5 Steak Seasonings To Buy At Walmart, And 4 To Skip

If you're a frequent Walmart shopper, you know the supermarket's inventory can feel like a mixed bag. But that's also what makes it fun. Each shopping trip turns into an Easter egg hunt, trying to find the hidden gems scattered throughout the store. Then, when you turn up with a great product — like the spot-on Great Value Chicken Finger Dipping Sauce that's a Cane's dupe — it's even more gratifying.

That treasure hunt feeling carries over into all areas of the store, but it's as evident as ever in the spice aisle. It's often lined with big names, but you know as well as I do that even those can be hit or miss. It can feel like sifting through a sea of salt, pepper, and everything in between, trying to find the right seasoning. And the stakes are even higher when you're planning a steak dinner. There's no worse feeling than paying big money for a juicy ribeye or filet, just to have it ruined by an overly salty, aggressively spicy, or just plain subpar seasoning. True heartbreak.

That's why I took it upon myself to try nine different steak seasonings from Walmart — so you don't end up with an empty wallet and disappointed taste buds. It only felt right to pair Walmart-bought seasonings with a Walmart-bought steak. So that's what I did and got to work separating the seasoning duds from the must-buys, based on their mix of ingredients, bold flavors, and innate ability to elevate a steak.

A purveyor of grills with the seasonings to go with it. I actually conducted a recent review of all the Weber steak seasonings I could find, and somehow this one escaped my grasp. Now, I'm wishing I had found it sooner because it, without a doubt, would have ranked high in my taste test.

The Savory Steakhouse is the kind of seasoning that a.) lives up to its name and b.) doesn't back down to the heartiness and meaty power of steak. It has a coarse build — although not the coarsest I came across — and there's a pleasing range of colors, from the yellowed bits of dried garlic and onion to the red flakes of crushed pepper. Once applied, the blend adheres well enough to the steak and provides everything you could possibly want in a seasoning. It's the teensiest bit sweet, salty, and spicy, while still leaning heavily into notes of umami and allium. Even rosemary makes an appearance as the token herb for an unexpected accent of earthy pine.

It feels complete and complex. It reminded me a great deal of another Weber product, the Chicago Steak seasoning. Another great find with a similar profile, but that relied more on black pepper for its distinct flavor. Both are notable in their own way, and both deserve a spot on your Walmart shopping list.

It seems like Dan-O has gotten a bit too big for his britches. The brand is far too cocky about its seasoning blends. It claims to sell "the only seasoning you'll ever need" and asserts on its bottles, "You Don't Know Till You Dan-O." The schtick continues in the naming of its steak seasoning, dubbed "Preem-O" — a level of self-congratulation that feels a bit premature. I'm a firm believer that you should be humble and let your customers tell you if your product is primo or not. I suppose I would have taken all these cues a lot better and even thought them to be tongue-in-cheek if I had truly enjoyed the seasoning. But alas, I did not. It's all crunch and hardly any flavor.

There was no way I was mistaking this blend for any of the others as I cooked. It's defined by its coarseness and stark dark color, made up of black garlic, black sesame, black sea salt — essentially, blackened everything. But even though the recipe seems to be packed full of top-shelf spices and herbs, the taste comes off mild. I really only picked up on a hint of salt paired with some heat from the Aleppo pepper flakes. Worse than that, though, the blend seemed to dry out my steak rather than help to preserve its juiciness.

If you're looking for texture only, by all means, go with Dan-O. Otherwise, you're better off with something else.

Compared to Dan-O's, this bottle is a complete 180 in terms of both tone and taste. Instead of down-home casual with misplaced confidence, Osmo's presence is sleek, sexy, and refined. At first, I worried this was all smoke and mirrors to conceal an inferior product. But the brand backs up its image with a genuinely high-quality seasoning blend.

Osmo is actually the brainchild of chef Nick DiGiovanni, the "MasterChef" finalist and content creator who's been called the next Gordon Ramsay. He's built an entire line of seasonings around carefully curated flavors and premium ingredients like flaky white Kosher salt straight from the Pacific Ocean. The Signature Butcher Rub that I grabbed is seemingly simple at first, revealing just salt, garlic, onion, and spices on its ingredient list. But there's an entire umbrella of tastes hiding under that generic mention of spices. The powdery blend offers a touch of what tastes like a brown sugar sweetness before moving into its main flavor notes of strong black pepper and earthy herbs. I like that it doesn't lean too salty and that it appears to incorporate a dash of paprika — the orange coloring and faint smokiness nudge you in that direction. All of the above coalesce and create a flavorful char all around the steak.

Osmo is admittedly a bit of a splurge compared to other Walmart seasonings. But with a taste like this, it's well worth it.

If you've spent any time at all in a grocery store spice aisle, you know who rules the industry. The sheer volume of McCormick's red bottles alone is the perfect hint that it's the world's largest manufacturer of spices, herbs, and seasonings. The brand covers all its bases with all-purpose blends, topping seasonings, and, of course, medleys to fit any kind of meat you're cooking, including steak. I actually picked up two different McCormick steak seasonings and quickly learned that this Perfect Pinch bottle is far from the perfect pick.

I didn't have high expectations for this shaker bottle from the start. It shook out in an ultra-fine texture and a look similar to that of a seasoned meat tenderizer. After applying a generous amount to my steak, it still looked hardly seasoned. But if I looked closely after cooking, I could see a strange orange-y film coating the entire mini cut from end to end. In terms of flavor, all I picked up on was garlic powder, black pepper, and salt — a lot of salt. Your eyes pick up on the addition of paprika, but your taste buds don't, and the taste of celery seed only pops up in select bites.

There's a chance I over-applied this seasoning, and that's why it's so salty. But that doesn't change the fact that it's a dumbed-down and unremarkable take on steak seasoning. Perfect Pinch is a pass for me.

Kinder's may not have quite the same level of reach as McCormick's. But with over 75 years of experience under its belt and an entire army of grill-ready products, it's a respected name in the world of spices and seasonings.

Unsurprisingly, Kinder's has several steak seasonings in its repertoire. But I've heard good things about this specific blend and decided to give it a try. With the word "buttery" in the title, I figured, how bad could it be? And I was absolutely right. This bottle should be the buttery backbone of your spice cabinet. What makes it so good is the use of real butter. It sits at the core of the recipe and sets the tone for the rest — like a rich and lightly sweet golden thread. Larger bits of onion and garlic build on this powdery base. But there's also a brightness to the bottle from ingredients like red bell pepper and parsley, so it never feels too heavy or overly savory.

With only a mild spice coming from the cracked pepper, it makes for a crowd-pleasing pick. It also feels extremely versatile. Yes, it probably struts its stuff best when blanketed over a juicy filet or ribeye. But it would also pair seamlessly with chicken, burgers, or shrimp. The brand even offers a recipe that turns it into a creamy cauliflower and cheese dip.

I had my taste buds all ready for another indulgent, buttery experience, just like Kinders delivered, and this bottle let me down. It comes from a seasoning newcomer called Fire & Smoke Society that got its start in 2018 in Little Rock, Arkansas. It's steak seasoning really got my hopes up with the double mention of butter in the title, but it failed to win me over — predominantly because of one pesky ingredient.

Even though the butter notes aren't very pronounced (you can almost tell just by the blend's coloring that they're not), there are a few good flavors going on here. You have salt and garlic, as well as dried green onion and plenty of black pepper. It also surprised me with its punchy citrus notes, compliments of crystallized lemon. This addition gave it a more lemon-and-herb-wing-rub feel, which I could certainly get on board with.

The problem is that it was difficult to enjoy any of the above because of the overwhelming taste of tarragon — you know, the herb that tastes distinctly of anise (aka the flavor of black licorice)? I may be more sensitive to it than others, and if you really like tarragon, then you'll love this blend. But for me, it didn't feel like it fit in with the rest, and it robbed the seasoning of a more approachable flavor. Between this and the lack of buttery notes, I did not want this (Fire &) Smoke.

Spiceology canisters look like something you would use in a science experiment. Each one is labeled the same way an element on the periodic table is. And instead of a shakable bottle, this one has a screw-on lid only, so you're forced to scoop or pour it out very carefully. As I tried the Oh Canada steak seasoning, I went the latter route, and it turned out just fine (I was looking for a heavy pour anyway).

My first impression was that this isn't your average steakhouse blend. It looks pretty menacing there, eh? It's a Montreal-style blend — a type known for its coarseness, woodsy flavors, and dash of heat. So, it shows off a deep orange-red color throughout that just screams spice. Luckily, it's kinder than it looks. Must be that Canadian DNA. There's certainly some heat, don't get me wrong, but it's manageable. It leans more on thick salt crystals, garlic, and that warm, smoky taste of Hungarian-style paprika to give it its main flavor. Then, at the last second, it hits you with those red pepper flakes. It's everything it promises on the jar: savory, salty, and slightly spicy. You might as well tack smoky onto the list as well to round it out and to hint at those Southwest flavors.

It's a wildcard seasoning that was unexpected. But I'm imagining how good it would taste covering a grilled skirt steak served with a side of blistering peppers and onions.

I hate to disrespect the Mayor of Flavortown. But I found his Ultimate Steak Butter Rub to be underwhelming at best. Guy Fieri is usually known for being bold — from his spiky white hair and flame-covered shirt to his flavor-blasted sauces and other products. However, this rub is missing that signature Fieri fire.

I think part of the problem is that it's trying to be too many things at once. I mean, just look at the ingredient list. It's a mile long, covering everything from salt, butter, and sugar to white wine, Dijon mustard, and turmeric. Applied to the steak, though, the most standout flavors are salt and black pepper with a subtle mustard tang. You don't get that pronounced butteriness of something like Kinder's Buttery Steakhouse seasoning, and it's not particularly unique in any other direction either. I picked up on a hint of spice, though it's hard to know where it's coming from, so it's labeled as generic. And in some bites, herbaceous notes take over. I would venture to guess that thyme and maybe some other herbs are involved, though that's not stated directly on the bottle.

I do have to give Guy credit in one area. This blend shakes out really nicely and clings really well to the surface of a steak. It leaves you with a lightly charred, seasoned layer sitting on top and bottom of every bite — now if only it were a touch more robust.

Another Montreal steak seasoning. McCormick takes it in a much different direction than Spiceology's Oh Canada blend, though. It feels like a more traditional take that's not quite as spice- or smoke-infused, but I like it all the same. The two are both successful in their own ways. I will also preface this by the fact that I accidentally picked up the 25% less sodium version of the McCormick Grill Mates bottle. I didn't even realize it as I tried it, and I still had it listed as a must-buy. So that's a testament to the seasoning's quality that goes beyond just dumping in more salt.

The best way I can describe this is an elevated version of an everyday steak seasoning. You have all your basic tastes and ingredients packed in, including a lower level of salt, pepper, onion, and garlic. Then, it's enlivened even more by paprika and red pepper that add to the complexity and zeal. My personal favorite part, though, is the addition of both coriander seeds and dill seeds. These pops of citrus and earthy pungency paired so well with the steak. They were surprising supplements, but ended up making the largest difference in taste.

If I'm being honest, I think the regular version might tip the scales in terms of saltiness. So I was happy about this oversight, and would 10/10 pick up this low-sodium bottle again.

This taste test started out with a bit of research on what steak seasonings tend to be popular at Walmart. After looking at what was available, I dug deeper into customer reviews and other online chatter about which ones seem to be the most prominent picks. I set out for the store with a few names in mind and left with nearly every steak-specific seasoning that was available in the spice aisle. I really cleaned house at my local Columbus, Ohio, Walmart to create the most comprehensive review possible.

A steak seasoning is nothing without a steak to sprinkle it on, so I also picked up a pair of Choice Angus New York strip steaks from the store — perhaps not the most glamorous pick, but it worked for my purposes. Once home, I cut each steak into smaller pieces and covered each one in a different seasoning before cooking them all on the stove in a cast iron skillet.

When it came time to taste, I was looking for a couple of key characteristics. Blend of ingredients was always the first thing I checked, as well as how much or little they show up in the actual taste of the seasoning. I wanted a bottle that had bold and diverse flavors, but that weren't overcomplicated or leaning too heavily into one area — being overly salty is one of the more obvious problems. Instead, I wanted a good mix of salty, savory, and even a little spice. A touch of pungency or bright flavors like citrus often kept things interesting as well. After evaluating all of this — as well as the important piece of how well the seasoning paired with a cut of steak — I was able to determine if each seasoning was a must-buy or better left on the Walmart shelf.