Steve’s Basic BBQ Rub

I believe that almost anything grilled or smoked tastes better with a rub. I have many different rubs for different meats and flavours, but this is my go-to rub.

I usually make triple this recipe and keep it in a massive mason jar and it lasts me a month or two. It is awesome on ribs and chicken. It also tastes great on pork chops.

There are so many different recipes that I usually use this as my base rub. It is especially great used during smoking and here are a few recipes that this rub gets used:

• Smoked Ribs using the 3-2-1 Method – This is my standard method for smoking ribs. I make sure I rub a healthy amount of this BBQ rub on the ribs before they go into the smoker
• How to Smoke a Whole Chicken – Smoking a whole chicken, might be one of my favourite things to smoke. The meat stays so moist and I rub the skin down with this rub to give it an excellent flavour.
• How to Smoke Pork Tenderloin in a Smoker – Anytime I have an extra rack in my smoker free, I find myself throwing on a couple pork tenderloins. They are great with this rub and excellent just sliced up, or thrown in salad, baked beans, on pasta and more!
• How to Smoke a Pork Shoulder Roast – Picnic or Butt – This makes the most amazing pulled pork on the planet!

Update: Some people have commented that this rub is quite hot. I like very spicy food, so this has been the way I make it. But, I adjusted the recipe and reduced the cayenne pepper to 1 tablespoon to tame down the level of heat. If you like your food spicy, you may want to increase it to 2 or even 3 tablespoons.

Steve's Basic BBQ Rub

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A classic rub that is great for grilled and smoked meat. Perfect rub recipe for smoking or grilling and great on pork, chicken and seafood.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 3 cups

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup paprika
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/4 cup ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp thyme
• 2 tbsp dry mustard
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper or more if you want it spicier
• 1 tbsp sage

Instructions

• Mix all the ingredients together well and keep in an air tight container in the same place that you keep your spices.
• To use: rub into the meat and let sit in the fridge for 1 or 2 hours before grilling/smoking

Notes

If you like a spicier rub, add a little more cayenne.

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Author: Steve Cylka

Course: Spice Rub

Cuisine: BBQ