LongHorn Outlaw Ribeye Seasoning
What We Know and How to Recreate the Flavor
The LongHorn Outlaw Ribeye holds a reputation as one of the boldest steaks on the LongHorn menu, and much of that reputation comes down to seasoning rather than the cut alone. Home cooks have spent years trying to recreate the exact LongHorn Outlaw Ribeye Seasoning, though LongHorn keeps the precise recipe proprietary and has never published the full ingredient list.
The following guide separates confirmed details from LongHorn itself away from community copycat guesses, then offers a tested seasoning blend that gets close to the bold, smoky flavor the Outlaw Ribeye is known for.
According to the corporate executive chef at LongHorn, the restaurant uses a charbroil seasoning specifically over an open flame on steaks including the Outlaw Ribeye, the New York Strip, and the Porterhouse. That blend leans on salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder as its foundation. A separate grill seasoning covers the smaller ribeye and Flo’s Filet, while a third blend called prairie dust seasons chicken, pork chops, sirloin, and fried items like the seasoned fries. If you’re curious how these bold seasoning blends affect your meal’s nutritional value, check out our detailed Steakhouse Calories & Nutrition guide for a complete breakdown of every dish.
The exact ratios and any additional ingredients in each blend remain proprietary, and LongHorn has not published the full recipe publicly. Any seasoning blend claiming to be the official secret recipe should be treated as an educated copycat guess rather than a confirmed formula. Join the LongHorn Steakhouse Rewards program before a dine in visit, since points earned on a steak dinner can unlock coupons for future meals.
The blend below draws on the confirmed base ingredients along with common additions found across tested copycat versions, aiming for a similar bold and smoky profile rather than claiming to match the proprietary recipe exactly. This seasoning style is closely associated with steaks like theLongHorn Flo’s Filet , known for its rich, well-seasoned crust.
Ingredients (makes about 1 cup)
- 0.25 cup kosher salt
- 2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl
- Whisk thoroughly until the brown sugar and paprika distribute evenly throughout the mixture
- Store in an airtight container for up to six months
- Pat the steak completely dry with paper towels before seasoning, since a dry surface browns better than a wet one
- Coat the steak generously on both sides with the seasoning blend, pressing the mixture into the meat
- Let the seasoned steak rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling, allowing the meat to cook more evenly from edge to center
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 15 cal |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
A few confirmed practices from LongHorn’s own kitchen apply directly to cooking the steak at home:
- Dry the steak thoroughly before seasoning, since moisture on the surface leads to steaming rather than a proper sear
- Bring the steak to room temperature before cooking rather than grilling straight from the refrigerator
- Season generously and press the blend into the meat rather than lightly dusting the surface
- Cook over high, direct heat to replicate the open flame char that defines the Outlaw Ribeye, and take the LongHorn Survey after dining out, since the short feedback form often comes with a coupon reward for the next visit
- Preheat a grill or cast iron skillet until very hot, ideally between 450 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit
- Sear the steak for four to five minutes per side for a medium rare result, adjusting time based on thickness
- Use a meat thermometer rather than relying on time alone, since thickness varies between cuts
- Rest the steak for eight to ten minutes after cooking before slicing, which keeps the juices distributed rather than pooling on the cutting board
Getting the salt ratio right made a bigger difference than any other ingredient. Once I dialed that back slightly, the blend tasted much closer to the restaurant version.
Pressing the seasoning into the steak rather than just sprinkling the blend on top completely changed the crust I got on the grill.
I have made the recipe at least eight times now, and letting the steak sit seasoned for a few hours in the fridge before cooking seems to deepen the flavor even further.
Recreating the exact LongHorn Outlaw Ribeye seasoning at home comes down to working with what the restaurant has confirmed rather than chasing an unpublished formula. Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and onion powder form a strong foundation, and pairing that base with proper drying, resting, and high heat gets remarkably close to the bold, smoky flavor the steak is known for. Finish the meal with a LongHorn Molten Lava Cake, since the warm chocolate dessert pairs well after a bold, smoky steak.
