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by Marcie //August 26, 2020 (updated 5/18/22)
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Tired of spending a lot of money on spice rubs that are overly salty and sweet? This flavorful BBQ Chicken Rub will save you money using spices that you already have on hand., and it’s easily customizable to suit your tastes!
**This post was originally published in April 2014. The recipe, photos and text have been updated.
We’re heading into the last few weeks of summer, and while I’m ready for fall food, I’m in grilling mode until at least after Labor Day.
I make grilled chicken weekly, and this BBQ Chicken Rub is a nice way to change things up. Sure, I love saucy BBQ Chicken, but a dry rub is so much more low maintenance!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- This is a great all purpose rub with the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavor. It works well with chicken, as well as pork, beef and even grilled vegetables.
- It’s the easiest way to get bbq flavor without brushing on messy bbq sauce at just the right time.
- This homemade spice rub is much more cost effective than store bought brands, and it’s made with spices that you already have in your pantry.
- You control the sodium and sweetness, and can customize it to suit your tastes.
Recipe Ingredients
The glory of this bbq rub recipe is that it’s made with common ingredients that you already have on hand. There’s nothing fancy, but together the spices create a wonderful sweet and savory rub that works well with almost anything you are grilling or smoking.
Ingredient notes
- Brown sugar. Sugar is the main ingredient in most bbq rubs. This version contains just enough to add sweetness that’s not overpowering.
- Cayenne pepper. My family is pretty spice intolerant, so I included a scant 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. If you like things spicy add more!
- Salt. I used kosher salt because it has less sodium than regular table salt.
How to make this recipe
This bbq chicken rub is extremely easy to make and takes less than 5 minutes!
Prepare the rub:
1. Place all ingredients into a medium bowl.
2. Whisk well to combine, breaking up any clumps.
Rub the chicken:
3. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and coat generously with the rub, rubbing the seasoning into the meat. Coat the meat with a bit of olive oil before adding the rub to help it adhere better if desired.
4. Let stand for one hour at room temperature and grill, smoke or bake!
Customize this recipe
This is a very versatile rub, so it’s easy to add a variety of herbs and spices to change things up.
- Add herbs such as thyme, oregano or rosemary.
- Add citrus zest such as orange, lemon or lime.
- Increase the amount of garlic powder for more garlic flavor.
- Add warm spices such as cumin or coriander for more depth of flavor.
- Increase the amount of cayenne pepper if you love spiciness!
FAQs
Why use a dry rub?
A rub is a great way to add flavor to meat or vegetables. It’s so much easier and less messy than a marinade or bbq sauce!
How long should dry rub sit on chicken?
Rub the chicken generously and let stand at room temperature for a minimum of one hour.
There’s no need to leave the rub on for hours or overnight as it is not a dry brine.
How long do BBQ rubs last?
Store bbq chicken rub in an air tight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
Can I use dry rub and BBQ sauce?
Dry rub and bbq sauce may both be used. Simply brush on the sauce during the last 5-10 minutes to keep it from burning.
Use my homemade bourbon bbq sauce or your favorite store bought brand.
Recipe Notes
- Pro tip: When using skin-on chicken breast, add the seasoning underneath the skin as well.
- Store unused rub in an air tight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
- Coat the meat lightly with olive oil before seasoning to help the rub adhere to the meat if desired.
- This recipe is a great all purpose seasoning that works well with beef, pork, vegetables, corn on the cob, or anything that you are grilling or smoking.
- This rub contains sugar, so be careful when grilling over high heat as the sugar can burn. Sear on both sides and cook over indirect heat for the remaining of the cooking time to avoid burning.
More grilling recipes you’ll love:
- Chicken Souvlaki
- Grilled Burgers
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Potato Salad
- Grilled Steak by Iowa Girl Eats
- Jerk Pineapple Shrimp Skewers
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or snap a photo and tag me @flavorthemoments on Instagram!
BBQ Chicken Rub Recipe
Servings: 7 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Inactive Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
BBQ Chicken Rub is sweet, savory and made with spices you already have on hand! It's a great all purpose rub for chicken, pork or beef!
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Place the smoked paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
Whisk the spices together well, breaking up any clumps.
Generously coat the chicken with the rub, rubbing it into the meat. Pro tip: If using skin on chicken breast, rub the seasoning underneath the skin as well.
Let stand for a minimum of one hour at room temperature, then grill. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: When using skin-on chicken breast, add the seasoning underneath the skin as well.
- Store unused rub in an air tight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
- Coat the meat lightly with olive oil before seasoning to help the rub adhere to the meat if desired.
- This recipe is a great all purpose seasoning that works well with beef, pork, vegetables, corn on the cob, or anything that you are grilling or smoking.
- This rub contains sugar, so be careful when grilling over high heat as the sugar can burn. Sear on both sides and cook over indirect heat for the remaining of the cooking time to avoid burning.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 25kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 354mg, Potassium: 73mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1354IU, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Course: Grilling
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
Keyword: bbq chicken rub, bbq rub, homemade bbq rub
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!
posted in: Dairy-Free, Fourth of July, Gluten-Free, Grilling, Pantry recipes, Recipes, Spice Blends/Rubs, Spring, Summer // 56 comments
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Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods — Reply
We love grilling any time of the year! Although the last time I wanted to , the cover was frozen stiff and I couldn’t get it off. Today, I’m brushing off the snow from my grill to begin cooking! I’ve been looking for a rub for smoked chicken and this sounds perfect!! I can’t wait to try it this weekend 😀
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Snow on the cover of your grill could make things difficult — I certainly don’t have that to contend with! haha I hope you’re able to grill this weekend and I hope you enjoy the rub. Thanks, Cindy! 🙂
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Jenn @ Deliciously Sprinkled — Reply
Marcie, this looks delicious! It’s finally getting warm outside and that means grilling season! Can’t wait to try your recipe, pinned 🙂
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Hurray for grilling season! I hope you get to try the rub soon — thanks, Jenn! 🙂
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Ashley @ Spoonful of Flavor — Reply
I love grilling! The rub on this chicken sounds perfect. I hope you are having a great week, Marcie!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Thanks, Ashley! It was definitely nice grilling again! 🙂
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flavorthemoments — Reply
I’m so excited for BBQ season, too! The weather has been just beautiful here so it’s hard not to cook outdoors. haha Thank you, Juliana! 🙂
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flavorthemoments — Reply
You should take the plunge, Carol…it’s easy! You certainly could just do this on an indoor grill pan and make your life easy — I just don’t want you to go without. haha Thanks, and have a great rest of the week! 🙂
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flavorthemoments — Reply
As long as you have some way to grill, you’re ok! It’s always a challenge photographing food when my family is lurking nearby — I can’t take my eyes off for a second. haha HAve a great day, Jamie! 🙂
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Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking — Reply
We grill chicken endlessly all summer, and so I’m always looking for flavorful variations on the same thing we love, which is BBQ flavors. Your spice rub is a must try!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Grilling is the best! Thanks, Georgia! 🙂
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Ashley — Reply
I am still terrified of using our grill outside haha I’m a little shall we say accident prone and it makes me nervous : ) Maybe it’s time for a lesson from my husband (he always cooks the stuff for me out there!) – with heavy supervision! And this chicken looks finger-licking good – I am so so excited for grilling season!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
As long as somebody’s doing some grilling, that’s all that matters. haha Thanks, Ashley! 🙂
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Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic — Reply
This sounds delicious, especially with that spice rub!
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Kathy @ Olives & Garlic — Reply
The rub sounds delicious. And the pictures are beautiful. I can’t wait to fire up the grill already.
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Thank you, Kathy! I plan to do plenty of grilling with this spice rub.
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Sounds like you need chicken and waffles for breakfast!
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Kloe's Kitchen — Reply
Oh! These are reminding of summer! I can’t wait! At least spring has finally come to MI.
Love the post!
~Kloe ♥-
flavorthemoments — Reply
Thank you, Kloe! I know you’ve been battling some crazy weather out there, so I’m sure you’re ready for grilling! 🙂
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Allie | Baking a Moment — Reply
I don’t know why I have such an irrational fear of the grill, but I think you just talked me right out of it with that revelation that there are less dishes this way! Duh, I can’t believe I never thought of that before. I’m so sick of doing dishes all the time! I love this rub, the flavors sound amazing, Marcie!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
I was afraid of grilling for so long, too, but it really didn’t take long to learn thankfully. 🙂 Thanks, Allie, and have a great evening!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Thank you, Jelli! This rub definitely gave the chicken lots of flavor, and I hope you get to try it! 🙂
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Kelly — Reply
My husband is the one that usually grills too but I think I really need to get over my fear and start learning too. This chicken looks sensational Marcie – the bbq spice rub sounds super tasty! Yay for grilling season 🙂
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flavorthemoments — Reply
As long as there’s some grilling going on, that’s all that matters! Thanks, Kelly! 🙂
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Gloria // Simply Gloria — Reply
Marcie, I love how you just started throwing spices together and came up with this amazing rub! We love to grill (charcoal) and especially huge fan of spice rubs. I’m saving this recipe for when we put some chicken up next… which will be very soon! Thanks so much for sharing at the Show Stopper this week… always love your creations!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Spice rubs are so easy, and I love all the flavor they lend! Thanks for hosting as always, Gloria, and have a wonderful evening! 🙂
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Jen @ Yummy Healthy Easy — Reply
What beautiful chicken!! I have to admit, I’m a little scared of the grill. Your post inspired me to just man up and try it by myself! My husband works late hours and I usually sit around and wait for him to get home and grill because I don’t want to do it – I’m going to try it! I love your rub recipe! Thanks so much for sharing on Saturday Night Fever! Pinned!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Sounds like you have the exact same problem years ago, which fired me up to start grilling myself. 🙂 I hope you give it a try…it’s fun and there’s less clean-up! Thanks for hosting, Jen, and for the pin!
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Julie — Reply
This looks great! I love grilling, but I usually use marinades, not rubs. This recipe makes me want to try the rub. I have a whole chicken in the freezer that I was going to oven-roast, but as the bbq has finally been liberated from the snow, I think I will try this instead. Thanks for the inspiration for something new to try. I agree, girls can grill too. I usually do it, not dh, and it turns out I’m pretty good at it. 😉
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Hi, Julie! I love the alternative to use rub on the chicken, because marinades take so long to flavor and rubs don’t! You could definitely oven roast the chicken with the rub as well if you’d rather keep it indoors, but I’m glad to hear you grill! I hope it works out for you. 🙂
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Chris @ Shared Appetite — Reply
This looks awesome Marcie! I just bought some drumsticks and was looking for something to do with them. I’m totally trying this tomorrow!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
This would be perfect for those drumsticks, Chris! Hope you have a great Labor Day! 🙂
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Rachael — Reply
We love to BBQ at our house and are always looking for new recipes! Thanks for sharing this one, it looks scrumptious!! We can’t wait to try it out!
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Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes — Reply
We love to grill! This chicken looks like a hit!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Thanks, Jamie!
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Deb@ Cooking on the Front Burner — Reply
Summer is for grilling and enjoying tasty recipes like this one!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
It sure is! 🙂
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Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet — Reply
This would easily be a family favorite!
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flavorthemoments — Reply
It’s always a hit here for sure! 🙂
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liam — Reply
I just made this today and I have to say I’m very disappointed. I put the rub on overnight even… grilled it today… no taste at all! It’s like I didn’t put anything on it!!! What a waste of time. I’m sitting here with dinner having to dip it in bbq 🙁
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flavorthemoments — Reply
I’m sorry that you felt this way Liam…I’ve made this many times and it’s always come out great.
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Phil Dix — Reply
Just so you know — all types of salt contain the same % of sodium. The reason kosher salt “has less” is because of its large particle size. This means that it doesn’t pack together as densely so that a teaspoon of kosher salt provides less salt (and therefore less sodium) than a teaspoon of finely ground table salt.
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flavorthemoments — Reply
I am aware of this. 1 teaspoon of kosher salt contains less sodium than 1 teaspoon of table salt because it is made up of larger grains.
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Katerina | Once a Foodie — Reply
Oh yum! I don’t make my own spice mixes very often (as we don’t spice anything much just yet, the kids are still young) but looking at these ingredients and the delicious result, I think I need to start! Thank you for the inspiration, Marcie!-
flavorthemoments — Reply
These spices aren’t overpowering or “hot” as my family isn’t too spice tolerant either! lol Thanks Katerina!
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Karen (Back Road Journal) — Reply
Rubs add so much flavor to meat and are so easy to prepare, yours sounds like a good one. BTW, I haven’t been able to leave comments for some time but hopefully the problem is fixed now. 😊
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flavorthemoments — Reply
Hmmm I have no idea why? I hope it doesn’t give you any more problems!
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Del — Reply
Just what I have been looking for…something to give my slow cooked chicken some extra oomph! Just one more thing…….I chuckled about the snow on the barbie…………………We live in sub tropical weather…………..I had to travel 1500 klms a few years ago just so I could see snow!-
Marcie — Reply
I’m so glad you love the rub Del!
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Sue — Reply
I love this rub! It’s so easy! I left it on overnight and the chicken was so flavorful. The chili powder really a kick of heat. So the next time I make it, I might use half the chili powder for people that are a little sensitive.
I just made a big batch and will use some tomorrow and be ready to go to the next time I need some! I bet it would be really good on baby back ribs too.-
Marcie — Reply
I’m so glad you love it Sue and thank you for your feedback! 🙂
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Tye — Reply
Hi, Marcie! Thank you for such a great recipe! I used it tonight on boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and they were fantastic! I decreased the chili powder to 1 tsp, and thought it was perfect! I’ve already saved this recipe, as it will get lots of use.-
Marcie — Reply
I’m so glad you enjoyed the rub Tye and thank you for your feedback!
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De — Reply
We love this recipe! It’s so versatile! I use it in my slow cooker on pork and on chicken. I’ve made chicken with BBQ sauce and I’ve made it with taco sauce, just omit the brown sugar. Its good on buns or wrapped in a low carb chipolte or sun dried tomato wrap.-
Marcie — Reply
I’m so glad you love it, and that you’re using it so many different ways. It’s so versatile! Thanks so much for the review. 🙂
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