BBQ Chicken Rub Recipe
The best bbq chicken rub recipe! This bbq rub for chicken is quick and easy to make, yet offers an incredible amount of flavor and tenderness to your chicken that will make your mouth water.
Ditch the store-bought dry rub for this inexpensive, smokey blend of spices and herbs that’s the perfect all-around chicken seasoning, whether on wings, thighs, breasts, or legs. Once you taste it, it will become your go-to seasoning!
Best BBQ Chicken Rub Recipe
This bbq chicken rub recipe is simple, and you will love how easy and quick it is to make.
This homemade bbq rub for chicken has an irresistible flavor, the sweetness of brown sugar, the smokiness of paprika, the heat from the chili powder, savouriness of the onion powder; this bbq spice rub is a varied medley of flavors that will enhance the natural flavor of your chicken. It will smell and taste divine. The taste will have you and your guests clamoring for more!
BBQ chicken dry rub is versatile. Not only can it be used on different cuts of chicken, but it’s also delicious on pork, beef, and other meats too. It can also be used lightly on vegetables and fish to give them extra flavor. Don’t feel like busting out the bbq? This spice rub is perfectly good on baked and fried chicken as well. I love it on this air fryer bbq chicken breast
This bbq rub for chicken is customizable! You control the flavor and can apply as much or as little of this barbecue rub for chicken to get the level of spice and flavor you desire.
Is your favorite herb missing from this recipe? Add it to the mix to suit your personal tastes, and add a little more cayenne powder if you’re a spice lover.
This grilled chicken rub for bbq is super quick to make! There’s only one step to making dry bbq chicken rub, and that’s mixing the spices together! All you need is a bowl and spoon, and you can have it ready in under five minutes.
You won’t have any trouble sourcing the ingredients, the bbq chicken spices & herbs are all commonly found in most grocery stores if they aren’t already sitting in your spice rack.
This bbq chicken rub recipe is aromatic, healthy, and delicious. let me show you how to make bbq chicken rub.
Related: Chicken wings dry rub, chicken breast seasoning
Ingredients
The full ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Brown sugar – you can use any kind, and it will caramelize to give a rich, sweet flavor to the chicken.
Paprika – smoked paprika is preferable as it compliments the smokey BBQ flavors
Cayenne pepper & Black pepper – use cayenne pepper if you want a spicier flavor, but if not stick to black pepper only.
Cumin – the earthy aroma is complex and will enhance every aspect of the chicken’s flavor
Chilli powder – Adjust the amount to suit your spice tolerance
Garlic powder – more subtle than fresh garlic and more easily applied
Onion granules – enhance the savory flavor of the chicken. You can substitute it with onion powder.
Dried thyme
Salt – sea salt or kosher salt work best.
How To Make BBQ Chicken Rub
Have all of your ingredients ready and take out a small bowl.
Add the brown sugar, paprika, chilli powder, garlic granules, onion granules, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, cumin, and salt to the bowl.
Using a spoon or fork, mix the spices together until everything is combined.
Transfer the rub into a glass jar, or an airtight container and store it with your other spices, or use it straight away.
How To Use
BBQ dry rub seasoning is used to give a delicious flavor to chicken, and other meats like lamb, beef, and pork. Not only does this rub add delicious flavor, but it also makes the meat more succulent while it marinades by trapping the chicken’s natural juices inside.
For the best results, you’ll want to marinade the chicken in the dry rub for a few hours before cooking. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
Use a tablespoon of this rub for every 500g (1lb) of chicken.
Simply Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, add the barbecue rub, and massage it into the chicken. Cover the bowl, and place it in the refrigerator, leaving it for a few hours. This will also tenderize the meat.
You can also use it as a light seasoning by sprinkling it over whatever you’re cooking. This offers a milder flavor that’s better suited to lighter foods such as vegetables or fish.
Some recipes you can use this rub on are:
Air fryer frozen chicken thighs
How To Store
Transfer to a dry spice jar or an airtight container, label, and store it in a cool dry place that is away from sunlight.
It can be stored for up to 12 months depending on the expiry date of the ingredients used.
Tips For Making BBQ Chicken Dry Rub
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning.
- Adjust the pepper to suit your taste.
- If you’re cooking chicken with the skin on, rub some of the bbq chicken rub mix under the skin between it and the meat, as well as on top of the skin. It will be extra flavourful and will crisp up deliciously.
- If you’re storing the seasoning, make sure to keep it in an airtight container. It is best stored in a cool, dark cupboard to keep the spices from sticking to the inside of the glass.
- Make sure to shake the container before using it to redistribute the seasonings. Dry bbq chicken rub will keep for up to 12 months if stored correctly.
FAQS
You can use it directly on the meat you’re cooking, but you can also sprinkle some onto the hot coals. This will add flavor to the smoke and add even more flavor to the meat. You can also sprinkle a small amount onto vegetables and fish for extra flavor.
It should be left on your chicken for at least 30 minutes, however leaving it for up to 12 hours will allow it to absorb much more of the seasoning, leading to more delicious results. Don’t marinade your chicken for too long. You can leave it for up to 24 hours but no longer than that.
Depending on the cut of the chicken and the temperature of your grill, you’ll have to cook your chicken for varying amounts of time.
Boneless, skinless chicken breast, and thigh will cook for around 10 minutes.
Chicken with bones in will take longer at around 30 to 40 minutes.
Absolutely! This makes the chicken more flavorful. Use the dry rub to season the chicken then use the sauce to baste the chicken for a sweet, sticky glaze.
More Dry Rub Recipes
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Best BBQ Chicken Rub Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Spice jar or airtight container
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon Dried thyme
- 1.5 teaspoon Onion granules
- 1.5 teaspoon Garlic granules
- 1/2 teaspoon Chilli
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
Instructions
- Have all of your ingredients ready and take out a small bowl.
- Add the brown sugar, paprika, chilli powder, garlic granules, onion granules, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, cumin, and salt to the bowl.
- Using a spoon or fork, mix the spices together until everything is combined.
- Transfer the rub into a glass jar, or an airtight container and store it with your other spices, or use it straight away.
Notes
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning.
- Adjust the pepper to suit your taste.
- If you’re cooking chicken with the skin on, rub some of the bbq chicken rub under the skin between it and the meat, as well as on top of the skin. It will be extra flavourful and will crisp up deliciously.
- If you’re storing your bbq chicken dry rub, make sure to keep it in an airtight container. It is best stored in a cool, dark cupboard to keep the spices from sticking to the inside of the glass.
- Make sure to shake the container before using it to redistribute the seasonings. Dry bbq chicken rub will keep for up to 12 months if stored correctly.
- Use 1 tablespoon per 500g (1lb) of chicken.
