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
Grilled Marinated Flank Steaks
Basil + Butter Sweet Corn
Okra Peppers + Vidalia
Mesquite Grilled Steaks + Tomatillo Salsa Verde
How to Grill a Coffee Rubbed Steak:
- 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 ½ teaspoons per side.
- Allow the coffee rubbed steaks to rest until they reach room temperature.
- Preheat your grill to 450 degrees.
- Grill the steaks to your preferred doneness.
- 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.
Love this post? Sign up for the Buy This Cook That Newsletter for a weekly email of new content. You can also follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram for our latest + greatest ideas.
Coffee Rubbed Steak
Ingredients
- 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
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Combine the coffee grounds in a small bowl with the brown sugar, paprika, and all other spices.
- Sprinkle 1 - 2 teaspoons of the coffee rub on both sides of a ribeye steak. Rub the mixture in.
- Let the coffee rubbed steaks rest until they reach room temperature.
- Preheat a grill to 450 degrees. Grill steaks to desired doneness. (Best served at medium rare.)
- Transfer the steaks to a plate, cover with foil and rest 15 minutes before serving.
This was by far the best steak I have ever cooked, possibly one of the beast meals I have ever cooked, I also mad a jus with the crust left in the pan, within some chicken stock and a splash of red wine vinegar just reduced it until thick and strained, it was liquid gold.
Thank you for the recipe, I can’t wait to cool it for friends.
Thank you SOOOO much. I am happy that you tried it and loved it. And GREAT call on the au jus. I'll have to try that my self.
Wow this recipe is amazing. Thanks [email protected].
Does the coffee grounds stay on the meat? I would hate to eat a piece of meat and have coffee grounds too.
It depends on how heavily you coat the steak, but yes, you will likely have a few. You can see from the pictures that there is spice on the finished steak. However, this is a mild spice rub and the taste of coffee is not overpowering.
If you are concerned about the coffee, this might not be a good recipe for you.
Ok so I was inspired by your recipe but I changed it some, added white sugar as well, same amount as brown. Added half as much black pepper and same of white pepper. Added some, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke added to extra virgin olive oil. Oh and used stew meat or chuck about 3 pounds cut into squares dropped in big bowl with liquid and mixed thoroughly then added dry ingredients, placed all on cooling rack placed over cookie sheet with sides, heated oven to 350 while mixing, placed in oven, center rack for 45 minutes checking temp then flipping over pieces, well most of them. Cooked bout 15 more then took out to sit while au gratin taters finished
And...... how did it turn out??? (Sounds yummy!)
I want to try out this recipe, mostly for the rub. Curious if you or any followers have smoked this and what temp and time is recommended.
I personally have not used it to smoke, but I would love to hear how it turns out if you try it.
Do you use used coffee grounds from already brewed coffee or fresh ones before you brew?
I used fresh coffee grounds.