You’ve seen it before: “Salt generously.” “Season all over.” “Season liberally on both sides.” These instructions appear in almost all recipes for steaks, chops, whole birds, whole fish, and roasts—but what do they actually mean? How generous is “generous,” exactly? A few confident pinches? A thick, snowy crust?
For something as essential as salting meat before cooking it, this kind of language can be frustratingly vague. I once watched two good friends season an entire turkey with a few meek sprinkles of salt—it couldn’t have been more than a teaspoon or two—and call it a day. If that’s what they got from “salt generously,” we might have a problem.
Here, I’m talking specifically about salting proteins—meat, poultry, and fish—before cooking for the best flavor and texture. This isn’t about seasoning to taste, in which you salt a dish as you cook, adjusting as you go. Instead, I’m focusing below on how to apply salt to raw proteins before they hit the heat—how much to use, how to apply it evenly, and why it matters. It’s also worth noting that whether you plan to dry brine your meat (and you probably should) or cook it right away, seasoning liberally is key to ensuring every bite is flavorful throughout.
Start with the Right Salt
Before I can dive into how to salt and how much to use, you need to start by selecting the right salt. There’s a reason most restaurant chefs live and breathe kosher salt: It’s easy to grab, easy to see, and easy to control.
Kosher salt’s slightly coarse grains make it ideal for seasoning proteins—you can distribute it evenly by hand and visually gauge how much you’ve used. Table salt, by contrast, is much finer and denser by weight. Try to “salt generously” with it and you’ll likely overshoot, ending up with a steak that tastes like a salt lick. (At Serious Eats, we favor Diamond Crystal kosher salt for its light, airy flakes that are easy to pinch and distribute evenly.)
Flaky sea salts like Maldon might seem appealing, but their large, delicate crystals dissolve inconsistently. They also tend to be a lot more expensive than kosher salt, which might disincline you to use enough. Save them for finishing, when you want that crackly, salty pop on a cooked surface.
Why You Should Skip the Measuring Spoon
Some recipe developers do include precise salt measurements for seasoning large cuts of meat, especially when they’re aiming for highly controlled, replicable results. And that can be helpful at times—particularly when you’re cooking something delicate. But I strongly feel that when it comes to seasoning a large piece of meat or fish, measuring salt by the spoonful isn’t practical.
If you measure salt with a spoon, you’re likely to pour it on with that same measuring spoon. Do this, and you’ll see the problem immediately: The salt clumps in some spots, misses others, and leaves you with patchy seasoning. No one wants concentrated blips of salt in one bite and blandness in the next.
There’s also no reliable way to know how much of the measured salt is sticking to the meat versus falling off onto the board, the counter, or your fingers. There’s no need to season your workspace.
That’s why pro chefs rarely measure salt when they’re seasoning meat. It’s a learned touch, developed over time by watching how salt lands, how it clings, how much coverage it gives. But the beauty of visual salting is that you get to control it—it’s more intuitive than it sounds. You’re not bound to a number on a spoon. You’re looking at the surface of the meat and learning to recognize when it’s enough. It’s a more intimate way of cooking.
How to Season Meat Like a Pro
Once you let go of the measuring spoon, it’s all about training your eye, and a little practice goes a long way. The goal is to create even, consistent coverage across the surface of the protein so every bite is properly seasoned.
- For larger cuts—such as ribeye, rack of lamb, thick tuna steaks, whole fish, and whole chicken—you’re aiming for an even, visible layer across the surface. Since you’re not seasoning the interior, the exterior has to carry the weight. I like to hold the salt a few inches above and let it fall evenly until the surface is coated in a fine layer that resembles the first dusting of snow. You should almost be able to hear the faint ring of Christmas chimes as you season.
- For thinner, smaller portions—like a fillet of sole or trout, smaller chicken pieces, or a cutlet—the approach shifts slightly. You still want full coverage, but with a more restrained hand. Think of it more like a misting than a coating: enough to cover the surface, but not enough to pile up.
Here are a few more pro-level tips that apply to both categories above:
- Sprinkle the salt from a few inches above the meat, poultry, or fish. That extra height helps it fall in a light, even layer, giving you better coverage and preventing clumps or bare patches.
- Season all sides. Every surface counts, especially with whole fish or chicken. That includes cavities, undersides, and tucked-away bits.
Salt Like You Mean It
“Salt the meat generously” isn’t a throwaway line—it’s a call to season with intention. You don’t need measuring spoons or calculators. What you need is the right salt, a good eye, and the confidence to actually use it. Watch how the salt falls, see how it clings, and look for that even coating or light misting, depending on what you’re cooking. Trust your eyes and your fingers, and you’ll end up with succulent steaks, chops, and roast chickens every time.
