Burger Seasoning

By Becky Hardin

Updated Aug 13, 2026

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Every hamburger I cook for my family at home includes this simple Burger Seasoning recipe! I’ve combined a few herbs and spices to create a savory and smoky flavor. I simply mix it with my ground beef to form burger patties, then top with different things depending on what each family member loves most. This combo of spices is an easy way that I make burgers at home extra special.

Why I Make My Own Burger Seasoning From Scratch

Making homemade seasoning blends is one of my favorite kitchen hacks for simplifying mealtimes. I adjusted the ratios, compared it with store-bought packets, and taste-tested burger after burger with my family until I landed on the savory, slightly smoky flavor everyone in my house asks for by name. Now, it’s the one seasoning I reach for every time I make burgers at home, and it comes together in under 5 minutes with spices you probably already have in your cabinet.

No matter how I’m cooking burgers, I start with salt and pepper to bring out the natural flavor of the meat. Then I mix in this blend: smoked paprika, onion powder, dried oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper.

I make this from scratch instead of buying a packet for two reasons: cost and control. Store-bought burger seasoning often costs more per ounce than the spices you already own, and many packets are bulked up with anti-caking agents, added sugar, or more sodium than you’d choose for yourself. Making it at home means you decide exactly how salty, smoky, and bold it tastes, and you can double or triple the batch in seconds for a backyard cookout.

Seasoning isn’t the only way I amp up the flavor, though. A good burger sauce added after cooking takes things to the next level, and I almost always finish my burgers with a generous drizzle.

Tips for Burger Seasoning Success

• How much you’ll get, and how far it goes. This recipe makes about 5 tablespoons (15 teaspoons) of seasoning. Use 2 to 3 teaspoons per pound of ground beef, so one batch seasons 5 to 7 pounds of meat, or about 4 to 6 quarter-pound patties per teaspoon measure. Cooking for a crowd? Double or triple the recipe; it stores just as well in a bigger batch.
• Why these spices, and not just salt and pepper. Classic burger seasoning usually starts and stops at garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. I build on that base with smoked paprika and dried oregano. The paprika brings a gentle smokiness even if you’re cooking indoors, and the oregano adds a subtle herbal note that a plain salt-and-pepper blend can’t. That combination is what gives this blend its signature savory-smoky flavor instead of tasting flat or one-note.
• If you’re worried about it being too strong. This blend uses kosher salt, which is less concentrated by volume than table salt, but how strong it tastes still depends on how much you use. If you prefer a milder flavor, start with 1½ teaspoons per pound, cook a small taste-test patty, and adjust the rest of your batch from there. You can always add more seasoning, but you can’t take it back out once it’s mixed in.
• How smoky or spicy this actually is. As written, this blend is smoky, not spicy; there’s no heat in the base recipe. For more smokiness, add an extra ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika. For heat, stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes, starting small since it’s easy to add more but impossible to remove.

Recipe Card

Burger Seasoning Recipe

Difficulty: Easy

4.86 from 21 votes

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Total: 5 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Author: Becky Hardin

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Combine a handful of herbs and spices from your cabinet, and you'll have the tastiest seasoning mix for your burger patties!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 2 tsp onion powder
• ▢ 2 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 2 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1½ tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp ground black pepper

Video

Instructions 

• Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a small dish or jar.
  2 tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground black pepper
• Use 2-3 teaspoons of burger seasoning per pound of ground meat.

Becky’s Tips

Yield: This recipe yields just about 5 tablespoons/15 teaspoons of seasoning blend. Use 2-3 teaspoons per 1 pound of hamburger meat.

• Nutritional information is for 2 teaspoons of seasoning.

Storage: Store in a resealable bag, spice jar, or another airtight container. Keep in the pantry or spice cabinet up to 3 months for best quality.

Serving: 2teaspoonsCalories: 14kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 778mgPotassium: 82mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 1162IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Burger Seasoning Step by Step

Combine the seasoning: Combine 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1½ tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp ground black pepper in a small bowl, jar, or shaker with a tight-fitting lid.

Whisk with a fork, or seal the jar and shake for about 15 seconds, until the color is even throughout. You shouldn’t see streaks of paprika or clumps of salt. A good sign it’s ready is a uniform brick-red color with no dry pockets.

Mix it into the meat: Sprinkle 2-3 tsp of seasoning over 1 lb. ground beef. Using clean hands or a fork, gently fold the seasoning into the meat just until it disappears, about 10-15 folds. The meat should still look loose and slightly rough, not smooth or pasty. Overmixing presses out the fat and air pockets that keep burgers tender, so stop as soon as you don’t see any more seasoning specks. Folding rather than kneading also helps the seasoning spread evenly instead of clumping in one spot.

Shape and cook: Divide into patties and cook your burgers using whichever method you like best (see below).

How to Cook Your Seasoned Burgers

Once your patties are seasoned and shaped, cook them however fits your day:

• Stovetop: the quickest weeknight method; a hot skillet gets you dinner in about 20 minutes.
• Air Fryer: hands-off and nearly mess-free, with juicy burgers in about 7 minutes.
• Grill: the classic backyard method for real char and grill marks.

Stovetop Burgers (How to Cook Burgers on the Stove)

Air Fryer Hamburgers

Juicy Grilled Burgers Recipe (How to Grill Burgers)

Making Ahead of Time and Storing

You can mix this seasoning up to 3 months ahead and store it in an airtight container, resealable bag, or spice jar in your pantry or spice cabinet, away from heat and light. Since it’s shelf-stable, it’s one of the easiest things to prep in advance. I always double or triple the batch before a cookout so it’s ready to go alongside my other homemade spice blends.

You can also season your patties up to a day ahead of time. Shape them, cover tightly, and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook. The extra time actually lets the flavor work further into the meat. Going further ahead, shape the raw patties, separate them with parchment paper, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.

Upgrading Meat, Chicken, and Veggies with the Same Seasoning Blend

This blend isn’t just for beef burgers. I use it anywhere I’d normally reach for salt and pepper alone:

• Chicken and turkey burgers: use the same 2-3 teaspoons per pound; it works just as well on lighter meat as it does on beef.
• Taco meat: stir 1-2 teaspoons into browned ground beef in place of a store-bought packet for a smokier take on taco night.
• Grilled corn, tater tots, or sautéed veggies: toss with a light sprinkle right after cooking, while there’s still enough residual oil or butter for the seasoning to stick.

For a full plate, round things out with potato skin bites on the side. The same smoky, savory flavor that makes this seasoning work on beef makes it a natural match for crispy potatoes too.