This homemade Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Rub copycat combines savory herbs, robust garlic, and a hint of sweetness to perfectly season steak and other meats. The blend creates a rich, buttery crust and intense flavor that elevates any backyard grilling session.
If you’re looking for that signature rich, savory, and slightly smoky flavor that makes restaurant steaks so irresistible, this homemade copycat for Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Rub is exactly what you need.
It masterfully blends robust spices like garlic, pepper, and paprika with a hint of dried butter powder, creating an intense crust and a depth of flavor that complements beef, chicken, or even vegetables.
Skip the store-bought bottles and mix up your own batch to instantly elevate your next backyard grilling session into a truly memorable meal.
Why You Will Love This Recipe!
- Restaurant-Quality Flavor: It delivers the signature rich, savory, and slightly smoky profile that makes steaks taste like they came from a high-end steakhouse.
- Ultimate Customization: You control the ingredients, allowing you to adjust the salt, pepper, and spice levels to perfectly suit your personal taste preferences.
- Incredible Versatility: While designed for steak, this rub is fantastic on virtually all proteins, including chicken, pork chops, burgers, and even roasted vegetables.
- Budget-Friendly: Making your own seasoning blends at home is significantly cheaper than constantly buying pre-mixed bottles from the grocery store.
- Perfect Crust: The blend, especially with the butter powder, creates an amazing crust on meat during grilling or searing, locking in all the juices.
Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Rub Seasoning Ingredients
- Unsalted butter: Essential fat providing richness, flavor, and a signature buttery taste.
- Salt: Primary seasoning that enhances the savory flavor profile of the meat.
- Black pepper, freshly ground: Sharp, pungent spice providing crucial heat and aroma.
- Garlic powder: Concentrated allium flavor delivering robust, savory depth to the rub.
- Onion powder: Milder allium spice complementing garlic while adding savory complexity.
- Brown sugar: Small addition of sweetness balancing the intense savory and spice notes.
- Smoked paprika: Deep, vibrant color and essential smoky flavor for the steakhouse effect.
- Dried rosemary, crushed: Piney, pungent herb adding complexity and classic savory notes.
- Dried thyme: Earthy, slightly minty herb pairing beautifully with rosemary and beef.
- Cayenne pepper (Optional): Provides an optional, subtle kick of heat and fiery depth.
How To Make Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Rub Seasoning
Step One: Melt the butter completely in a small saucepan. Cook the butter over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the moisture evaporates and the milk solids turn golden brown (browning the butter). Cool to room temperature.
Step Two: In a medium bowl, whisk together the salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. Add the optional cayenne pepper now if you desire extra heat.
Step Three: Pour the butter over the dry ingredients and whisk it into the dry spice mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
Step Four: Pour the finished seasoning blend into a small, airtight container or jar.
Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Rub Seasoning Recipe Tips
- Use Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Do not use pre-ground pepper if possible. Freshly grinding your black pepper adds a much more potent aroma and sharp flavor, which is essential for a good steakhouse rub.
- Crush the Herbs: Before mixing, lightly crush the dried rosemary and dried thyme between your fingers or in a mortar and pestle. This releases their essential oils, making their flavor much more aromatic and powerful in the final rub.
- Source Butter Powder: For a true, shelf-stable copycat rub (one that stores long-term), use a high-quality dried butter powder instead of liquid butter. This allows the rub to remain a dry mix while delivering the buttery flavor.
- Control the Smoke: Adjust the amount of smoked paprika based on your preference. If you like a very bold, smoky flavor, you can slightly increase the amount.
- Sift for Smoothness: After combining everything, run the finished rub through a fine-mesh sieve or give it a quick pulse in a food processor. This ensures there are no clumps of sugar or powder, guaranteeing an even coat on your meat.
Storing Instructions
Always store the finished rub in an airtight jar in a cool, dark pantry. Moisture and light degrade the spices quickly. If stored properly, it should last for up to 6 months.
Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Rub Seasoning Recipe Faqs
Why is my rub clumping? Clumping is usually caused by moisture, especially from the brown sugar. Ensure all your measuring tools are completely dry, and if you live in a humid area, you can slightly decrease the brown sugar or add a teaspoon of cornstarch to absorb moisture.
Can I use regular paprika instead of smoked paprika? Yes, but it will significantly change the flavor. Smoked paprika is key to achieving that deep, smoky, steakhouse depth of flavor. Regular paprika is much milder and sweeter.
Is this rub spicy? No, the base recipe is savory, rich, and not spicy. The only heat comes from the black pepper. If you want a kick, add the optional cayenne pepper.
How long will the rub stay fresh? When stored properly in an airtight container, the rub should remain potent for about 6 months. After that, the spices will start to lose their flavor and aroma.
How much rub should I use per steak? Generally, use about 1 tablespoon of rub per pound of meat. Pat the meat dry, rub the seasoning firmly onto all surfaces, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
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Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Rub Seasoning Recipe
Description
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar, which is also 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Gently melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan or microwave until just liquid. Crucially, allow the melted butter to cool completely to room temperature before proceeding.
- In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, rosemary, thyme, and the optional cayenne pepper.
- Gradually pour the cooled melted butter over the dry spice mixture. Stir constantly until all the spices are uniformly moistened and the rub achieves a texture resembling wet, gritty sand.
- Let the finished rub sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes. This resting time is vital as it allows the dried herbs and spices to fully absorb the butter's fat, significantly intensifying the overall flavor.
- The rub is now ready to use! To save it for later, transfer the mixture to an airtight container and keep it refrigerated, where it will remain fresh for up to two weeks.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowl
Nutrition
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