A rub is a mix of seasoning and flavoring ingredients that are applied to the outside of chicken before cooking. They can be wet or dry, and are made up of two foundation flavors, which are salty and sweet, and the flavor is built up from there.
With a dry rub, put it under the chicken skin so that the flavor gets right into the meat. Then, sprinkle the rub evenly to coat the meat.
With a wet rub, make a thick paste and coat it evenly on the chicken. Wet rubs seep more easily into the chicken juices than dry rubs.
You can leave a dry rub on for a little as 30 minutes. With a wet rub, you can marinate the chicken for several hours.
A rub will enhance the flavor of your chicken, and it is easy to make BBQ chicken rubs!
Here are five top BBQ chicken rub recipes that are so quick and easy to make that you’ll want to try them all:
1. Texas Style Dry Rub
Ingredients
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp ground black pepper
Method
Combine the ingredients to a bowl and stir.
2. Dark Beer Wet Rub
Ingredients
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp coarse salt
½ tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup dark beer
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lime juice
Method
Combine the dry ingredients frit, then stir in liquids. Too thick? Simply add more liquid.
3. Sweet Dry Rub
Ingredients
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika (either hot or mild)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground mustard
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Method
Combine the ingredients and stir, using a fork to break up any clumps.
4. Spicy Dry Rub
Ingredients
3 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
3 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp powdered ginger
1 tbsp chipotle powder
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp ground thyme
2 tbsp ground sage or poultry seasoning
2 tbsp dry mustard powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp crushed or ground fennel seed
Method
Combine ingredients in a bowl.
5. Savory Dry Rub
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup kosher salt
4 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp coarse black pepper
½ tbsp cumin
½ tbsp onion powder
½ tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Method
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
These five recipes don’t require any special technique or fancy ingredients!
Once you discover how easy and quick rubs are, you will want to use them all the time. You can build on these basic recipes and develop your own rub!
