The Best Spices and Herbs for Beef

Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs taste best when sprinkled over meat just before serving. The following fresh herbs taste fantastic with steak, burgers and any grilled beef:

• Chives
• Basil
• Coriander
• Parsley
• Mixed herbs – for example pesto or ‘chimichurri’, which is an Argentinian sauce made with oil, vinegar and finely chopped parsley, oregano and garlic.

Dried Herbs

Dried herbs taste great on roast beef or added to stews, casseroles and braises. Don’t forget that dried herbs are more potent than fresh herbs – typically, you will need 3 times the amount of fresh herbs as dried herbs. Dried herbs that taste particularly amazing with beef include:

• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Tarragon
• Thyme
• Bay leaves (for stew, curries and casseroles)

Spices

Spices can be added directly to beef before cooking or added to braising pots, stews, curries and casseroles. If you are creating a dry beef rub, we recommend that you use a mix of herbs, spices and salt/pepper, and that you let the rub soak in for a few hours before cooking. The following spices taste great with beef:

• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Dark chilis
• Red pepper flakes
• Cayenne pepper
• Curry powder
• Mustard powder

Want some more beef flavoring tips? Check out our 6 steps for making beef marinades and our easy roast beef rubs. The information in this post is adapted from Leaf TV and Serious Eats.