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by Kellie July 21, 2023
Sweet, spicy, smokey flavor is packed into the BEST Dry Rub for chicken and then only dry rub recipe you need for all your summer grilling events. Simple to make in minutes, you can whip up a huge batch to keep on hand all season long. Makes the perfect dry rub for ribs and pork, too!
BBQ Dry Rub
Before the summer even officially arrives, we have consumed our fair share of BBQ Chicken dinners to rival what a normal human would eat the whole summer. We LOVE good BBQ here and have worked on perfecting our grilled BBQ chicken for YEARS but it all comes down to one secret…..the BEST Dry Rub for chicken ever made.
I started adding a dry rub to my chicken years ago just by chance because I was totally out of barbecue sauce. I was desperate to add some epic flavor to my chicken and since I already love dry rub ribs I thought my rib rub would work well on my chicken, too! And BOY was I right!
Loud, shout from the rooftop flavor that permeated deep into the meat leaving us with tender, juicy chicken that was a total game changer. BUT my husband loves a messy barbecue sauced chicken and so……we slathered that on our dry rub chicken, too.
It’s not a bad thing….trust me, just do it.
How to Make a Dry Rub for Chicken, Ribs or Pork
Whipping up a big batch of dry rub for chicken is super simple to do. Just add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Store your dry rub recipe for chicken in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
What ingredients are in a Dry Rub?
The basic flavor notes you want to hit in a homemade dry rub recipe are SWEET, SAVORY and SPICE. To balance everything out, you want a ratio of one part sugar to one part everything else you want to include. If you’re adverse to sugar, you can use a sugar substitute but be sure to use half the substitute called for as sugar.
For this Chicken Dry Rub recipe, I include:
- Brown Sugar
- Smoked Paprika
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Dried Thyme
- Cumin
- Cayenne Pepper
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
You can double or triple the recipe to make this in a big batch AND you can totally play with the ingredients to make this your very own award winning dry rub recipe. Seriously, rub this on your ribs….grill them up….enter a bbq contest….I bet you’ll win.
How long can you leave a dry rub on chicken?
Dry rubs work better with time but you can leave the dry rub on chicken for as little as 30 minutes or as long as 24 hours. The flavor will deepen and become more intense the longer you leave it on the chicken so be aware of the seasonings you’re using if you’re sensitive to spice.
Essentially, a dry rub is like a dry marinade or dry brine process. So, by leaving the rub on your chicken for a few hours you are, basically, marinading the chicken.
This easy Dry Rub recipe is so incredibly versatile, too. You don’t have to use it just for grilling Barbecue chicken. We love to use it to make a Rotisserie style chicken in the oven and it’s fantastic on this Oven Baked Chicken Breast.
We also love it on these BBQ Ribs and this Spicy BBQ Chicken recipe!
Want a little sauce to throw on your Dry Rub Chicken? Try these easy recipes:
Favorite Side Dishes for BBQ Chicken
- The BEST Classic Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Easy Chopped Greek Pasta Salad
- Black Eyed Pea and Corn Salad
- Classic Cole Slaw Recipe
- Refreshing Watermelon Blueberry Feta Salad
Be sure to follow us over on Instagram for even MORE RECIPE inspiration!
Get the Recipe:The BEST Dry Rub for Chicken Recipe
Yield: 12
Prep Time: 2 minutes mins
Total Time: 2 minutes mins
Super easy smokey, sweet dry rub for chicken, ribs and pork!
4.50 from 2 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Equipment
1 whisk
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months or use immediately on ribs, chicken or pork.
Notes
Can be made up to three months in advance and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Calories: 83kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 218mg, Potassium: 79mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 385IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Condiment, seasoning, spice
Cuisine: American
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Stefan — Reply
I tried your rub with a little modification. I’ve never used anything other than salt/pepper. I only used 1 tbsp each on the chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. I left out the cayenne pepper. This was REALLY REALLY good.
The reason I went light on those three is because as I mentioned, I’ve never used anything other than salt/pepper and didn’t want to try something for the first time and it end up being really spicy or just something that my family didn’t like.
LOVED it.
Used it on some chicken thighs and legs and it smelled so good while I was grilling it. I put on a light coat of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce to finish it. My family loved it. Plan to do some more chicken this coming weekend and use it again. I may play with increasing some of the ingredients to see how we like it.
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
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Kellie — Reply
Thank you so much for your comment! I love that you shared your modifications and if you’re not used to spice this was a smart move because this rub is bold. We love spice so definitely try I as written when you’re ready. Thank you again!
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Jackie — Reply
Hi
Exactly how many teaspoons is a 1/4 tablespoon.-
Kellie — Reply
3/4 teaspoons in 1/4 tablespoon.
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Walt — Reply
I take issue with two quantities in your recipe as posted:
I believe a cup of brown sugar is too much – that a half-cup will fully coat eight thighs and will bring the spices forward. “1/4 tbsp smoked paprika” is just wrong. A tablespoon is 3 teaspoons so this quantity is less than a teaspoon! No chance of detecting smoked flavor in this rub. Might I suggest 4 tablespoons? These changes worked for me.
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Kellie — Reply
The recipe is written as I tested it so thank you for your suggested changes. I love when others share their variations because it’s fun to learn from others!
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Robyn — Reply
1/4 smoked paprika. 1/4 of what?
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Kellie — Reply
Are you asking what Smoked Paprika is? If so, it’s paprika with a smokey flavor and you can find it with the other spices at your grocery store. If you don’t have it, regular paprika will work too but you won’t have the smokey flavor.
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Kellie — Reply
The recipe card has all the information you need.
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Renee — Reply
On the measurements for paprika is it a fourth cup or 1/4 tbsp you don’t have a measurement?
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Kellie — Reply
1/4 tbsp. My apologies!
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