so form your patties and load 'em up with this brilliant spice mix right before you introduce them to the pan, flat top, or grill.

Should Burlap & Barrel be in short supply wherever you buy your spices, you can approximate a similar blend with the seasoning's listed ingredients. It's challenging to replicate its sourcing regions, however, which include Turkey for the chiles, Spain for the paprika, and Vietnam for the coriander. You could also split the difference and try PS Seasoning King Shallot Black Garlic Spice Blend, which adds garlic, sea salt, and other items to the titular alliums, and further adapt it with complementary enhancements from your own spice collection.