Here's my go-to barbecue dry rub recipe. It works for a multitude of cooking needs from grilling to smoking, and rotisserie to roasting. Use it with chicken, ribs, fish and seafood, potatoes and veggies, you name it! That's why I call it all purpose. It's super versatile and blends up in a minute. Skip the store stuff which is mostly salt and make your own to control the ingredients and flavor. Homemade is best!
I developed this dry rub recipe more than a decade ago and never shared it until now. Talking with friends who love to grill, I promised to publish it. It's my go-to dry rub for lots of uses. Need a dry rub for those buffalo chicken wings? Here you go. Need a dry rub for ribs? Works great. For chicken? You bet. It really is all purpose! Sprinkle or rub generously onto whatever is going on the grill, into the oven, or air fryer.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- You control the heat and salt levels for your preference.
- A batch lasts 6 months stored in an airtight container in the pantry.
- It's similar to blackening seasoning, cajun seasoning, and creole seasoning, easily used interchangeably.
Instead of plain paprika on creamy deviled eggs, use this dry rub. It's a great garnish.
Dry Rub Ingredients
Here are the spices you need to make this homemade dry rub. Find them at most grocery stores and online from online spice stores. Note: is there NO SALT in this recipe. It's good for salt-sensitive people and allows you to control the level of salt. I prefer to salt what I'm preparing separately for control and better coverage, then use the dry rub.
- Smoked paprika: For a little savory, smoky flavor.
- Granulated garlic: Granulated is coarser in texture than garlic powder, but both are made from pure, dehydrated garlic.
- Brown sugar: Just a touch for a little caramelization.
- Ground cumin: For it's earthy, slightly spiced flavor common in spice blends and in many cuisines.
- Ground coriander: A great partner for cumin, with a lightly lemony flavor and fragrance.
- Onion powder: Another savory flavor builder.
- Ancho chili powder: This is pure chili powder, not the blend called chili powder.
- Ground black pepper: For some heat.
- Chipotle pepper: For more heat! Made from smoked jalapeno peppers, it adds to the smoky flavor along with the smoked paprika.
If you don't have them all, I list swaps so you can make to still make the rub. The jar above is measured out but not yet shaken to combine. Kind of looks like sand art.
Please see the recipe card for measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you prefer the salt in the rub, add 1 tablespoon of pink sea salt.
- Substitute regular paprika for smoked paprika.
- To substitute garlic powder for granulated use ¾ as much.
- Substitute cayenne pepper for chipotle pepper, and for more heat just add more to your liking.
- Add dried herbs such as dried thyme or dried oregano, try 2 teaspoons.
- No coriander? Skip it and use a little more cumin.
- Switch coconut sugar or golden monk fruit blend for the brown sugar.
Use this dry rub in place of plain paprika in this easy, creamy smoked salmon dip.
Recipe Instructions
Add all of the spices to a jar and shake well, label and store in a cool dark place for up to 6 months. Where not to store spices? In full light, on top of your stove, or above the range. This makes the flavors and strength degrade more quickly.
Many Uses for Dry Rub
Use dry rubs on raw proteins, such as chicken, turkey, ribs, pork tenderloin and chops, seafood, and beef. Use them as a finishing seasoning for vegetables, potatoes, and flavoring vinaigrettes and dressings. They are multi-purpose and versatile. Try out these recipes with my dry rub recipe:
- Baby back ribs. Rub the ribs both top and under sides with a generous amount of dry rub. I start the night before to allow the flavors to develop (but you don't have to).
- Grilled shrimp tacos.
- Air fryer mahi mahi (recipe out soon!).
- Baked bone-in chicken breasts.
- Air fryer roasted red potatoes.
- It's terrific on grilled or barbecued chicken.
The photo below is a dry rub coated whole chicken I put on the rotisserie. Comes out fantastic! The trick to getting it to stick is smearing the bird with just a little mayonnaise to start, then coating well with the dry rub.
Serving Suggestions
Need some side dishes? Depending on what you've made with the dry rub, try this cool, refreshing tropical pineapple mango salsa or a creamy avocado dip that doubles as a sauce.
For a classic summer side for grilled chicken and ribs, try these made from scratch Boston Baked Beans and a side of lightly creamy homemade coleslaw.
Recipe FAQs
A dry rub is a blend of dry spices, herbs, sugar, and usually salt used to flavor foods. No liquids and no oil like marinades and sauces. You can leave out the salt to control the amount of salt used in a recipe and instead, salt the meat or seafood separately. Dry rubs are super versatile, fun to use, easy to create at home, and give basic recipes lots of flavor.
One of the main concern with purchased dry rubs is the level of salt. Many are mostly salt with little else. You've got to read labels. The first few ingredients listed are what the rub is mainly made of, and it often starts with salt. Another concern is preservatives, gluten or other allergens, and ingredients to make rubs flow and not clump. Making dry rubs at home eliminates these problems, plus it's fun.
You can use dry rubs on vegetables. Use them to season the vegetables after cooking as you would salt or toss, spray, or lightly coat the vegetables with a little oil and toss with the dry rub before cooking. Be careful with high heat as you don't want to burn the spices.
Watch the salt levels in rubs so your food is not overly salty. Making dry rubs at home allows you to control or eliminate the amount salt. Also, spices can burn with too high heat. Watch your cooking and grilling temperatures and timing so dry rubbed food does not burn, especially with a direct contact method of cooking such as searing.
The best way to store homemade dry rubs is in airtight containers such as metal or glass. Label and date your dry upon making. Store in a cool area such as a pantry, drawer, or cabinet away from the heat of an oven. Do not store rubs on a shelf above a range or cooktop, or on a tray next to the cooktop. Doing so degrades the flavor, color, and potency much faster. Use within 6 months for best flavor and recipe performance.
Recipes To Try With Dry Rub
Dry rubs are fun to play with to bring a new dimension of flavors to recipes. Wherever you use a spice blend, experiment with a dry rub.
⭐️Did You Make This Recipe?
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📖 Recipe
All Purpose Dry Rub
Ingredients
- 4 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons granulated garlic or 1 ½ T. of garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar or golden monk fruit blend
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper or smoked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients into a jar with a tight lid and shake hard until well combined. Label and date when you made it and store in a cool dark pantry or cabinet. Will last 4-6 months.
Notes
- Like it spicier? Add more chipotle powder, cayenne pepper, or some sharp (hot) paprika.
- If you use garlic powder instead of granulated garlic, start with half the amount as it is finer.
- If you prefer to add salt to the blend (instead of salting your protein), add 1 tablespoon of pink sea salt.
Porsche guy says
You’re not kidding about this dry rub working for a lot of different things. I’ve used it on chicken and shrimp so far. Thank you for the recipe so I can control the salt. We do like it spicier so we add more chipotle but the flavors are great