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Home » Grilling » BBQ Rub Recipe

October 25, 2018 By Sara 56 Comments

BBQ Rub Recipe

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BBQ Rub Recipe | Homemade Spice Rub | Easy Spice Rub #spices #bbq #grilling #smoking #dinneratthezoo

This all purpose BBQ rub is a blend of barbecue spices that pairs perfectly with chicken, pork and beef. It’s great for grilled, roasted or smoked meats and you can even use it on vegetables and potatoes.

Barbecue spice rub is my to-go seasoning blend for meats, especially when it comes to grilling and smoking. I make a big batch and it lasts for months. You can even package up your spice blend and give it as gifts to the foodies in your life!

BBQ Rub Recipe | Homemade Spice Rub | Easy Spice Rub #spices #bbq #grilling #smoking #dinneratthezoo BBQ Rub Recipe | Homemade Spice Rub | Easy Spice Rub #spices #bbq #grilling #smoking #dinneratthezoo

A jar of BBQ rub made with brown sugar and a variety of spices.

I do a lot of grilling and smoking during the warmer months, and I decided it was high time I create an all purpose BBQ rub to season my meat. This spice rub is a little sweet, a little smoky, and loaded with aromatic spices to create a seasoning blend that can be used in so many ways.

How do you make BBQ Rub?

This recipe literally takes about 3 minutes to put together. The rub is a blend of brown sugar, regular paprika, smoked paprika, dry mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir everything together and you’re ready to get grilling.

 

A blend of brown sugar and spices to make BBQ rub.

This barbecue rub will keep for months if stored in a cool, dry place, so make a double or triple batch and you’ll have enough to get you through the spring and summer.

The ingredients for BBQ rub all mixed together in a bowl.

How do you use a BBQ rub?

I use this barbecue rub on so many different foods including

  • chicken thighs
  • steaks
  • chicken wings
  • burgers
  • pork tenderloin
  • chicken breasts
  • pork chops
  • roasted potatoes
  • roasted cauliflower
  • tofu

The only thing to keep in mind is that this rub does contain sugar, which means you want to take caution to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn if you’re grilling over high heat or broiling your meat.

BBQ rub on chicken thighs ready to be smoked or grilled.

BBQ Rub Variations

  • Spicy BBQ Rub: Add cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, or ground chipotle pepper to the mix.
  • Garlic Lovers Rub: Double the amount of garlic in the recipe.
  • Mexican Rub: Add 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 teaspoon ground coriander to the mix.

Since this BBQ rub is shelf stable, it also makes a great gift for someone who loves to cook! Simply package the rub in small jars and add a homemade gift tag.

Smoked chicken thighs made with BBQ rub.

I use this BBQ rub at least once a week, it’s my favorite way to add a little zest to ordinary foods. This is also my go-to rub for smoking meat, simply rub your meat with the spices, smoke until a thermometer registers as done, and brush on a little BBQ sauce. You’re sure to get rave reviews!

More great grilling recipes

  • BBQ Pork Chops
  • Steak Kabobs
  • Jerk Shrimp Kabobs
  • Grilled Chicken Kabobs
  • Grilled Marinated Salmon
A jar of BBQ rub made with brown sugar and a variety of spices.
Print Pin
5 from 27 votes

BBQ Rub Recipe

This all purpose BBQ rub is a blend of spices that pairs perfectly with chicken, pork and beef. It's great for grilled, roasted or smoked meats and you can even use it on vegetables and potatoes.
Course Seasoning
Cuisine American
Keyword Barbecue Rub, BBQ rub, Spice Rub
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 6 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 53kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Mix all of the ingredients together. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
  • Spice rub keeps for up to 3 months when stored in a cool, dry place.

Nutrition

Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2300IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Filed Under: Dinner, Grilling Tagged With: Spices

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Comments

  1. Steve says

    February 7, 2021 at 2:34 pm

    5 stars
    **For best flavor: Make ahead**
    Amazing rub! One thing I noticed: I made the rub and put immediately on some wings and baked. It was good and I enjoyed it. (ie. good, but nothing to writing home about). I had leftover rub which I had stored in the fridge (not sure why I did this as none of the ingredients needed it), so a couple days later, I made more wings again…and this time, they were amazing. I’m not sure what happened…but the flavors in the rub seemed to meld together and I enjoyed the output the second time much more. The first time, I felt like I could taste the individual flavors (cyan, brown sugar, etc), but the second time, it was one smooth, amazing taste. I’m going to make a bunch now and store for whenever I want to do this next, I can only imagine it will be even better after a longer period of time.

    Reply
  2. Jo says

    February 6, 2021 at 5:23 pm

    How much of the ground chipotle pepper should I add to the mix to make it spicy?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      February 6, 2021 at 7:25 pm

      I’d add 1/2 teaspoon, or more if you like it really spicy!

      Reply
  3. Sherry says

    December 12, 2020 at 11:48 am

    Thank you for sharing! I used on pork ribs and they were excellent.

    Reply
  4. Tom says

    December 1, 2020 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic dry rub! Thanks for posting it! Today I am rubbing down chicken drumsticks with it and refrigerating them overnight before roasting them low and slow atop a bed of onions with some smashed garlic. Looks like a good time here! I’ll bookmark your site for new ideas!. Cheers!

    Reply
  5. Beth S. Iowa says

    October 19, 2020 at 9:49 am

    5 stars
    I used this rub for boston butt and beef brisket. It is the perfect blend of spices! Thank you!!

    Reply
  6. Deanna says

    October 16, 2020 at 2:03 am

    Hi

    I posted this on your FB page but it seems my post has been removed.

    Id like to make this rub but can not source kosher salt, can you suggest a substitution?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Sara says

      October 16, 2020 at 8:02 pm

      You would use 3/4 of the amount of table salt! I’m sorry your post on Facebook got lost I’ll look into that!

      Reply
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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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