Best 6 Basic American Barbecue Rub Recipes

American barbecue is a delicious and versatile way to enjoy meats, vegetables, and even fruits. It involves slow-cooking food over indirect heat, typically using a smoker or a grill, and seasoning it with a flavorful rub. A basic American barbecue rub is a blend of spices and herbs that adds a distinctive, smoky flavor to your food. Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or just starting out, having a go-to barbecue rub recipe is essential for creating mouthwatering dishes that will impress your friends and family.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

BASIC BARBECUE RUB

Basic Barbecue Rub image

OK, this is ground zero-the ur American basic barbecue rub. Use it on ribs, pork shoulders, chickens-anything you want to taste like American barbecue.

Provided by Steven Raichlen

Categories No-Cook Backyard BBQ Spice

Yield Makes about 1 cup

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
3 tablespoons black pepper
3 tablespoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon hickory-smoked salt or more coarse salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Steps:

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to mix. (Actually, your hands work better for mixing than a spoon or whisk does. Use your fingers to break up any lump of brown sugar.) Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat or light; it will keep for at least 6 months.

QUICK AND EASY BARBECUE RUB

Quick and Easy Barbecue Rub image

This rub is my personal recipe, settled on after lots of experimenting. It's great on ribs, brisket, and pork butt. Quick and easy from ingredients everyone usually has. This recipe makes enough for 2 to 3 full racks of baby back ribs, depending on how liberally you coat them. For those that are new to barbecuing/smoking, 'rub' is a misnomer, as you're really just coating the meat and not actually rubbing it in. Generally, I'll rinse and pat dry the meat I'm prepping then apply a thin coat of yellow mustard so that the rub sticks.

Provided by Big Poppa T

Categories 100+ Everyday Cooking Recipes

Time 10m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons ground paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin, or more to taste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Steps:

Whisk white sugar, paprika, kosher salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 15.6 calories, Carbohydrate 3.6 g, Fat 0.2 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 0.3 g, Sodium 483.5 mg, Sugar 2.5 g

BASIC BARBECUE DRY RUB

Basic Barbecue Dry Rub image

Provided by Food Network

Time 5m

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
4 tablespoons cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon cayenne powder

Steps:

Mix all ingredients together and generously sprinkle on chicken, ribs or pork shoulder prior to cooking.

AMERICA'S BEST BARBEQUE RUB

America's Best Barbeque Rub image

After traveling all over America looking for the best BBQ recipe, we found one on a golf course in Twin Falls, Idaho. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does. This rub is best on any meat that goes on a charcoal grill. The rub should be applied a day in advance for large cuts and a few hours in advance for smaller cuts. Store the rub in a airtight jar away from heat or light. It will keep for six months. This is especially good using some smoking chips on top of the charcoal. Just soak the chips in water and then put them in foil on top of the coals.

Provided by CARLYHUSTON

Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes

Time 10m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup sweet paprika
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon hickory smoked salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Steps:

Whisk brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, coarse salt, cumin, hickory salt, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seeds, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 54.7 calories, Carbohydrate 12.1 g, Fat 1 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 1.3 g, SaturatedFat 0.1 g, Sodium 3031.2 mg, Sugar 7.5 g

BASIC BARBECUE RUB

Basic Barbecue Rub image

This is from the booklet the IGA supermarket produced. It can be good on it's own or as a base for experimenting. There are variations to this recipe that I will include below.

Provided by Studentchef

Categories Summer

Time 5m

Yield 1/2 cup

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Steps:

Blend all the ingredients together and store in a small container. Ue when ready to barbecue.
Variations (adding to the dry rub above):.
Mustard and thyme:.
Add 4 tbsp Compliments Honey & Garlic mustard, and 2 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves. It is good for fish, poultry, meats, potatoes, and vegetables.
Mediterranean:.
Add puree of 2 tbsp green olive tapinade and a couple of cloves of fresh garlic. Good for grilling vegetables, meat and seafood.
Coffee and cocoa:.
Add 1 tbsp finely ground dark roast coffee with 1 tbsp double chocolate truffle chocolate mix. It's good with beef, pork, game and poultry.
Maple:.
Add 1 tbsp brown sugar, with 2 tbsp organic 100% maple syrup. Good with pork, salmon, poultry, apples, pears, and squash.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 342, Fat 13.9, SaturatedFat 2.2, Sodium 9635.3, Carbohydrate 66.2, Fiber 34.5, Sugar 17.7, Protein 14.4

ALL-AMERICAN RUB

All-American Rub image

"This wonderful salt-free rub is great on steaks, pork and chicken," writes Heather Bonser from Laurel, Montana. Try shaking the quick, sweet-spicy rub on hot popcorn, too!

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 5m

Yield 3/4 cup.

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Steps:

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container. , Rub over meat or poultry; cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours before grilling or broiling.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 43 calories, Fat 0 fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 4mg sodium, Carbohydrate 10g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 0 protein. Diabetic Exchanges

Tips:

Use brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a sweet and smoky flavor to the rub. You can use light or dark brown sugar, depending on your preference.
Add a touch of heat: If you like your barbecue with a bit of a kick, add a teaspoon or two of chili powder or cayenne pepper to the rub.
Use smoked paprika: Smoked paprika adds a rich, smoky flavor to the rub. Look for smoked paprika made with Spanish paprika for the best flavor.
Don't over-rub: A little rub goes a long way. Apply the rub to the meat evenly, but don't rub it in too hard.
Let the meat rest: After you've applied the rub, let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This will allow the flavors of the rub to meld together and penetrate the meat.

Conclusion:

This basic American barbecue rub is a versatile seasoning that can be used on a variety of meats. It's perfect for ribs, brisket, chicken, and pork. The rub is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. So experiment with different ingredients and find the perfect rub for your next barbecue.