An alternative way to formulate transportation fuel surrogates using model predictions of gas-phase combustion targets is explored and compared to conventional approaches. Given a selection of individual fuel components, a multi-component chemical mechanism describing their oxidation kinetics, and a database of experimental measurements for key combustion quantities such as ignition delay times and laminar burning velocities, the optimal fractional amount of each fuel is determined as the one yielding the smallest error between experiments and model predictions. Using a previously studied three-component jet fuel surrogate containing n-dodecane, methyl-cyclohexane, and m-xylene as a case study, this article investigates in a systematic manner how the surrogate composition affects model predictions for ignition delay time and laminar burning velocities over a wide range of temperature, pressure and stoichiometry conditions, and compares the results to existing surrogate formulation techniques, providing new insights on how to define surrogates for simulation purposes. Finally, an optimisation algorithm is described to accelerate the identification of optimal surrogate compositions in this context. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.