5-Minute Everything BBQ Rub

This everything BBQ rub goes on, you guessed it, everything. With brown sugar, garlic, onion, paprika, mustard, chili, and cayenne, it’s smoky, sweet, and has a hint of spice! This seasoning takes just 5 minutes to mix up and goes on everything from chicken and pork to burgers and steak. It’s the best seasoning to have on hand for BBQs & casual dinner parties!

Don’t mind me, I’m just currently doing cartwheels because it’s finally BBQ season and I’ve pretty much exclusively been cooking outside lately. I mean, why would I turn on the oven when I can just pop a beer and grill instead?

And with grilling comes, arguably, one of the most important aspects of the matter – seasoning. I know that some purists will say to let the natural flavor of the meat come through. But as a culinary school graduate, I never skip seasoning meat. Even when I’m cooking a really great cut of steak, like reverse sear filet mignon, I at least add salt and pepper. But with dry rub specifically, it’s important to add it before cooking so that the flavors get deep into the meat.

And while I absolutely love my tri-tip dry rub, what I really wanted this summer was a one-size-fits-all seasoning for anything I’m cooking up. After many tests, I’m happy to say that this rub fits the bill! I’ve sprinkled it on chicken, pork, steak, veggies, and everything in-between. And I’m not kidding, every time I’ve used it for BBQs or family dinners, someone has asked me for the recipe.

The ingredients you’ll need

The base of this rub is brown sugar which helps the rub stick to the meat and caramelizes the outside for that gorgeous crust. You can use either light or dark brown sugar. If you like a deeper molasses flavor, use dark! You’ll also need garlic powder, onion powder, paprika (sweet, smoked, hot, whatever), ground mustard, chili powder, cayenne, Morton’s Kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper.

How to make the rub

Salt-free

If you want more control over the saltiness of the rub, feel free to leave the salt out! I honestly think that this recipe has just the right amount of salt and I rarely need to add more. But if you’re planning on using savory sauces on the meat after cooking, you might want to add salt right to the meat instead of the rub.

How to apply dry rub

This is the method that I like to use when I’m adding dry rub to meat. Just keep in mind that these steps are fairly general. Depending on the recipe you’re following, the instructions may vary a bit!

1. Remove the meat from the fridge and let it sit for 20-30 minutes.
2. Then, dry the meat all over with paper towels. Trust me, you don’t want extra moisture or it will mix with the brown sugar and form clumps of spices instead of a crust.
3. Place the meat on a large cutting board or sheet pan. Then, starting on one side, sprinkle a generous amount of rub on the meat. Use clean hands to ‘massage’ the rub into the meat. Repeat on every side.

Marinating

In culinary school, they teach you to season meat well before cooking it to get the best flavor – sometimes up to a couple of days. But honestly, I’ve found that this totally depends on what you’re cooking.

Chicken and lamb can be marinated for up to 24 hours. For steak/beef, you can season it the night before for a more flavorful, aged flavor or right before if you want it to taste more beef-forward. Pork and seafood dry out if they’re seasoned too far in advance, so I recommend rubbing it right before cooking.

The right way to store leftovers

If you have leftovers, pour them into a jar or airtight container. Place the rub in the pantry or a cupboard. It will last up to 6 months but I think it tastes better if it’s used within 2 months! It’s also important to keep the BBQ seasoning in a cool, dry place. If the rub gets too warm, the sugar will get sticky and clump together.

Yield & batching

This recipe makes roughly 3/4 cup of dry rub, give or take a few teaspoons. But it’s so easy to halve, double, or even triple if you want to make a big batch! Just make sure to store it properly and use it within 6 months so it doesn’t lose its flavor.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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