Coffee Steak Rub
Quick Look: Coffee Steak Rub
- 🕐 Prep: 5 minutes
- 🍳 Cook: None
- ⏱ Total: 5 minutes
- 🍽 Servings: 8 (makes about ½ cup, 2.5 oz)
- 🔥 Cook Method: No cook / pantry rub
- 😋 Flavor Profile: Smoky, savory, earthy, well balanced
- 📊 Difficulty: Easy
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Table of Contents
Why Is My Coffee Steak Rub So Good!
I’ve tested my coffee rub with many different spice combination and after countless batches, I’ve come to a conclusion that the simplest combination was the best and goes best with the steaks. So I keep it to a few ingredients and focusing on a coffee-forward steak rub:
- The flavor itself isn’t overpowering. You don’t eat this and think “coffee.” You just taste a richer, darker, more complex steak.
- The key is using real, finely ground coffee, not instant. Instant dissolves into moisture and could turn pasty instead of forming a proper crust.
- I use finely ground coffee or ground espresso for the best texture and the most robust flavor.
- You can easily use it on any steak and beef cuts! (I don’t recommend using it on other meats because this rub needs a robust meat flavor. It’s too rich for milder meats.)
What Does Coffee Do to Steak?
If you’ve never used coffee in a dry rub before, this is the part that changes your mind.
- Tenderizes the meat: Coffee is naturally acidic, which gently breaks down tough muscle fibers for a more tender bite.
- Builds a crackling crust: it adds earthy depth of flavor, and creates a savory, caramelized crust.
- Amplifies beefy flavor: compounds in coffee enhance the savory umami notes of beef. Beef and coffee are great together in many dishes.
Ingredient Notes
- Finely ground coffee (unused): The star of this rub. Use fresh, unused grounds, finely ground for the best crust texture. Ground espresso also works beautifully. I don’t recommend using instant coffee or instant espresso, it melts rather than crisps.
- Kosher coarse salt: I always recommend using this salt over table salt. The larger crystals adhere to the meat better than table salt, contain no iodine or additives that can leave a metallic taste, and helps the rub bind evenly across the surface of the steak.
- Ancho chili powder: Ancho is a dried poblano pepper with mild heat and a rich, almost chocolatey smokiness. It’s what gives this rub depth rather than just heat. Substitute regular chili powder or guajillo chili powder.
- Brown sugar: This is how I balance the bitterness of the coffee and, it helps the rub caramelize into that gorgeous crust.
- Dried thyme (rubbed): use dried thyme in the rub, not fresh.
How to Make Coffee Steak Rub
- The process is simple but there’s one step worth paying attention to: the thyme. Dried thyme has a slightly coarse texture that doesn’t mix as evenly as ground spices. Before adding it to the bowl, rub a teaspoon at a time between your palms to grind it a little finer. It only takes a few seconds and it makes a real difference in how evenly the rub coats the meat.
- Once the thyme is prepped, combine everything in a mixing bowl and stir well until all the ingredients are fully distributed. You can also combine everything directly in a glass jar, seal the lid, and give it a good shake.
How to Use Coffee Steak Rub
This rub works on any cut of beef. Pat your steaks dry first, coat generously on all sides, and press it in firmly. Here are some great recipes to use it on:
- Steak in the oven for a reliable stovetop-to-oven method that works on any cut.
- Filet mignon recipe for a special occasion steak with a perfect sear.
- Rib eye steaks with mushrooms and onions for a rich, indulgent dinner.
- Braised beef short ribs for a low-and-slow application with deep, complex flavor.
- Red wine steak sauce to finish your coffee-rubbed steak with a bold, restaurant-worthy pan sauce.
Storing Suggestion
- Store in a glass jar with a tight lid, in a cool, dark pantry or on your spice rack. It keeps well for up to 6 months, though humidity can shorten that.
- Always use a clean, dry spoon to scoop from the jar so no moisture gets in.
Coffee Steak Rub Recipe FAQs
Yes, but I would stick to rich and robust meats. Don’t use it on delicate meats. It will be good on:
-pork chops,
-try it also on my lamb chops recipe,
-venison or bison will work too.
Letting it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature would be good. You can also apply it and refrigerate the steak uncovered for up to 24 hours for even more flavor and tenderness.
Yes, decaf works fine. The flavor and crust come from the compounds in the coffee, not the caffeine.
Not in an obvious way. The coffee deepens and amplifies the beefy flavor without taking over. It will not taste like black coffee.
More Homemade Seasonings to Try
Once you start making your own spice blends, it’s hard to go back to store-bought. Here are a few more to keep stocked in your pantry:
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!
Coffee Steak Rub Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup finely ground coffee (unused) or ground espresso*
- 2 Tbsp kosher coarse salt
- 1 Tbsp ancho chili powder
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried thyme rubbed
Instructions
- Note on thyme: to easier incorporate the dried thyme into the seasoning mixture if you rub it first to make it finer. So rub a teaspoon or so at a time between your palms to just grind it a bit finer.
- Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a mixing bowl or in a glass jar and mix well. In a jar, you can close the lid and shake it well to mix.
- Store it closed air-tight, in a cool dry place and use a clean spoon to get some out as needed.
Notes
- *Espresso or coffee – I do not recommend using instant espresso or coffee because it melts and it’s not as robust flavor.
- Storing: store in a glass jar with a lid. You can store it on your spice rack, in a cool, dark pantry. It should be good for up to 6 months but humidity may affect that.
Nutrition
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Categories:
Beef Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Father's Day Recipe Ideas, Gluten Free Recipes, Steak Dinner Ideas,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
