Developed to celebrate California’s Santa Maria style of barbecue, Santa Maria Seasoning is bursting with flavor and ready to get to work. Our Santa Maria Seasoning is also sometimes referred to as Santa Maria seasoning, Santa Maria tri-tip rub or Santa Maria rub.

Barbecue in the California beach town of Santa Maria came into being in the mid-1800s. At that time it was ranch land, and occasionally the vaqueros—Mexican cowboys—that worked the ranches would hold fiestas that were open to the public. The founding of the Santa Maria Club in 1920, with a large barbecue pit in the back, turned these monthly parties into a formal institution.

The Santa Maria Seasoning is popular with sauce manufacturers; seasoning companies; independent spice shops; olive oil shops; restaurants; bed and breakfasts; and hotels. 

Flavor Profile

Woody, smoky oak with smooth garlic to balance the salt and notes of black pepper.

How To Use

Our Santa Maria Seasoning was made, of course, for Santa Maria BBQ , featuring the tri-tip steak. is terrific on cuts of meat that will cook relatively quickly, like thinner cuts of steak. Blend this into a hearty Green Chile Stew made with pork shoulder and poblanos. It is wonderful rubbed onto pork chops, sausage, or mixed into butter and melted onto a grilled London broil. Toss on chicken breast and make a delicious Chicken Parmesan Burger or make a richly flavored Chicken and Orzo Soup. It’s a versatile blend, so swap this into the mix for both the surf and the turf in our Surf & Turf feast. Use this blend on vegetables; dust on sauteed green beans after tossing in butter, or sprinkle over the opened leaves of a steamed artichoke and serve with lemon wedges.