Coffee Rubbed Steak

This post is kindly sponsored by Strauss Direct. The recipe, ideas and opinions are mine.

Coffee Rubbed Steak is one of the most mouthwatering meals we have made in a long time. You won’t believe how easy it is to make a smoky and tasty steak rub from items you already have in your pantry. Perfect for our favorite steak, ribeyes, this coffee spice rub is also great on other cuts of beef, lamb and pork.

Coffee Rubbed Steak

Grilling is a year round way of life for my husband. From thick chops to juicy steaks to tender chicken, he is always firing up the grill or the smoker.

I decided to take over the grill duties one night and I’ve got to admit, this is a winner. Grass fed ribeye steaks from Strauss with a simple homemade coffee rub? Needless to say, Mr. Buy This Cook That was impressed.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. This recipe is fool proof. Easy. And grilled perfection.

Tips on How to Make Coffee Spice Rub:

• Use high quality coffee grounds. Grind your own from coffee beans if you can. If not, a good quality coffee will work. (Do not use instant coffee granules.)
• Add a little brown sugar for a hint of sweetness to balance the coffee flavor. Don’t worry, the amount we use in this recipe does not make the steak taste sweet.
• Sea salt is a must. The coarse grain of sea salt really brings out all of the flavors in this coffee spice rub.
• Feel free to experiment with spices. For our recipe we stuck with garlic powder, pepper and onion powder. Our goal was to make the steak and coffee rub the main flavors. However, you can use spices such as chili powder, cumin, dry mustard to change the flavor profile.
• Combine the coffee grounds, sugar and spices until well blended. You can do this in a spice grinder if you’d like for a finer texture. (A bowl and a spoon also work just fine.)
• Store the coffee spice rub in a jar with a lid.

Get the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of this post.

This recipe for Coffee Rubbed Steak smells amazing, too. The pick me up aroma of coffee with the smoky paprika will get your taste buds ready for this tasty steak dinner.

I decided to use our coffee spice rub on marbled ribeyes from Strauss Direct Free Raised. These beauties came in my Ultimate Summer Grill Box. Their grass fed beef is tender and full of the beef flavor that I love. Plus the fat blends with the coffee and spices and creates a savory flavor that is so good.

Here are more mouth-watering recipes:

Roasted Asparagus + White Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Basil + Butter Sweet Corn

Okra Peppers + Vidalia

Mesquite Grilled Steaks + Tomatillo Salsa Verde

How to Grill a Coffee Rubbed Steak:

1. Generously rub both sides of the steak with the coffee spice rub. (Don’t worry, our spice rub is mild and will not overpower the steak flavor.) I used 1 1/2 teaspoons per side.
2. Allow the coffee rubbed steaks to rest until they reach room temperature.
3. Preheat your grill to 450 degrees.
4. Grill the steaks to your preferred doneness.
5. Transfer steaks to a plate, cover in foil and rest for 15 minutes before serving.

For coffee rubbed steaks I highly recommend medium rare. Why? The fat from the ribeye plus the juice from a medium rare steak combine with the coffee rub during the resting process. Drizzle this over your steak, and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

Cooking times will vary based on your steak thickness, grill heat, and type of grill.

Look at this perfection on a plate! Tender grass fed steak flavored with aromatic coffee, smoky paprika and the perfect balance of salt and pepper.

This makes me happy.

What are you going to try with this coffee rub recipe? We would love to hear your results, so leave us a comment below the post.

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4.17 from 18 votes

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Coffee Rubbed Steak

A deliciously easy recipe for coffee rubbed steak. Make your own spice rub with coffee and other basic pantry ingredients for a superb grilled steak.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword coffee rubbed steak

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Resting Time 15 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 489 kcal

Author Buy This Cook That

Buy This

• 4 ribeye steaks
• 2 tablespoons coffee grounds NOT instant
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Cook That

1. Combine the coffee grounds in a small bowl with the brown sugar, paprika, and all other spices.

2. Sprinkle 1 - 2 teaspoons of the coffee rub on both sides of a ribeye steak. Rub the mixture in.

3. Let the coffee rubbed steaks rest until they reach room temperature.

4. Preheat a grill to 450 degrees. Grill steaks to desired doneness.  (Best served at medium rare.)

5. Transfer the steaks to a plate, cover with foil and rest 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Store excess coffee rub in a jar at room temperature for later use.

Nutrition Facts

Coffee Rubbed Steak

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 489 Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Fat 32g49%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 137mg46%

Sodium 701mg30%

Potassium 645mg18%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 45g90%

Vitamin A 895IU18%

Calcium 20mg2%

Iron 4.3mg24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.