Best dry rub for smoked chicken

This savory, sweet, and spicy dry rub is made with pantry staples. The BBQ rub works great on whole chicken, chicken breasts, chicken wings, chicken thighs, quarters, and legs.

In my opinion barbeque rubs should have a good balance of flavors and this rub offers just that with just the right amount of spice to enhance the flavor of the meat. This rub works great in a stick burner, pellet grill, or even in your home oven.

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Ingredients for our homemade dry rub recipe:

Dry rub ingredients in a bowl

Smoked paprika: Brings a slightly sweet and smoky flavor. It also adds great color to the chicken.

Brown sugar: BBQ chicken recipes need just a little something sweet.

Salt and black pepper: Got to have some salt and pepper. I used table salt but kosher salt is a good choice.

Onion powder and garlic powder: They help round out and make the optimal flavor.

Cayenne pepper: It brings the heat, I like my BBQ to be a little spicy. Feel free to add more or leave it out. You can also throw in some red pepper flakes.

Chili powder: My personal preference is to have some chili powder but feel free to leave it out

Oregano and thyme: Bring some herb flavors that we naturally associate with chicken.

Optional ingredient: Mustard powder, just a pinch or two is a great choice for something extra.

In a small bowl measure out all of the ingredients then mix them up. Store in an airtight container until you are ready to use.

To apply your BBQ chicken rub first and dry the whole bird with paper towels. For best results before adding the spice rub coat the outside of the chicken with olive oil (the olive oil works as a binder). Then evenly and generously add your delicious rub to the outside of the chicken.

Prepare your cooker and cook your chicken until a digital thermometer shows an internal temperature of 165F.

Top, Dry rub ingredients in a bowl, Bottom finished dry rub in a bowl. This is a pin for pinterest.

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Finished BBQ rub in a bowl.

Dry rub for smoked chicken

This savory, sweet, and spicy dry rub is made with pantry staples. The BBQ rub works great on whole chicken, chicken breasts, chicken wings, chicken thighs, quarters, and legs.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: condiment
Cuisine: American
Keyword: BBQ rub
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 22kcal
Author: James Strange

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Smoked paprika
  • 1 Tablespoon Brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons Granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Oregano Dried
  • 1 teaspoon Thyme Dried
  • 1 teaspoon Chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper

Instructions

  • Measure out all of the ingredients into a small bowl.
    2 Tablespoons Smoked paprika, 1 Tablespoon Brown sugar, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Onion powder, 2 teaspoons Granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Oregano, 1 teaspoon Thyme, 1 teaspoon Chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
  • Mix well to combine.
  • Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 22kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1406IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @james_strange_eats or tag #james_strange_eats
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5 stars
This makes chicken so incredibly flavorful! Love this easy and delicious idea.

5 stars
I love making my own seasoning and rubs. A great recipe and so easy and cheap to make. Cheers

5 stars
This dry rub is amazing! I’ve been putting it on everything!

5 stars
Yeah! Finally found a rub without cumin. Hubby is a cumin hater. This worked great on oven roasted chicken. Thanks.

5 stars
Love this mixture. I used it on roasted potatoes and they were amazing!

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