McCormick discontinued its classic Meat Marinade Seasoning Mix back in 2016, and people are still hunting the shelves for it a decade later. Good news: the ingredient label never lied to us, and we can build this one from scratch for pennies on the dollar.
This mix keeps for a year in a sealed jar, and once you’ve got a batch going, you’re never stuck paying import prices for a tiny foil packet again. One batch makes six packets worth, so you’ve got a marinade ready to go every time you pull steak, pork, or lamb out of the freezer.
You’ll Need:
Copycat McCormick Meat Marinade Seasoning Mix
- 4 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 lemon, zested
Whisk all eight ingredients together in a bowl, breaking up any clumps in the mustard and sugar as you go. The lemon zest is doing the job McCormick’s “lemon juice solids” did in the original packet, so don’t skip it.
Transfer the finished mix to a small airtight jar and give it a shake before every use, since the heavier ingredients (salt, sugar) settle to the bottom over time.
💡 Expert Tip: The original packet also contained bromelain, a pineapple enzyme that does the actual tenderizing. Dry bromelain powder isn’t something you’ll find at Walmart, so we’re skipping it in the dry mix and adding a splash of real pineapple juice at the wet marinade stage instead. It does the same job and it’s a lot cheaper than tracking down meat tenderizer powder.
To Use:
For one packet’s worth of marinade (about 2 tablespoons of dry mix), whisk it into 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon fresh pineapple juice in a glass dish or resealable bag.
Pierce tougher cuts like chuck, round, flank, or skirt steak with a fork first (skip this step on tender cuts like sirloin, ribeye, or tenderloin). Add your meat, turn to coat, and marinate just 15 minutes.
That short marinade time is the whole point of this mix: it’s built for weeknights, not overnight soaking.
Discard the used marinade before cooking, then grill, broil, or roast the meat as you normally would.
Serves 4 to 6 people per packet, depending on cut and portion size. This makes a great last-minute dinner fix when you forgot to plan ahead but still want something better than plain salt and pepper on the grill.
Store the finished dry mix in a sealed jar in your pantry for up to 12 months. Keep it away from heat and direct sunlight so the paprika and mustard don’t lose their color and punch early.
Want it different? Swap the vinegar for 1/4 cup red wine and stir in 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning for an Italian-style marinade, or add 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, oregano, or rosemary for an herbed version, both straight from McCormick’s own original “twist” suggestions.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Copycat McCormick Meat Marinade Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
Dried minced onion |
$3.46 |
4 tbsp |
$0.74 |
|
Granulated sugar |
$3.12 |
2 tbsp |
$0.04 |
|
Salt |
$0.94 |
2 tbsp |
$0.05 |
|
Ground mustard |
$4.73 |
1 tbsp |
$0.72 |
|
Paprika |
$1.08 |
1 tbsp |
$0.11 |
|
Black pepper |
$5.98 |
1 1/2 tsp |
$0.12 |
|
Garlic powder |
$8.34 |
1 1/2 tsp |
$0.15 |
|
Fresh lemon (zested) |
Fresh Produce |
$0.68 each |
1/2 lemon |
$0.34 |
💸 |
Cost |
🧾 Total Batch Cost (6 packets) |
$2.27 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Packet |
$0.38 |
🏪 Store-Bought (McCormick Meat Marinade, 4 x 1.12 oz) |
$1.86/packet |
💰 You Save |
$1.48/packet (about 80%) |
📅 Walmart prices last verified July 10, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
McCormick pulled the product from shelves in 2016. The company hasn’t given a detailed public explanation, but it happens with many of their smaller recipe mix lines when a product doesn’t move enough volume to justify keeping it in rotation.
Onion, spices (including black pepper, mustard, and paprika), dextrose, salt, corn maltodextrin, garlic, soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), lemon juice solids, natural flavor, and bromelain as a tenderizer.
Bromelain is a pineapple-derived enzyme that helps break down tough meat fibers. It isn’t sold as a standalone dry powder at most grocery stores, so this recipe swaps it for fresh pineapple juice added to the wet marinade instead.
Fresh is better. Heat processing during canning or bottling deactivates the bromelain enzyme, so canned or bottled pineapple juice won’t tenderize the way fresh juice will, even though it still adds flavor.
Just 15 minutes. This mix is built for a quick weeknight marinade, not an overnight soak. Marinating longer than an hour or two can actually make the texture mushy thanks to the acid and enzyme combination.
Yes, but don’t pierce them with a fork first the way you would with tougher cuts like chuck or flank steak. Piercing tender cuts lets juices escape during cooking and isn’t necessary since they’re already tender.
Up to 12 months in a sealed jar stored in a cool, dark pantry. The flavor will slowly fade over time, so use it within the first 6 months for the strongest punch.
Absolutely. Every ingredient scales evenly, so doubling gives you 12 packets worth of mix. Just make sure your storage jar is airtight and large enough.
The dry mix itself is gluten-free. If you use regular soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce in any of the wet marinade variations, check the label, since some brands contain wheat.
Don’t reuse it. Raw meat marinade that’s touched raw meat should always be discarded after use, not reused as a sauce or basted onto cooked meat unless it’s boiled first.
Tag us on Instagram if you make this one. We love seeing what’s hitting your grill.
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Copycat McCormick Meat Marinade Seasoning Mix
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ lemon, zested
Equipment
Instructions
- Whisk the onion, sugar, salt, mustard, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and lemon zest together in a bowl until evenly combined.4 tablespoons dried minced onion2 tablespoons granulated sugar2 tablespoons salt1 tablespoon ground mustard1 tablespoon paprika1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder1/2 lemon, zested
- Break up any clumps in the mustard and sugar as you mix.
- Transfer to a small airtight jar and shake before each use.
- To use one packet: whisk 2 tablespoons of the dry mix with 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon fresh pineapple juice.
- Pierce tougher cuts of meat with a fork, then marinate 15 minutes in the wet mixture.
- Discard the marinade and cook the meat as desired.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
