Gordon Ramsay Steak Seasoning Recipe

Gordon Ramsay’s steak seasoning is coarse sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil rubbed into the meat. That is it. Across five cookbooks and three videos, he never adds garlic powder, onion powder or a spice blend to a steak before cooking.

In his Las Vegas steakhouse video he explains why he seasons so heavily: “you lose 35 percent of the seasoning the minute it goes in the pan.” His method is to roll the steak through the salt and pepper on the board, then season it again just before it hits the heat. Two hits, not one.

The garlic, thyme and rosemary come later. He adds them to the pan once the sear is set, not to the meat before cooking, because dried spices burn at the temperatures needed for a proper crust.

Gordon Ramsay’s Steak Seasoning

Recipe by Sophie LaneCourse: SeasoningCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

steaks

Prep time

2

minutes

Calories

5

minutes

Total time

2

minutes

Not a spice blend. His actual method from five cookbooks and his Las Vegas steakhouse tips: coarse salt, cracked pepper, olive oil, applied in two rounds because 35% of the seasoning is lost in the pan. The aromatics go in the pan during cooking, never on the raw meat.

Ingredients

• For the seasoning:

• 1 tbsp coarse sea salt (flaky Maldon or kosher)

• 1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper (coarse, not fine)

• 1 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil

• For the pan (added during cooking, not before):

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed but whole

• 2-3 thyme sprigs

• 1-2 rosemary sprigs

• 15g (1 tbsp) butter

Directions

• Spread the seasoning: Scatter the salt and pepper onto a board or plate. He never measures on camera, so these are my tested quantities for two steaks after making this dozens of times.
• Roll the steak: Press the steak into the seasoning and roll it so the salt and pepper coat all sides. Ramsay says in the UCC to “roll the fillet in the seasoning” and in the MasterChef video to “be smart and roll it across.”
• Season again: Just before the steak goes into the hot pan, season it once more with another pinch of salt and pepper. This double hit is his rule because so much seasoning is lost on contact with the heat.
• Oil the steak, not the pan: Rub the olive oil into the meat. In Ramsay in 10 he writes “smear the steaks with olive oil, then season.” The oil helps the seasoning stick and promotes an even sear.
• Aromatics in the pan: Once the steak has a sear on all sides, add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and butter. Tilt the pan and baste the steak with the frothy butter. He calls this “treating the steak like perfume” in the steakhouse video.

Notes

He seasons by eye in every video and never gives amounts. These are my tested quantities. If you want to make a batch, triple the salt and pepper, store in a jar and use about a tablespoon per steak. The aromatics must be fresh, never dried, because dried herbs burn at high heat and taste bitter.

FAQs

What seasoning does Gordon Ramsay actually use on steak?

Salt and pepper. In every cookbook and every video, it is the same two ingredients. The Ultimate Cookery Course says “season your steak well with lots of salt and pepper.” Ultimate Home Cooking says “season the beef all over.” Ramsay in 10 says “season with salt and pepper.” Five books, same answer.

The difference is not what he uses but how much. In the steakhouse video he says you lose 35% in the pan, and in the MasterChef video he says 30%. Either way, the message is the same: if you think you have seasoned enough, season more.

For Ramsay’s filet mignon with mushroom gratin he rolls the steak through the seasoning on the board so the salt and pepper coat the sides as well as the top and bottom.

How does Ramsay season a steak step by step?

He puts the salt and pepper on a board, not on the steak. Then he presses the steak into the seasoning and rolls it so it coats every surface. Just before cooking, he seasons it a second time.

The rolling technique matters because sprinkling from above misses the sides, and the sides touch the pan first. For the butter-basted sirloin he seasons “generously on both sides, pushing the seasoning into the meat” which is the same pressing action. The coarser the salt and pepper, the better they grip the surface.

Why does Ramsay not use garlic powder on steak?

Because garlic powder burns at the temperature needed to sear a steak. A cast iron pan for searing hits 250-300C, and dried garlic powder scorches above 170C. The result is a bitter, acrid crust instead of a clean sear.

His solution is to add fresh garlic to the pan AFTER the sear, along with thyme, rosemary and butter. In Ramsay’s whole roast beef fillet the step reads: “add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and roll the beef around with the herbs.” The aromatics flavour the butter, and the butter flavours the steak. Fresh garlic in hot butter is a completely different flavour from garlic powder on raw meat.

Is this a steak rub or a dry brine?

Neither. A rub is a spice blend you massage into meat and leave for hours. A dry brine is salt applied well in advance so it draws out moisture, dissolves, and is reabsorbed.

Ramsay’s method is a last-minute seasoning applied just before cooking.

He never salts a steak ahead of time in any of his cookbooks. The salt goes on, the steak goes straight into the pan. If you prefer to dry brine, salt the steak an hour ahead and leave it uncovered in the fridge, but that is not what he does.

For the cast iron steak the method is the same: season, then straight into a smoking hot pan.

Does the same seasoning work for grilled steak?

Yes. In the steakhouse video he says these tips apply to the pan and the grill. The only difference on a grill is that you cannot add butter and aromatics the same way, so he suggests putting the garlic and herbs on after the steak comes off the heat.

For a peppercorn-crusted version where the seasoning IS the feature, steak au poivre uses the same salt and pepper base but presses extra cracked pepper into both sides before searing, then builds a brandy cream sauce in the pan. The seasoning technique is identical, just with more pepper.