Skip Salt And Pepper: Add A Packet Of This Seasoning For Heartier Roast Potatoes

When cooking roast potatoes, especially bigger ones, many home cooks are laser-focused on getting a shatteringly crisp exterior. Lots of ingredients, some, like semolina, more unlikely than others, can help us achieve that. Yet this sometimes leaves the flavor of the taters coming in a sorry second. A generous sprinkling of steak seasoning, however, near-instantly fixes that particular problem. Recipes vary, depending on the brand of steak seasoning you have in the pantry, but many contain onion and garlic powders, alongside dried herbs and warm spices like paprika and coriander.

This heady combination does much more than mere salt-and-pepper seasoning (though steak seasoning has that, too) to elevate the creamy, earthy taste of your taters. It's best tossed over par-boiled potatoes or, if you're not pre-cooking them, ones that have been lightly coated in either oil, butter, or mayonnaise so the steak seasoning sticks to the tubers' exterior. If you're Team Rough 'Em Up and always give the potatoes a good shake before they go in the oven, this step can also help the steak seasoning get inside the vegetable's nooks and crannies, amping up their taste even more.

Steak-seasoned roasties will give your next roast dinner a deeply flavorful twist and make for a delicious snack with a few beverages for a game or movie night. Likewise, if you've elevated a cheaper cut of meat with Italian dressing, these herby, spicy roast potatoes will be the perfect accompaniment.

As so often happens with seasoning blends, there are lots of variations available, as brands seek to please as many palates as possible. They range from pepper-forward types to low- or salt-free options ideal for home cooks keeping an eye on their sodium intake. Garlicky, herbal Montreal steak seasoning is among the most popular in the United States and plays especially well with the more subtle, satisfying taste of a savory roast tater. Many people have put their own spin on the mix, finding new, delicious ways to elevate the flavor of their roast potatoes.

We think that's the secret to steak seasoning's success: it's a blend of herbs and spices that brings out the best in a wide range of ingredients. We'd be down for adding a pinch to scrambled eggs if we ran out of buttery popcorn seasoning. If you buy it ready-made, you get consistency of flavor, whether you sprinkle it on meat, fish, or those delectable roast potatoes. If you make your own, steak seasoning becomes a moveable feast of flavor, never offering the same bite twice. It doesn't matter what kind of potatoes you use or whether you cook them in the oven, air fryer, or in a smoker; steak seasoning helps create a hearty, complex dish out of humble roast potatoes.