10 Best Blackstone Seasonings and Rubs, Ranked
Seasoning your food on a flat-top is different from seasoning it for a grill. There’s no smoke to add flavor, no char from open flame, and no grate lines to hide a thin coat. Everything rests on a flat steel surface where the flavor you build comes entirely from two things: the Maillard reaction and what you put on the food before it hits the griddle.
That means your seasoning choices matter more, not less. The right rub on a steak at 450°F turns into a crust. The wrong one burns, turns bitter, or just disappears.
This is my ranked list of the 10 best seasonings for Blackstone cooking — a mix of Blackstone’s own line and the third-party blends that genuinely earn a spot next to the flat-top, regardless of brand. It’s ordered by versatility: the seasonings that work across the most situations come first, and the specialists come later. If you’re building a griddle seasoning kit from scratch, start at the top and work down.
1. Blackstone All Purpose Seasoning
The one to start with if you’re building a Blackstone seasoning kit. It’s a balanced salt-pepper-garlic-forward blend with onion and a touch of herbs that works on everything: burgers, chicken, potatoes, vegetables, eggs. Not the most exciting flavor profile, but it’s consistent and it doesn’t fight with other flavors you’re building on the griddle.
If you keep only one seasoning next to the flat-top, this is it. Apply it before the food hits the surface so it can crust into the sear.
2. Kinder’s The Blend
Salt, pepper, and garlic — the SPG trifecta — in the right proportions, in a convenient shaker. It sounds simple and it is. Simple is exactly what you want when you’re working a busy flat-top and don’t have time to think about seasoning ratios.
Kinder’s grinds it at the right coarseness for griddle cooking and the salt level is moderate enough that you can season aggressively without blowing past the threshold. It works on everything — smash burgers, chicken, potatoes, eggs — and competes with anything twice the price. If the Blackstone All Purpose is sold out, this is the swap.
3. McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
A non-Blackstone option that’s earned a permanent spot on many flat-tops. Montreal steak seasoning has the right particle size and ingredient ratios for high-heat griddle cooking — coarse salt, cracked black pepper, garlic, coriander, and red pepper. It crusts beautifully at 425–475°F and doesn’t burn at the sear zone the way finer herb blends can.
It’s widely available, costs less than branded griddle seasonings, and consistently delivers. On a smash burger or a skirt steak, it’s hard to beat.
4. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
The seasoned salt that’s been in American kitchens for decades, and it earns its spot on the flat-top for the same reason it’s lasted: it makes almost anything taste more like itself. Salt, paprika, turmeric, onion, and garlic in proportions that flatter breakfast potatoes, hash browns, burgers, and chicken without ever announcing itself.
It’s finer-ground than the steak blends, so keep it to the cook zone rather than the hottest sear. Use it as your everyday backbone when you don’t want a specific flavor direction — just food that tastes properly seasoned.
5. Blackstone Whiskey Burger Seasoning
Blackstone’s most popular flavored blend, and the one to reach for when you want a smash burger to taste like more than salt. It’s a savory-sweet profile — brown sugar, garlic, onion, and a whiskey-barrel note — built for beef.
Because of the sugar, treat it like a cook-zone seasoning (350–425°F): let it caramelize on the patty rather than scorch on the sear. It’s also excellent on a chopped cheese, brats, and pork.
6. Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
When you want heat and depth in one shake, this Louisiana Cajun blend delivers — salt, red and black pepper, and garlic with the classic Cajun backbone. It’s the move for griddle shrimp, blackened fish, chicken, and crispy potatoes.
Start light — it’s saltier and hotter than it looks — and you can always add a second pass right before the flip for a layered crust. A little goes a long way, which makes the jar last.
7. Old Bay Seasoning
The Chesapeake classic isn’t just for crab. On a flat-top it’s the fastest way to make griddle shrimp, fish tacos, scallops, and even street corn taste like the shore — celery salt, paprika, and warm spice that bloom in butter on the hot steel.
Finish shrimp with a squeeze of lemon and a heavy dusting of Old Bay and you’ve got a five-minute crowd-pleaser. It’s the one seasoning on this list built specifically for seafood, and nothing else does it quite the same way.
8. Tajín Clásico
Not a traditional dry rub — Tajín is a Mexican seasoning of chili powder, lime, and salt. But for griddle cooking, it’s one of the most useful things you can keep near the flat-top. Finish shrimp, fish tacos, corn, or sliced avocado with a light dusting of Tajín before they come off the griddle, and the citrus-heat combination adds complexity without overpowering.
Apply at the end of the cook rather than the beginning — the lime in Tajín is acidic enough to draw moisture from proteins if it sits too long before hitting the surface.
9. Bad Byron’s Butt Rub
A competition barbecue rub with a loyal following outside the barbecue world — including among griddle cooks. It’s built around paprika, brown sugar, and spices with a moderate heat level that stays interesting without being aggressive.
On a flat-top, it develops a beautiful mahogany crust on pork chops, chicken thighs, and salmon. The sugar content means it burns above 425°F, so use it for cook-zone temperatures (350–425°F) rather than the sear zone. Pull it off the griddle when the color is dark gold, not black.
10. Meat Church Holy Cow
A Texas barbecue rub that’s earned a cult following well beyond the smoker — and it translates beautifully to the flat-top. Built around coarse salt, black pepper, and a savory chile backbone, Holy Cow crusts steak, steak bites, smash burgers, and thick pork chops with a deep, peppery bark.
The coarse grind holds up at sear-zone temps where finer rubs would scorch, so unlike the sugar-forward BBQ rubs you can run it hot. If you already keep it next to your smoker, it belongs next to your griddle too.
Seasoning Tips for the Flat-Top
Season the food, not the griddle. The seasoning goes on the protein or vegetable before it hits the surface. Shaking seasoning onto an oiled hot surface just burns it.
Pat proteins dry before seasoning. Moisture on the surface steams the food before the seasoning can crust. Paper towels, then season, then griddle.
Watch sugar content at high heat. Brown sugar in a rub burns above 425°F. Use sugar-heavy seasonings in the cook zone (375–425°F), not the sear zone — see the griddle temperature guide for zone temps.
Build up in layers, not all at once. Season at the beginning, then add a small second application right before the flip for a layered flavor profile and crust.
More flat-top essentials: Must-Have Blackstone Accessories · Blackstone Temperature Guide · How to Season a Blackstone Griddle (the surface, not the food)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best all-purpose seasoning for a Blackstone griddle?
For a single do-everything blend, Blackstone’s All Purpose Seasoning or a simple salt-pepper-garlic (SPG) blend like Kinder’s The Blend covers the most ground — burgers, chicken, potatoes, eggs, and vegetables. Start there, then add a coarse steak blend and a spicy or citrus option as you cook a wider range of food.
What seasoning does Blackstone use on their griddle demos?
Blackstone’s own All Purpose Seasoning is what you’ll see most often in their branded videos and demos. It’s designed specifically for flat-top cooking and works across the most food types in their lineup.
Can I use regular grill seasonings on a Blackstone griddle?
Yes, but pay attention to particle size and sugar content. Fine-ground herb blends can burn quickly at high griddle temps. Sugar-heavy rubs should be used at medium-high (375–425°F) rather than the sear zone. Coarser blends built for high heat — like Montreal steak — translate better to the flat-top than thin herb rubs.
Can you use BBQ rubs on a Blackstone griddle?
Yes, and some of the best flat-top seasonings are barbecue rubs — but watch the sugar. Sugar-heavy competition rubs burn above about 425°F, so use them in the cook zone (350–425°F), not the sear zone. Coarse, low-sugar rubs like Meat Church Holy Cow or McCormick Montreal hold up better at high heat and can run in the sear zone.
Does seasoning a Blackstone griddle mean the same thing as seasoning food?
No — “seasoning a Blackstone” refers to applying thin layers of oil to the cooking surface and burning them in to create a non-stick polymerized coating. That’s surface care, not flavor. See the Blackstone seasoning guide for surface seasoning instructions. This article is about seasoning your food.
How much seasoning should I use on a flat-top vs. a grill?
A bit less than you’d use on a grill. On a grill, smoke and fat drippings add flavor that compensates for lighter seasoning. On a flat-top, the seasoning you apply is most of the flavor work, but food also browns faster and can carry more surface flavor per square inch. Season moderately — you can always add more, you can’t take it back.
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