5 Pantry Seasoning Blends That Double As Great Burger Seasoning

If you want to make the perfect burger, choosing and prepping the patty is only half the battle. You can buy the most expensive beef there is and cook it flawlessly, but it's all for naught if you don't bring your seasoning game. Obviously, the old standby of salt and pepper is a great base. There are also a number of store-bought burger seasonings that will automatically elevate your burger, as will any first-class steak seasoning. But what if you are looking for a more unique flavor for your next five-star burger?

My wife and I have been making homemade burgers for years now, and we've experimented with all kinds of different seasonings. We are big Kinder's fans — the Cowboy Butter and Buttery Steakhouse are 10/10 — and enjoy the classic steakhouse flavor that Montreal Steak seasoning brings. But there are a few other pantry seasonings we've utilized that we really enjoy despite them not being specifically recommended for burgers or steaks.

If you're looking for something a little more out-of-the-box, here are five pantry seasonings that work just as strongly on burgers. Highlighting five different brands, each of these picks presents a completely different type of flavor that may elevate your next homemade meal.

Kinder's makes several great burger and steak seasonings. Beyond the Cowboy Butter and Buttery Steakhouse blend, there is also the Butcher's Burger Blend, Tavern Burger, Caramelized Onion Burger — well, I could go on and on. You can have a whole spice rack full of just Kinder's burger seasonings, and they're all great. However, I wanted to spotlight one Kinder's seasoning that isn't advertised as being specifically for burgers that still makes an incredibly tasty burger. That is, if you enjoy burgers with a little Latin flair. For that, grab a jar of The Taco Blend for your next at-home burger night.

Kinder's Taco Blend boasts several kinds of chilis as its base, plus the usual salt and spices. Yet, it's the hint of lime that really makes it stand out among more basic taco seasonings — and that lime will really sing once it's cooked into your burger. Obviously, you can taco-ize only your burger and still otherwise dress it like a regular burger for a unique and tasty concoction. However, I suggest taking it all the way, using various taco night staples for a spicy flavor boost that gives you more of a true taco burger. Cervezas optional.

Maybe it's not a huge stretch that taco seasoning would work well for burgers, since tacos can be made with beef (and the seasoning needs to pair with beef). More surprising, perhaps, is that seasonings that are specifically designed for chicken can also make for a tasty burger. That is most certainly the case with Weber's Kick 'N Chicken seasoning, despite the brand's website only specifically listing poultry, pork, and seafood as the intended targets.

Never one to do what I'm told when it comes to cooking — which, full disclosure, often backfires on me, but I digress — I tried Kick 'N Chicken on a burger and was instantly in love with the results. The garlic and red pepper are burger staples, but it's the orange peel and the citrusy twist it brings to a burger that really impressed me. Now, ketchup and mustard might clash with the orange flavor a bit, so I would recommend you go a different route with the condiments. I suggest an aioli instead (here's everything you need to know about aoli), with avocado aioli being what I personally find works best here.

As mentioned, McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning is a longtime favorite among burger lovers, as are several of the brand's beef-specific seasonings from the Grill Mates line. But I'm going to blow your mind here and suggest instead that you try the Grill Mates seasoning that not only isn't meant for burgers but isn't meant for beef at all: McCormick's Grill Mates Garden Vegetable seasoning.

Though intended for seasoning veggies on the grill, the Grill Mates Garden Vegetable seasoning likewise works best for grilled burgers. It not only includes classic burger flavors like garlic and black pepper, but the generous onion flakes are the game changer here. Obviously, you can simply add onion powder or onion flakes to a burger alongside their other seasonings of choice — and many folks do — but having them blended in together here with a well-curated proportion of garlic and black pepper helps prevent overdoing the onion flavor.

Overdoing the onion flavor is a common mistake with seasoning a burger that can be difficult to mask once it's cooked in. It also makes your guests not want to sit by each other for the rest of the cookout.

While Old Bay seasoning is only explicitly advertised as being for seafood and chicken, the packaging also vaguely refers to "meats" as being something to use it for, which can naturally include beef and burgers. Now, there are plenty of folks reading this right now that are screaming at their phones, saying, "Obviously, you put Old Bay on a burger, and basically everything else for that matter!" If you're one of them, feel free to continue scrolling.

However, if you're among those for whom anything but fish and chicken constitute an unexpected way to use Old Bay seasoning, you are in for a treat the next time you fry up some burgers. What Old Bay brings to a burger is a mix of salty and a little spicy with an herbal finish. If you're a fan of celery salt as opposed to just basic table salt, you'll really dig Old Bay on a burger.

Paprika also comes forward strongly among Old Bay's 18 herbs and spices, a seasoning that not many think to put on a burger but is top tier when it's part of a blend like this. Best of all, you don't have to do anything differently with the condiments or veggies for a burger seasoned with Old Bay, as the classics will all pair with the flavor of the patty beautifully.

Last, but certainly not least, you'll typically find this final recommendation in the same aisle as the regular seasonings, just a little further down. Though labeled as being a "soup and dip mix," rubbing Lipton Onion Soup mix into a burger as it's cooking is actually a classic and delicious upgrade that older generations are already well familiar with, but millennials and younger may not be aware of.

It makes sense if you think about it. The Onion Soup Mix brings the salty, oniony taste to your burger that many other burger seasonings do. Plus, it's made to be turned into soups and dips by adding very little else, as the mix itself does the bulk of the heavy lifting in terms of flavor.

So, this is one that is great for those who just want to slap down the patty and only have to worry about adding one thing to the burger to guarantee big flavor, without needing to do anything else. Whether you grew up on burgers seasoned this way or were "today years old" when you learned this was even a thing, grab a packet for your next burger night and enjoy a truly classic-tasting homemade burger.