↑

Will Cook For Smiles

The Best of Homecooking

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
Home » Seasonal » BBQ » The Ultimate Dry Rub

The Ultimate Dry Rub

Created: February 25, 2019 Updated: July 10, 2020 by lyuba 51 Comments

87.6K shares
Jump to Recipe

This is the only Dry Rub recipe you will ever need. It’s a great Dry Rub for ribs, for chicken, brisket, chicken wings, and more. Use this dry rub on any meat that you’re grilling, smoking, or cooking in the oven. It’s quick, versatile, tastes amazing and made with a simple ingredients. 

Try this rub on some baked chicken wings, when grilling your favorite steak, or even on sided dishes like grilled potatoes. 

Dry Rub in a glass jar on a wooden cutting board

DRY RUB

Dry rubs are a wonderful way to infuse a lot of flavor into the meat. What is a dry rub? It’s very simple, dry rub is a combination of spices, herbs, and sugar. Basically, it’s dry ingredients and spice ingredients mixed together for coating and flavoring meat. 

When making homemade dry rub, it’s best to incorporates all taste elements like sweet, savory, and spicy. All three elements combined together make a flavor explosion for your taste buds. 

When it comes to sweet, the best base is brown sugar. I often use dark brown sugar for an additional molasses flavor, which comes out even more when the dry rub starts to caramelize in heat. 

For heat, I find cayenne to be the most complimentary of the other spices. If cayenne is not available, you can get the heat from chili powder. The reason I prefer cayenne is because it adds a good amount of heat without overpowering other flavors, like chili powder tends to do. 

All other ingredients are the savory flavor additions. Start with the must-haves like salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Then we add a few more layers of flavor from aromatic herbs like cumin and coriander.

When it comes to paprika, which is a big and important ingredient in a dry rub, I prefer to go with smoked, especially if I’m making meats in the oven. If I’m cooking on a grill or in the smoker, I can easily use regular sweet paprika since there will be plenty of smokey flavor coming from the grill.

PIN THIS RECIPE

measuring spoons full of the spices for dry rub on a cutting board

HOW TO USE DRY RUB

Dry rub is used on meats to get a lot of flavor into the meat without having any additional sauces or meats. Even though you can always add a glaze or a sauce after the meats have been cooked, it’s absolutely not necessary with a dry rub.

It’s incredibly simple to make and use as well. In just a few minutes and a few shakes, you will have this amazing aromatic combination of spices ready to be applied to the meat. 

Once dry rub is mixed, spread it in a rimmed baking sheet or a large bowl, whichever fits the meat you are using best. Add meat and generously rub it all over with the rub, getting every nook and cranny, while massaging the dry rub into the meat. 

For many meats, like chicken breasts, brisket, or pork, I prefer to rub it and then refrigerate it overnight or even up to 12 hours. This will give the meat extra time to get as much flavor out of spices as possible. 

Refrigerating the meat is not a necessary step, it just adds so much extra flavor. Rubbed meats can be cooked right away if there is no time to let it sit in the refrigerator. 

Dry Rub recipe in a white bowl on a wood table

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST DRY RUB:

When possible, use the freshest ingredients. Spices tend to loose their aroma and flavor after the jar has been open for 9 months. Use fresh spices and grind some fresh herbs like black pepper and coriander. (If you don’t have spice grinder, you can also use a small coffee grinder.) Herbs are so much more aromatic when freshly ground.

It’s best to quickly mix fresh dry rub right before using it but it can be prepared ahead of time and used at a later date.  

If planning on grilling the meat with dry rub on it, it’s best to not cook it right over direct heat but off to the side from direct heat. Direct heat will burn the dry rub versus caramelizing it. 

dry rub mixed up in a bowl with a fork

HOW TO STORE DRY RUB:

For the best way to keep dry rubs fresh, use a zip-lock freezer bag and store it in the freezer. Get as much air out of the bag as you can before sealing it.

You can also store dry rub for up to 6-months in air-tight jar in a cool dark place or in the refrigerator. 

Make sure to date and label the bag or the jar. 

The Ultimate Dry Rub recipe in a jar on a wooden cutting board

SOME MORE GREAT RECIPES TO TRY:

BBQ Chicken Skewers

Southwest Baked Chicken

Garlic Pork Loin

Oven Baked Chicken

Braised Short Ribs

Pepper Steak

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

Connect with Will Cook For Smiles!

Be sure to click below and follow me on my social media, so you never miss a recipe.

   

Don’t forget to sign up for email, so you won’t miss any new recipes.

PIN THIS RECIPE

The Ultimate Dry Rub

This is a great Dry Rub for ribs, for chicken, brisket, chicken wings, and more. Use this dry rub on any meat that you’re grilling, smoking, or cooking in the oven.
4.14 from 131 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked meats, dry rub, grilling meats, spice mix
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 331kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp smoked paprika can substitute regular paprika
  • 2 tbsp coarse salt
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine all spices and herbs in a bowl and mix very well. (You can also combine it in a jar with a lid, close the lid and shake well to mix.) 
  • Dry rub can be used right away or stored for up to 6 months. 
  • To use: spread mixed dry rub in a rimmed baking sheet or a large bowl, whichever fits the meat you are using best. Add meat and generously rub it all over with the dry rub, getting every nook and cranny, while massaging the dry rub into the meat.
  • To store: For the best way to keep dry rubs fresh, use a zip-lock freezer bag and store it in the freezer. Get as much air out of the bag as you can before sealing it.
    (You can also store dry rub for up to 6-months in air-tight jar in a cool dark place or in the refrigerator.) 

Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 13998mg | Potassium: 975mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 14540IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 9mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

The Ultimate Dry Rub recipe picture collage top picture spices in jar bottom picture spices in a bowl

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

87.6K shares

Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, BBQ, Beef, Chicken, Dressing, Popular Posts, Pork

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Larry Gaines says

    February 26, 2019 at 12:06 am

    Need your recipe for Corned Beef please. I have no luck searching Preterist pins

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      February 26, 2019 at 12:02 pm

      Hey Larry!
      Here is the corned beef in the oven: https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/3-ingredient-oven-baked-corned-beef-brisket/
      And here is the corned beef in an Instant pot: https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/instant-pot-corned-beef/

      There is also a “search” spot in the menu bar on top of the page, you can use that search to search my site 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sue says

    March 2, 2019 at 6:02 pm

    Hi Lyuba
    First of all, love your recipes. When I pick up my email I always read yours before the others.

    I have a question. I know you can put marinade on meat in a ziplock before freezing, so then you just need to defrost it when you’re ready and, since it’s already marinaded, you just have to cook it.

    Does it work the same way with rubs? Have you ever tried putting the rub on the meat, freezing it, and when ready to cook it, just defrost?

    I would assume it would work but I’ve never tried it. In fact, I never even thought about it before.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      March 16, 2019 at 12:29 pm

      Hi Sue!
      Thank you SO much, that is so sweet of you to say 🙂
      I’ve never dried marinading or freezing with rubs because it’s a dry rub and marinating it will actually add moisture from mixing with the chicken juices. I think it will actually create more of a marinade vs dry rub seasoning since it will mix with chicken juice.
      You can definitely try it and it won’t affect the taste. It will affect the outside texture a bit but not the taste.

      Reply
  3. France says

    March 24, 2019 at 10:28 am

    I’m wondering how best to cook the chicken breasts and wings in the oven ? Oven temp, etc. I made the rub last night and the breasts are in the frig all set to go. They smell wonderful!!

    Have a great day!

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      March 30, 2019 at 12:27 pm

      Hi France! I actually have recipes for both!
      Chicken breast oven temp – 450° for about 20 minutes, until internal temperature of chicken reads 165°.
      Chicken wings – 400° oven temperature for 45-50 minutes.
      Here are the links if you want more info:
      https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/baked-chicken-breasts/
      https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/baked-chicken-wings-with-the-best-dry-rub/
      If you ever need a quick response, message me on the blog’s FB page, it goes straight to my phone.

      Reply
  4. Erika Tillman says

    May 21, 2019 at 1:52 pm

    Going to use your dry rub for salmon tonight ! The rub itself is delicious excited to see hi this tatses!

    Reply
    • Erika Tillman says

      May 21, 2019 at 1:52 pm

      How**

      Reply
      • LyubaB says

        May 22, 2019 at 9:28 am

        Erika, that sounds so good! I’d love to know how it turns out!

        Reply
  5. Jeri says

    June 14, 2019 at 1:31 pm

    The sodium intake correct?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      June 18, 2019 at 9:55 pm

      Hi, Jeri! It is for the whole bottle but there might be something wrong with the software. I will double check the nutrition though because it does seem high.

      Reply
  6. Paul uk says

    August 24, 2019 at 5:04 pm

    Hi Lyuba, I’m trying your run for chicken drummers for an in prompt Sunday BBQ. I use a gas bbq and was wondering if I kept the temperature low would this stop the rub from burning?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      August 26, 2019 at 4:04 pm

      Hi, Paul! Sorry if I’m late responding, but I would turn it up to 350-400 degrees until the eternal temperature is 165 degrees. A little char is okay, you want the skin to be a little crispy.

      Reply
  7. GiniD says

    September 3, 2019 at 5:29 pm

    I melt 1 stick of unsalted butter in a measuring cup, add 2 TBS of the rub mix into the butter, stir well, and brush on chicken using a good silicone brush. I usually bake the chicken for about 20 minutes, then brush the rub/butter mixture all over the chicken, cook for another 20 minutes, give it another good brushing of the rub mix and continue cooking until done. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on this method. The chicken comes out with this beautiful dark spicy color!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      September 4, 2019 at 9:56 am

      Sounds good!

      Reply
      • Sue says

        May 16, 2020 at 2:01 pm

        My husband and I are going to have a contest .we’re going to smoke our wings and ribs what temp for smoker

        Reply
        • LyubaB says

          May 19, 2020 at 11:49 am

          Hi Sue,

          Now that sounds fun! I would smoke them both at 225 degrees, which seems to be the magic number when smoking. You can also check out these recipes and tips from our sister site Grilling Smoking living that I have linked below.

          https://grillingsmokingliving.com/smoked-chicken-wings/
          https://grillingsmokingliving.com/

          Reply
  8. Frank C Newman says

    December 5, 2019 at 8:40 pm

    The dry rub sound GREAT, but . . . .the sodium is way too much. My doctor would have a cow if he saw me eating this!!
    What do ya think about reducing the salt. Would it still be GREAT? Maybe there is a lower sodium substitute?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      December 9, 2019 at 5:36 pm

      Hi, Frank! You could actually substitute the salt for a sodium free salt there are several brands and it taste pretty good!

      Reply
  9. Amanda says

    December 19, 2019 at 5:16 am

    Your article say to put the dry rub on and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. I am in a time crunch. We are cooking our brisket overnight for an afternoon dinner on Saturday: so if we dry rub for up to 12 hours we would need to put our dry rub on the brisket at 10am. Problem is i am working at that time. Can i do the dry rub 24 hours in advance? Will it effect the taste of the meet at all? 24 hours too long for the rub to be on the brisket meat?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      December 23, 2019 at 11:01 am

      Hi, Amanda! You can do it the night before that will be totally fine! I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
    • Xani says

      April 11, 2020 at 1:52 am

      No, it doesn’t need to leave in the fridge overnight. we put the rub on and cook it.

      Reply
  10. Jake says

    January 22, 2020 at 11:17 am

    I follow some recipes for baked chicken that calls for the chicken to be tossed in baking powder to draw moisture to give some extra crispiness to it. Can I toss the chicken in a mixture of this dry rub with the baking powder? Or should I toss in the seasoning first and then toss them in baking powder after? Or will baking powder ruin the flavor?

    Reply
  11. LyubaB says

    January 28, 2020 at 1:36 pm

    Jake, I don’t think it would hurt anything but I haven’t tried it.

    Reply
  12. sharon says

    January 31, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    5 stars
    Hi!
    I´m from the NEtherlands and saw your recipe!
    I would like to try it, but first I really would like to know if the recipe is a little bit sweet?
    We do love our Spareribs tasty like sweet and how do I say this… satisfying. Some recipes are not giving that “I am satisfied, I’m full” – feeling but more the upposite or even the “I do have stomach issues” feeling..

    So, Is this mix sweet of can I perhaps sweeten it a little bit more by putting some cinnamon in it? How much do you think would be enough?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      February 4, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      Hi, Sharron! It is a little sweet but you could add another tablespoon of brown sugar to make it sweeter.

      Reply
  13. James says

    March 31, 2020 at 6:23 pm

    5 stars
    I love this dry rub and use it on everything! It’s delicious!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 1, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      Thanks, James!

      Reply
  14. Barb says

    May 1, 2020 at 4:01 pm

    5 stars
    Love the recipe, have used it different times.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 6, 2020 at 3:28 pm

      Hi, Barb! So glad you love it! Thanks for taking the time to tell me and for rating my recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Gentleman Jester says

    October 27, 2020 at 2:58 pm

    Hey! I’ve used this dry rub on beef before and it has been absolutely delicious.

    I am coming now to ask whether it can also be used on pork? I just got a pork shoulder joint, and all the pork joint recipes I’ve found online have barely any seasoning.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      October 27, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      Yes, I like this rub on a pork shoulder! I also have a sister site with a great recipe for a pork shoulder that you can find at the link below

      https://grillingsmokingliving.com/smoked-pork-shoulder/

      Reply
      • Gentleman Jester says

        October 27, 2020 at 4:19 pm

        I notice on that recipe, you say to use a smoker. Is it possible to follow it in an oven instead?

        Reply
        • LyubaB says

          October 28, 2020 at 10:55 am

          Hi,

          Yes, you can definitely do it in the oven instead! Just remember to be generous with salt fist to give it extra flavor, you can rub with salt overnight and then add the rub the next day but I would use less or just omit the salt in the dry rub if you do salt overnight. Let me know how it turns out!

          Reply
          • Gentleman Jester says

            October 28, 2020 at 10:58 am

            Well, I’ve already got a wee jar of dry rub prepared, so I’ll rub a little bit of the coarse salt into the meat beforehand.

            I also noticed that the cooking time for your recipe is 7 hours, although the recipe itself is more based on temperature. Since I’m relatively new to cooking these delicious recipes of yours, is there a standard time for cooking the pork per kg/lb, or would it be best to check the temperature every half hour or so?

            Reply
  16. Keri says

    April 28, 2021 at 1:10 am

    What is the cup volume of this rub mixture – I would like to try your brisket recipe but my brisket is 11lb and it calls for 1.25cups of dry rub.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 3, 2021 at 9:48 am

      Hi Keri, this makes about a cup so I would double the recipe and store the leftovers in an airtight jar or container in a cool place.

      Reply
  17. Kris says

    May 23, 2021 at 12:30 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Lyubab,

    I love this rub on everything. Meat, potatoes, even some roasted veggies. My question isn’t about the rub, I’d like to know where you got those cute wire bail jars? I just love those. Thanks so much.

    Kris

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 24, 2021 at 11:21 am

      Hi Kris,

      I am so glad you like the rub so much! You can buy similar ones on Amazon like these ones

      https://www.amazon.com/1-6-Ounce-Airtight-Odor-Proof-Canisters-Containers/dp/B074QPS6HQ/ref=asc_df_B074QPS6HQ/

      Reply
      • Kris says

        May 24, 2021 at 4:10 pm

        Thank you so much. I never even thought of Amazon. Sheesh!

        Kris

        Reply
        • LyubaB says

          May 28, 2021 at 8:19 am

          Your so welcome, Kris!

          Reply
  18. Gloria says

    June 12, 2021 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    I also use this rub as a marinated. I take about 2-3 tab. Of rub and add to 1/4 of oil in a ziplock bag and mix together then add chicken to it and put in refrigerator overnight or at least an hour then grill meat.

    For my ribs I use this rub as a dry rub. I rub my ribs then wrap in foil then refrigerator overnight in morning I put them into my crockpot (leave them wrapped in foil) for about 6 hours. Drain grease and unwrap meat then put on grill and add some BBQ sauce grill about 10 minutes. Yes this is time consuming but well worth it.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      June 14, 2021 at 9:37 am

      Hi Gloria,

      I am so glad you like it! Thanks for all the great tips I will give them a try!

      Reply
  19. Trink says

    July 23, 2021 at 12:32 pm

    This is the best dry rub ever! I think the smoked paprika really sets it apart. I have always used a similar recipe and almost didn’t even try it. I’m so glad that I did. I can’t wait to try it on other meats!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      July 26, 2021 at 10:50 am

      I am so glad you gave it a try and like it! 🙂

      Reply
  20. Debra says

    November 19, 2021 at 5:57 pm

    The rub sounds delicious. All other recipes I’ve seen use a lot of liquid when making their brisket in the oven. You don’t and I was wondering why? I want to make brisket for our Christmas dinner. Any advise you could give me would be appreciated.
    Thank you

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Soup Recipes

spooning some beef soup from a bowl

Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

closeup of Italian wedding soup topped with shaved Parmesan

Italian Wedding Soup

closeup image of crab soup in a bowl centered in a photo

She Crab Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Chicken Meatball Soup

closeup of top view of Cioppino in a bowl

Cioppino – Seafood Stew

A bowl of white bean soup is presented with a spoon on a countertop.

White Bean Soup

vegetable broth in two canning jars next to fresh carrots, garlic, and celery

Vegetable Stock

Our Popular Recipes

Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas

top view of a whole frittata in a cast iron skillet

Frittata Recipe

baked lobster tails topped with fresh parsley and herb butter

Lobster Tails Recipe

top view of pineapple fried rice topped with shrimp

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

baked cranberry maple brie on wax paper with sliced bread and bagel chips at right and in background all on black table

Cranberry Maple Baked Brie

tall photo of a chai latte in a glass mug

Chai Latte

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'Mores Cheesecake Recipe

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="32674" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
The Best Classic Tiramisu

The Best Classic Tiramisu

January 14, 2023
Tiramisu...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

December 2, 2022
This...
Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

August 11, 2022
Chicken...
Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew

August 10, 2022
Pad...
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

July 15, 2022
These...
Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

July 1, 2022
Baba...
Painkiller

Painkiller

June 30, 2022
A...
Truffle Fries

Truffle Fries

June 28, 2022
Truffle...
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

June 21, 2022
Thai...
Strawberry Daiquiri

Strawberry Daiquiri

June 16, 2022
The...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Will Cook For Smiles. Design by Pixel Me Designs