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Home » Healthy Recipes » Best BBQ Seasoning & Dry Rub Recipe

Best BBQ Seasoning & Dry Rub Recipe

Last Updated March 14, 2023. Published March 14, 2023 By Davinah Cenou Montezuma

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This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and highly recommend. You can read my full disclosure . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This homemade BBQ seasoning recipe is one of the best bbq dry rubs that will transform any ribs, pork, chicken, or roast. The sweet, spicy, and smokey flavors work well on my air fryer ribs, keto ribs, air fryer bbq wings, crockpot bbq chicken wings, and more.

spoonful of homemade bbq seasoning next to a jar of bbq dry rub

Why Make This

  • Competition Team Flavor: this easy BBQ dry rub recipe uses simple spices for the seasoning blend, but has all the flavor of rubs you might find on a BBQ competition team. This perfect blend of flavor enhancers will take your BBQ meats to the next level.
  • All-purpose BBQ Rub: this spice mix is all you need if you’re looking for a bbq dry rub for pork, barbecue spice mix, or bbq dry rub for chicken. It works on so many cuts of meat!
  • Option without sugar: most bbq dry rub recipes include brown sugar. This recipe includes the option to use a 1:1 brown sugar substitute.

What is BBQ Seasoning Made of?

Making your own homemade barbeque seasoning is super easy. All you need are a few aromatic spices and an airtight container.

For this recipe, you’ll need to gather the following:

  • Smoked Paprika: this gives the bbq seasoning a smoky taste without any smoke or grilling.
  • Cayenne Pepper: you can adjust this to taste. I personally like sweet and spicy flavors in my bbq spice mixes.
  • Brown Sugar: In this recipe, I’m using keto brown sugar because it tastes the same as regular brown sugar without actually having any sugar. You can pick this up in many grocers in the baking aisle. But, you can also any brown sugar that you prefer.
  • Sea Salt: I use fine-grain sea salt
  • Chili Powder
  • Black Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Dried Thyme

You can get the full list of ingredient amounts and instructions from the full recipe card at the end of the post.

keto brown sugar, garlic and onion powder, salt, black pepper, chili powder and other spices in separate containers

How to Make BBQ Seasoning

  1. Add all of the spices to a glass jar.
  2. Shake or whisk until the spice blend is incorporated.
step by step photos for how to make bbq seasoning by placing all of the spices in a glass jar and mixing them

Top Tips & FAQs

  • Allow the bbq seasoning to sit on the meat: similar to my chicken dry rub, I recommend allowing this bbq seasoning to sit on the meat for at least four hours. This allows all the flavors to mix with the meat. It also creates a syrup-like coating that caramelizes when the meat is cooking.
  • Use regular brown sugar or keto brown sugar for the same results: you can certainly use whatever sweetener you prefer, but I find that I get the same results using keto brown sugar.
  • Use two tablespoons of bbq seasoning rub per pound of meat: I’ve used this on chicken and pork. I personally enjoy two tablespoons per pound of meat, which gives the best flavor.
How long should dry rub sit on pork?

When I make things like my keto ribs or air fryer ribs, I sit the dry rub on the meat overnight (or about 6-8 hours). You can also use this bbq spice rub on pork chops, pork roasts, or whatever your favorite pork protein may be.

Should I put rub on pork overnight?

Yes. This allows the flavors to soak into every part of the meat.

How long should rub be on pork before cooking?

6-8 hours.

How long should bbq seasoning sit on chicken before cooking?

When using this bbq rub on chicken, I find that you don’t need as much time. You can sit the rub on chicken for at least 4 hours. For chicken wings, I’ve had success using it right away.

Where to store the bbq seasoning mix?

Be sure to store this homemade bbq rub in a dry place, like your pantry or spice cabinet.

Recipes to Enjoy This BBQ Seasoning Recipe With

  • Keto Ribs
  • Air Fryer BBQ Wings
  • BBQ Chicken Thighs
  • Air Fryer Frozen Wings
  • Air Fryer Ribs
  • Best Keto Sides for BBQ

If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! 

bbq seasoning Dry Rub spices on a jar

BBQ Seasoning & Dry Rub Recipe

Looking for bbq dry rub for pork, ribs, or chicken? This homemade BBQ seasoning recipe is sweet, spicy and smoky like you're on a BBQ competition team.
Prep: 3 minutes mins
Ready in: 3 minutes mins
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Servings: 12 tbsp
Calories: 14kcal
Author: Davinah
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Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tbsp Black Pepper
  • 1.5 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1.5 tbsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt
  • 1.5 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1.5 tbsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, I'm using my favorite keto brown sugar since it is a 1:1 replacement for regular brown sugar and tastes the same. You can use any brown sugar sweetener that you prefer.

Instructions

  • Add all of the spices to a glass jar.
  • Shake or whisk until incorporated.

Nutrition Details

Calories: 14kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 880mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 879IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!

Share this RecipeIf you enjoy this recipe, share a link to it via email or Facebook, pin it, or leave a rating. Please don’t copy/paste the instructions to other websites. Thanks for helping the website grow!

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Filed Under: BBQ Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Homemade Spice Mixes & Blends, Keto Recipes

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close up photo of Davinah - the blogger behind Dr. Davinah\'s Eats welcome text that reads, \"I\'m Davinah\" I'm an educator & hardcore foodie who realized eating "all the things" couldn’t last forever. After getting my PhD in Education, I decided to make eating healthier my next big goal. Here, you'll find my collection of keto, low-carb and whole food comfort food recipes. Read More

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