6-20-2025 5:19am

14 Top Burger

The 14 Absolute Best Seasonings For Your Burgers

By Chelsea Falin, thedailymeal.com

There's nothing quite like a burger fresh off the grill or straight out of the pan — and there are so many ways to make them that you could eat one every night for a month straight without ever having the same meal. But what the best burger recipes have in common is that they go heavy on the seasonings. Whether you plan to make your next burger like Julia Child, your mom, or your favorite fast food place, know that seasonings should be your first thought, not an afterthought. That being said, you may be wondering which seasonings are the absolute best for your burgers.

During my more than 15 years in the food industry, I made countless burgers and utilized dozens of different seasoning profiles. You see, the great thing about this is there isn't any definitive "best" option, and the only "wrong" option is to skip the spices altogether. But, in case you need some inspiration to get started, I'm sharing the 14 absolute best seasonings for your burgers I've used and recommend.

1. Your Burger Standard

Your "burger standard" is really the standard for most savory profiled dishes — salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. I use these on more than 75% of the dishes I make, and that's just before I add other seasonings to them. The reason this quad works so well is that it offers everything you might need to make food taste great. Salt is a flavor enhancer, while pepper provides a little kick of spice. Onion powder offers a little earthiness, and garlic powder adds a big, tangy kick that I just can't live without.

Unlike some other options, this seasoning combo isn't only good on beef burgers; it's also perfect on venison and black bean burgers. My preference is to start with this spice quad and add another seasoning (or two) depending on what flavor I'm trying to achieve. However, if you're in a rush or just looking for something simple, it's not mandatory to add anything extra.

2. Watkins 1868 Organic Grilling Cracked Peppercorn Parmesan Seasoning

We'll start off strong with something you might not immediately think of as a burger seasoning, but it's one of my favorites. In fact, I not only use the Watkins 1868 Organic Grilling Cracked Peppercorn Parmesan Seasoning for my burgers, but also for making a classic meatloaf recipe and meatballs — basically any ground beef-based dish. Admittedly, this isn't the best option for other types of burgers, so I'd choose something else if you're making turkey, venison, or black bean burgers.

This seasoning mix contains garlic, sea salt, onion, black pepper, butter powder, and Parmesan cheese powder. I usually add a little bit of extra salt due to my preferences.

Mix this seasoning in with the ground beef (alongside your extra salt) before forming your patties. Once your patties are laid on the grill, add the tiniest dash of garlic powder to level up that flavor profile. When done, I like to serve my burgers with provolone cheese, tomato, lettuce, and mayo for what I believe to be an ideal pairing.

3. Chef Merito Steak & Meat Seasoning

I know this says it's a steak seasoning, but trust me when I say it's amazing on your burgers. Use this for any kind of burger, including black bean burgers, to give it a slightly spicy, deeply umami flavor profile that's truly mouthwatering.

The Chef Merito Steak & Meat Carne Seasoning contains paprika, salt, sugar, garlic, MSG, oregano, cumin, onion, and black pepper. What's particularly great is that it also contains papain, which makes it useful for tougher meats like steaks because it naturally tenderizes them. I don't add anything else when I use this seasoning mix as it contains enough salt for my tastes (which is what I usually end up needing to add). However, you should know that this contains a cross-contamination warning for eggs, soy, and wheat, so it's not appropriate for people with those allergies or intolerances.

I like to sprinkle a little seasoning into the meat before forming my patties and then add a small sprinkle on top during cooking to properly distribute the flavors. For a spicy, Latin-inspired burger, top it with a little queso, jalapeños, and tomato.

4. Grill Mates Worcestershire Pub Burger Seasoning