Restless Chipotle

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
×
Home » Recipes » Cooking Tips and Basic Techniques

Cocoa Cardamom Steak Rub

Published: Jun 25, 2023 by Marye

Smoky cocoa with a hint of cardamom makes this steak rub unique! Quick and easy to stir together and it last for up to 6 months in the pantry. You'll probably use it up before then, though!
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 5 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
A seasoned steak in an enamel dish ready to cook.
A collage of two images of steak rub with title text overlay for Pinterest.

Summer is all about grilling. The best grill recipes are carefully seasoned and this homemade seasoning is amazing - and unique.

Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want to go to.

A seasoned steak in an enamel dish ready to cook.
Table of Contents
  • ❤️ Why you'll love it
  • 📖 Variations
  • 🥫 How to store steak rub
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

  • Totally different from other steak rubs
  • Quick and easy to put together - no weird ingredients
  • Compliments beef, game, turkey, pork, and even chicken.

Y'all, this cocoa and cardamom steak rub recipe is a little spicy with a flavor that everyone loves. No one has figured out it's the unusual combination of cocoa and cardamom that does it!

📖 Variations

Don't vary this homemade seasoning the first time you make it. Once you know how it tastes and what you might like better you can try some variations.

  • Use maple sugar instead of the brown sugar.
  • If you can find roasted cinnamon try that for an even smokier flavor.
  • Use chipotle powder in place of cayenne.

🥫 How to store steak rub

Store homemade steak rub in a glass jar with a tightly fitting lid. This way it won't pick up weird odors.

It also is less likely to get damp and clump together.

Always give the jar a good shake before using. It mixes the ingredients and also helps break up any clumps that may have formed.

Keep this in a cool dark place, like a pantry, for up to 6 months.

Steak rub spilling out of a jar that's tipped over.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Bring meat to room temperature before grilling. it will cook more quickly and evenly.

  • Pat meat dry with paper towels before adding seasoning.
  • Pat the steak rub thickly on the steak and let it sit for at least an hour before putting on the grill.
  • After you've added the steak rub you can cover the meat with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
  • Top with a tablespoon of butter after the steak comes off the grill. This intensifies the flavors.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What is a steak rub?

It's a mixture of herbs, spices, and seasonings that's patted or rubbed onto all the surface of a steak before cooking. It adds flavor and enhances the taste of the meat.

Can I leave the sugar out of the dry rub?

Technically you can. The thing is that the sugar not only adds flavor but it helps the steak develop a beautiful crust on the outside.

What does cardamom taste like?

Cardamom tastes a little spicy, a little citrusy, a little pungent, and a lot delicious!

Grilled tri tip steak

📚 Related recipes

  • If you're grilling chicken give this copycat Popeye's seasoned salt a try. It's also really good on vegetables.
  • I love spicy food and this copycat Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning is SO good!
  • This retro hibachi sauce is my dad's recipe. It's SO good!
  • Cream sauce being added to a gravy boat.
    Basic Cream Sauce Recipe
  • Overhead view of pickles in a white bowl
    Sweet Heat Refrigerator Pickles
  • Closeup of fried chicken on a plate.
    Why Do Southerners Put Buttermilk in Everything?
  • A collage of 3 images - pizza, French fries, and hamburgers.
    How to Reheat Food in the Air Fryer
See more Cooking Tips and Basic Techniques →

🍽️ Serve with...

Cocoa cardamom steak rub is delicious on steaks but it's also good on pork chops, and venison, too! I've even added it to grilled chicken.

📞 The last word

Summer is the season for grilling! A few good homemade seasonings and dry rubs are a delicious way to make your grilled recipes unique.

This recipe was featured in Huffington Post.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

A seasoned steak in an enamel dish ready to cook.

Cocoa Cardamom Steak Rub

No ratings yet
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Smoky cocoa with a hint of cardamom makes this steak rub unique! Quick and easy to stir together and it last for up to 6 months in the pantry. You'll probably use it up before then, though!
Course Pantry Staples
Cuisine American - Southwest
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings:16
Calories:9
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup dark cocoa powder, I use Hershey's Extra Dark
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, light or dark
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Mix all together
  • Use 1 tablespoon mixture per pound of meat.
  • Rub on steak
  • Allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes or refrigerate up to 24 hours.
  • Grill to desired doneness
  • Store tightly covered in a cool dark place.

Notes

Storage:
Store in the pantry in a tightly covered jar for up to 6 months.
Tips:
  • Pat meat dry with paper towels before adding seasoning.
  • Pat the steak rub thickly on the steak and let it sit for at least an hour before putting on the grill.
  • After you've added the steak rub you can cover the meat with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
  • Top with a tablespoon of butter after the steak comes off the grill. This intensifies the flavors.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 0.5tablespoon | Calories: 9kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published in August 2011. Last updated June 25, 2023 for more information and editorial improvements.

More Basic Kitchen Skills and Recipes

  • Close up of fried onions on a platter.
    Copycat French's Fried Onions Recipe from Scratch
  • closeup of someone brushing a cast iron skillet with oil.
    10 Kitchen Tools Every Southern Cook Swears By
  • A jar filled with mock clotted cream.
    Mock Devonshire Cream
  • Closeup of lavender syrup in a jar.
    Lavender Simple Syrup

Love it? Share it!

  • Facebook
  • Flipboard

About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

No Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Love it? Give it 5 stars!




Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

Find out more

🍉 Summer Cookouts

  • Overhead view of potato salad in a glass bowl
    Mom's Homemade Potato Salad
  • Overhead view of the finished watermelon basket filled with an assortment of fruit.
    How to Make a Watermelon Basket
  • Closeup of a finished hamburger in a bun.
    Retro Lipton Onion Soup Burger (Vintage Recipe)
  • Closeup of a star shaped cake covered in white chocolate with red and blue sprinkles.
    Zebra Cake Recipe: Little Debbie Copycat

🫖 Picklefork Stories

Picklefork town crest.
Click here to visit Picklefork

👑 Reader Favorites

  • Square overhead of chicken for feature image.
    Crockpot Angel Chicken
  • Close up of the sauce showing the creamy texture.
    Copycat Red Robin Campfire Sauce Recipe
  • Wooden spatula removing fried potatoes out of iron skillet.
    Crispy Fried Potatoes in a Cast Iron Skillet (Southern Style)
  • Blue cocktail with a red and white straw.
    Sex in the Driveway Cocktail
  • A sliced loaf of english muffin bread.
    Easy English Muffin Bread – No Knead, Perfect for Toasting!
  • Two finished loaves of Amish white bread cooling on a table.
    No-Fail Amish White Bread

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • About Marye Audet-White
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Contact
MaryeAudet Whiteandherchildren Dec

Featured In:

Places Restless Chipotle has been featured

We improve our products and advertising by using Microsoft Clarity to see how you use our website. By using our site, you agree that we and Microsoft can collect and use this data. Our privacy statement has more details.

Copyright ©2006 - 2025 Restless Chipotle Media, LLC

Picklefork Tales Copyright ©2025 Marye Audet, Restless Chipotle Media

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required