Briana Milner The chicken dry rub is quick and easy to make and is a flavorful blend of spices that will accentuate the flavor on any piece of chicken.
The chicken dry rub is quick and easy to make and is a flavorful blend of spices that will accentuate the flavor on any piece of chicken. Our family’s favorite meal in the summer is grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob – all cooked on the barbecue! Through the years we have tried a variety of store-bought seasonings, but hadn’t found the perfect blend for us, so we started experimenting with various spices on our own. The chicken dry rub recipe here is what we like best for our family, and have received compliments from other family members and friends when we have them over for a barbecue.
What if I like my chicken on the spicier side? How can I alter the recipe?
If your family prefers more on the spicy side, add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper to your rub.
This recipe is quick, easy, and affordable!
The chicken dry rub only takes 10 minutes to make, is a flavorful blend of spices and yields 1-1/2 cups, so it’s very easy to make this rub ahead of time and have it available when you are ready to use it. I store the dry rub in seasoning jars, a mason jar, or even upcycle a pickle jar!
When and how do I use this Dry Rub?
When I am ready to barbecue or cook chicken, I drizzle a bit of oil (we prefer olive) over the chicken, sprinkle on the rub, and then rub it in to blend the spices into the chicken. Our family prefers boneless, skinless chicken so we apply the chicken dry rub right on to the meat. You can use chicken breast, thighs or legs with the chicken dry rub. If you leave the skin on, lift the skin and apply the rub directly to the meat under the skin. The chicken dry rub can also be rubbed on the chicken ahead of time and refrigerated overnight. This rub also works well on whole chickens or Cornish hens.
Perfect for the barbecue outside, or appliances inside!
The chicken dry rub is great for chicken to be grilled on the barbecue, but also adds the extra desired flavor to chicken that is cooked on a smoker, or when it is cooked in the oven or the air fryer.
What is the best way to store my dry rub?
Store your dry rub in an airtight container, and label the container with the date you have made the rub. If you used fresh spices, your chicken dry rub should have a shelf life of about 2 years. If you used pantry spices, they do lose their flavor sooner. I store the dry rub in seasoning jars, a mason jar, or even upcycle a pickle jar!
Can I double this recipe? Can I cut it in half?
Absolutely! Every ingredient can be easily doubled or divided!
What is the difference between dry rub and marinade?
Dry Rub is a mixture of dried spices that are worked into your meat before cooking.
Marinade is a sauce, typically made of oil, vinegar, spices, and herbs, in which meat is soaked before cooking in order to flavor or soften it.
INGREDIENTS
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Oregano
- Coriander – I used ground coriander for this recipe instead of coriander seeds. If you only have seeds in your pantry, you will need to grind it in a seed grinder, or a stone mortar and pestle such as these.
- Light Brown sugar – the brown sugar helps to caramelize the outside of the chicken, and keeps the chicken juicy and more flavorful. Light brown sugar works much better than dark brown sugar. You can use coconut sugar if you prefer that instead of the brown sugar. If you are looking for a more low sugar, low carb option, check this out!
- Chili powder
- Kosher salt – I love kosher salt for this recipe as it is much more coarse. If you don’t have kosher salt on hand, table salt will do.
- Paprika smoked – The smoked paprika is a better flavor for this recipe, but you can use regular paprika if that is all you have on hand!
- Cumin – Same as the coriander, cumin comes from a seed, but you can also buy it ground, which will make this recipe easy! If you only have seeds in your pantry, you will need to grind it in a seed grinder, or a stone mortar and pestle such as these.
Combine all your ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix.
For a finer rub, add the mix to a food processor and process for 45 seconds. This breaks down the brown sugar and incorporates the ingredients finer.
Supplies I used and more!
This is what I used for my brown sugar. However, if you are looking for a more low sugar, low carb option, check this out!
I just mixed everything in a large bowl. But if you are wanting a finer dry rub, I suggest using a food processor.
