There are many ready-made steak dry rubs, but it’s surprisingly easy to make your own. The easy barbecue steak recipe will soon be your new favourite — a grilled t-bone steak with homemade chili and coffee rub. It’s a perfect addition to any summer grilling menu.
While your steak sizzles on the grill, toss on some smashed potatoes for a complete BBQ experience. Although this recipe uses T-bone steak, this flavorful chili coffee rub works beautifully with ribeye, striploin or sirloin as well. Serve your grilled t-bone steak hot with a knob of Garlic Herb Butter to enhance the smoky spice rub.
How to grill t-bone steak
T-bone steak is one of the best cuts for barbecuing because it offers the best of both worlds: a tender filet mignon on one side of the bone and a flavourful strip steak on the other. The bone itself adds flavour and helps the meat retain moisture during grilling, resulting in a juicy, perfectly cooked steak.
Thanks to its thickness and marbling, the T-bone holds up well to high heat, making it ideal for a quick sear and grill over open flames. It’s a steakhouse favourite that’s just as impressive when made at home – especially when paired with a bold spice rub like this one.
Whether you’re aiming for a medium-rare finish or a deep char on the outside, the T-bone is a standout cut that’s perfect for backyard grilling.
Marinating a steak with a dry rub is quick and easy
Just mix your spice blend, coat the steaks thoroughly, and let them rest for 15 minutes to absorb the bold flavours. The secret to the best dry rub for steak? Ground coffee. This unexpected ingredient, paired with granulated garlic, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper flakes, creates a rich flavour profile with deep complexity and a hint of heat.
Grilled T-Bone Steak with Chili and Coffee Dry Rub
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground coffee
- 1 tbsp hot pepper flakes
- 2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tsp cane sugar or granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp granulated garlic
- 3 T-bone steaks at room temperature, pat dry
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat barbecue to medium-high.
- Using a mortar and pestle, combine coffee, hot pepper flakes, salt, sugar and garlic; grind until fine. Rub all over steaks and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Brush steaks with some of the sunflower oil; place on greased grill. Cook, covered flipping once, until desired doneness, 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to cutting board; cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
