How to Make Your Own Rub (2024)

FAQs

How much salt should be in a rub? ›

Begin by mixing your dry rub together in a small bowl. It takes more than you think—generally 2 teaspoons of coarse kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper per pound of meat. Add an equal amount of herbs and spices, so your ratio is half salt and pepper, half other seasonings.

Let's start with the basics: what are dry rubs made of? Well, beyond your standard base of salt, rubs typically contain a sweetener in the form of either white or brown sugar, honey granules, or dried molasses. The sweetness is a flavor enhancer and helps with browning and crust formation.

But before you begin flavoring your food, make sure to pat it dry with a paper towel. This will make it easier for the binder and rub to stick. Once you've removed as much moisture as possible, cover your food with the sticking agent of your choice, like egg, olive oil, or mustard, to help the rub bind to the meat.

All-Purpose Rub

Our own “use it on anything” Traeger Rub combines simple ingredients for an all-around tasty experience on anything you can imagine barbecuing. It offers garlic, basil, oregano, paprika, and chili peppers, along with a nice hint of salt.

Kosher flake salt. This is my go-to salt, and I love it in rubs because the coarse flake stands out so I can see how much I'm actually adding to my meat. It also has a great, clean flavor.

You can use white sugar, but if you do we suggest only 2 parts. After the salt and sugar, you want to add 6 to 8 parts total of all other spices. This will provide you with a half salt/half “the rest” ratio.

As we stated earlier, most dry rubs contain salt, which has a dehydrating effect, so prolonging the seasoning may work against you if you keep it on too long.

You can do this a few hours before cooking or apply the rub and refrigerate overnight (by doing this you actually brine the meat which gives the meat even more flavour). You have these options because the rub will not penetrate far into the meat itself.

Olive oil helps the dry rub adhere to the meat so it's less likely to fall off while you're cooking it. Put a coin-sized amount of olive oil on the chicken and spread it evenly across the sides of the chicken. Only use a small amount of olive oil, or else the dry rub will run off the meat and you'll lose the flavor.

Do you add oil to a rub? ›

Any dry rub can be converted into a wet rub by adding a bit of neutral tasting oil or other liquid to create a thick paste. When making a rub, whether wet or dry, it's essential to use fresh ingredients. People hold onto spices and dried herbs for far too long – if you haven't used it in over 1 year, toss it.

In general, a good rub recipe will combine equal parts (by weight) of salt, black pepper, sugar, chili powder (including paprika and chipotle powder) and aromatics (such as garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, mustard powder, and so on).

Mix paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, chile powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until well blended.

A good salt-to-Universal Seasoning ratio is 2 parts spice mix to 1 part salt, so if you use 1/4 cup of the spice mix whisk that together with 1/8 cup of kosher salt.

Remember, you can always add a little salt to your dry rub if you think it needs it, but starting with salt-free rub puts you in control, and control is what ensures predictable (delicious) results every time.

The ideal time to salt your meat is 24 hours before cooking, though dry brining can start as close as two hours before placing your meat on the heat. Simply apply ½ to ¾ teaspoon of salt per pound of meat, spreading evenly over the entire surface. Place your meat in the fridge right after applying the salt.