Dry Rub for Smoking Chicken

There’s nothing quite like the mouthwatering flavor and savory tenderness of smoked chicken, which is what our dry rub for smoking chicken will help you achieve.

This easy-to-prepare homemade seasoning will infuse your chicken with so much flavor. From sweet to savory to a spicy kick, this rub has it all. Use it to make a delicious grilled BBQ chicken next time your family has a cookout. Or, try it when you’re in the mood to make a quick air fryer half chicken recipe for dinner.

There are many ways to cook chicken, making it a staple on many menus. So whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pitmaster,  this dry rub will leave everyone craving for more.

Our blend of herbs and spices will help bring your smoked chicken game to new heights.

Jump to:

• What Does a Dry Rub Do?
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔀 Substitutions
• 🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
• 🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
• 🔪 How to Make Dry Rub for Smoking Chicken
• 👩‍🍳 Pro Tips
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 🙏 Pairing
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• 📋 Recipe

What Does a Dry Rub Do?

Dry rubs enhance the flavor of the meat and give it a nice, caramelized crust. They are typically made from the perfect blend of salt, sugar, herbs and spices without adding any liquid to the mix. 

To make the rubs stick to chicken, pork or beef, add rub liberally on the meat’s surface and let the meat rest for a while to give the flavors enough time to penetrate it. 

The rub’s salt content works to elevate the flavors of the meat, sugar helps give it a gorgeous caramel color as it cooks and the blend of spices further intensifies the natural taste of the meat without altering it.   

As the meat cooks, it releases tasteful juices. When the juices mix with the rub, they form a thin crust around the meat, further enhancing the flavors.

Is Dry Rub Better Than Wet Rub?

Generally, using either dry rub or wet rub to season your meats before cooking them is a matter of preference. 

Wet rub has ingredients similar to those found in dry rubs but has a liquid ingredient that creates a paste, like honey, oil, mayonnaise, fruit juice or even alcohol. It can give additional moisture to the meat, helping tenderize it. 

Wet rubs work best if you’re slow-cooking meat. Dry rubs, on the other hand, are amazing to use on grilled meats or when cooking chicken in a smoker. 

Either way, you’re bound to enjoy a flavorful meal that’s hard to resist.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There are many reasons why you’ll love making this recipe for smoked chicken rub. Here are some of them:

• Easy to make: Making this chicken dry rub recipe is effortless. All you need to do is mix the ingredients, and you’ll end up with a homemade seasoning that’s amazing to use for cooking your next meal.
• Ready in less than 10 minutes: You won’t need much time to create this homemade seasoning. If you have at least 10 minutes to spare in your day, you certainly have enough time to make it. 
• You can use it on any meat: This dry rub is amazing on chicken, but feel free to use it on different meats like pork, ribs, turkey or salmon instead.
• Highly customizable: You can easily adjust the sweetness, spiciness and saltiness of the rub to suit your preferences.

Looking for recipes for cooking a whole chicken? This Instant Pot whole chicken with vegetables recipe is a must-try.

🥘 Ingredients

Here are some of the ingredients that you will need for the best dry smoked chicken rub.

• Brown sugar: Sugar provides a great balance while helping the meat form a beautiful caramelized crust as it cooks. You can use either light or dark brown sugar.   
• Smoked paprika: Smoked paprika helps give complexity and depth of flavor to your tasty rub. 
• Kosher salt: Salt helps draw out the moisture from the meat. Due to its larger grains and more intense flavors, kosher salt is better than its regular table salt counterpart. 
• Chili powder: This powder gives your smoked chicken rub a healthy amount of heat, giving the chicken some spicy kick. 

See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities.

🔀 Substitutions

Out of an ingredient or two? Here are alternatives that you can use:

• Smoked paprika: If you don’t have this, you may substitute regular, hot, or sweet paprika.  
• Kosher salt: Table salt can be a substitute if you don’t have kosher salt.  
• Garlic and/or onion powder: You can use garlic or onion granules if that’s what you have. 

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

Here are some ways to give this chicken rub recipe your unique twist.

• Adjust the level of sweetness: You can make your dry rub sweeter or less sweet by adjusting the amount of brown sugar you put in. 
• Adjust the level of spiciness: Increase or decrease the amount of chili powder to suit your preferences. If you choose to make it spicier, you can also add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the dry rub. 
• Add herbs to the mixture: You can add your favorite herbs, such as dried thyme, oregano, marjoram or sage. This will give your smoked chicken seasoning a flavor boost.
• Make it zesty: Adding some lemon, orange or lime zest can give it a citrus touch.
• Add black pepper: If you’re a fan of black pepper, feel free to add it. It enhances the taste of the chicken without overpowering the other ingredients.

Speaking of citrus, this lemon chicken recipe is sure to satisfy your cravings for something sweet and tangy.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

The following are the helpful tools that you will need to make this smoked chicken rub recipe:

🔪 How to Make Dry Rub for Smoking Chicken

Here are the quick and easy steps to make a dry rub for smoking chicken in the comfort of your own home:

Step 1: Mix Ingredients in a Bowl

Add the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, coriander, brown sugar, chili powder, kosher salt, smoked paprika and cumin in a bowl and mix all the ingredients. 

Step 2: Make a Finer Rub

If you want a finer rub, put the ingredients in a food processor and process them for 45 seconds. This breaks down the ingredients more.

Step 3: Use or Store

Afterward, you can use the dry rub for making chicken or store it in an air-tight container, like a jar with a lid, for use later.

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

Want to foolproof your rub for chicken? Follow these tips:

• Use the freshest spices for this dry rub to give your chicken maximum flavor. Spices lose their flavor profile the longer they sit in your pantry. 
• Sugar is the main ingredient in this dry rub. As it can burn relatively quickly, cook your chicken over low heat as much as possible. This will give you a caramelized crust that isn’t burned.  
• Once you’ve stored the homemade dry rub in a jar, give it a little shake before using. 
• Pat your chicken dry with paper towels before you apply the rub. This will help keep the rub on the meat by eliminating excess moisture. 
• Salt can help make chicken more juicy and tender if you rub it in at least four to five days before cooking or at least six hours at a minimum.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to create using this Dry Rub for Smoking Chicken Recipe:

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📋 Recipe