Every good grill master needs a go-to dry rub recipe! Created by the BBQ Brothers, this all purpose BBQ rub can be used on any meat before it hits the grill or smoker.
**Post written by The BBQ Brothers.
This All Purpose BBQ Rub recipe can be used on pretty much anything you want to grill. Poultry, pork, beef, you name it. Every other rub that we do is more or less based off of this one, if we change it at all. Almost everything we grill gets this rub put on it.
The proportions are:
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Paprika
- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Garlic (I like granulated because garlic powder will clump up)
- 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 2 Tbsp Black Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 2 Tsp Cayenne for heat
I usually like to rub whatever cuts I am doing the night before, mostly because I want to get as much sleep as I can the next day, but also because this will act as a dry brine/marinade of sorts for the meat. This will especially help keep chicken juicy, since it usually dries out more than other meats.
Most of the rub can’t really penetrate the meat like some people say it can. The only thing that will is the salt, which helps in keeping it juicy and moist.
I’ve found that the easiest way to apply the rub is to put it in a large shaker and sprinkle it down onto the meat. Now even though it’s called a “rub” we don’t actually rub it into the meat since that will cause it to cake up and the smoke won’t penetrate to the meat as well as it should. You want to dust it on then pat it in until you’ve got all of your meat covered, including the sides.
After this you’ll want to put the meat into a sealed container or wrap it in saran wrap overnight.
Side Note: When we apply a rub for a long smoke (a few hours of grilling), we want to make sure that it sticks to the meat as much as possible. There are two different ways of doing this:
- Matthew: I like to brush on vegetable oil since it helps the rub stick and doesn’t impart any flavors I don’t want on my meat like you’ll sometimes have with mustard, for example.
- Andrew: He’s just saying that because he hates mustard. I always use yellow mustard for my rubs. It burns off as the meat cooks so it has no taste and helps to develop a bark on the outside of the meat which you don’t get with vegetable oil.
That being said, take your pick on which technique you would like to use to get your rub to stick!
For more tips on meat prep, grill set up, temperature and humidity control, recommended tools, and techniques for The BBQ Brothers recipes, (including an additional recipe for an all purpose injection) check out The BBQ Brothers Beginner’s Guide To Grilling. Then head on over to the BBQ Brothers recipes for some delicious smoked/grilled meats and sides!
