This homemade BBQ seasoning is a balanced blend of sweet, smoky, and savory spices that works beautifully on ribs, chicken, brisket, and more. Mix it in minutes and keep a jar on hand for all your grilling and smoking needs.
Recipe Highlights
- ⏱️ Ready in: 5 minutes — measure, mix, and store
- 🍽️ Makes: About 1 ¼ cups
- 👩🏽🍳 Difficulty: Easy
- 🧂 All Purpose: Ideal for ribs, chicken, pulled pork, brisket, and vegetables
A reliable rub is the foundation of great barbecue. This homemade blend is sweet, smoky, and savory with a gentle kick of heat. It’s versatile and easy to make, so we keep a container ready in the pantry to season whatever we’re grilling or smoking.
We use this rub on a range of recipes including smoked St. Louis–style ribs and wings. Store it in a mason jar or an airtight container to keep it fresh and handy.
Why You’ll Love This BBQ Rub
- Even texture: Granulated garlic and onion help the mix stay free-flowing and coat meat uniformly.
- Reliable salt: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt has a light, flaky texture that helps control seasoning. If you use a different salt, adjust amounts to taste.
- Very versatile: Use it on pork, chicken, beef, seafood, or vegetables — it plays well with many proteins and preparations.
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Ingredients
- Kosher salt: Diamond Crystal is recommended for its flakiness and consistent seasoning. If you substitute, measure carefully — different salts vary by volume.
- Granulated garlic & onion: These hold up better than powders, resist clumping, and mix evenly into spice blends.
- Sweet paprika: Provides color and mild flavor. Swap smoked paprika for extra smokiness if you prefer.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts.
How to Make Homemade BBQ Seasoning (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Whisk until the mixture is uniform.
Step 3: Break up any brown sugar clumps with the whisk or your hands.
Step 4: Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.
What Goes Good with Homemade BBQ Rub
This rub is not limited to brisket or ribs — it enhances wings, pork belly burnt ends, party ribs, rib tips, and many grilled or roasted vegetables. Use it as a dry rub before smoking or sprinkle it on before grilling for an instant flavor boost.
Homemade BBQ Seasoning Recipe FAQs
Yes. Omit the salt and season your protein separately to better control sodium levels.
Keep it in a mason jar or airtight container in a cool, dry place. Properly stored, it stays fresh for up to six months.
More Homemade Spice Blends to Try
If you enjoy this BBQ rub, try other homemade blends like soul food seasoning, blackened seasoning, prime rib seasoning, or a dry rub for smoked turkey to expand your pantry options.
- Soul Food Seasoning
- Blackened Seasoning
- Prime Rib Seasoning
- Dry Rub for Smoked Turkey
If you tried this Homemade BBQ Seasoning or any recipe on our site, please leave a star rating and share your experience in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Homemade BBQ Seasoning
Krysten Wilkes & Marrekus Wilkes
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup kosher salt (we recommend Diamond Crystal)
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons black pepper coarse
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- ½ tablespoon chipotle powder
Instructions
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Add all ingredients to a medium bowl.
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Whisk until fully combined.
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Use your hands or a whisk to break up any brown sugar clumps.
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Transfer the rub to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.
Notes
- For a deeper smoke flavor, replace sweet paprika with smoked paprika.
- If you prefer to control salt on each dish, leave salt out of the blend and season proteins individually.
- Store in a mason jar or airtight food container; it will stay fresh up to six months.