6 dry rub recipes for meat to use on chicken, pork chops, steak, salmon, turkey and tri tip beef. Take meat to the next level with sweet and savory mixes. Now you can skip the sauce when serving dry rub air fryer chicken wings and other cuts because you need nothing more.
When smoking meats, air frying, or baking in the oven we love dry rub recipes. They are SO much better than just the traditional barbecue sauce brushed on at the end. No need for anything when done, just enjoy as is because the flavors take meats out of this world. (affiliate links present)
Dry Rub Recipes for Meat
We have covered all of the proteins over the years so I thought I would put them all together in this roundup. The base remains the same with a few tweaks here and there. Like when it comes to fish we like a bit more sweetness and less heat.
I will say that overall they are all in the mild category when it comes to being spicy, they arenโt. You can certainly change that if you would rather have heat with a few options. My favorite way to give it some heat for letโs say How to Make Fall-Apart Brisket in the Oven would be to add;
How to Make Dry Rub Spicy
- I love dry Sriracha more than any other I will say. Not only does it add a spice but has a great flavor, a little goes a long way with this yโall.
- Red pepper flakes you probably already have in your spice cabinet.
- Cayenne pepper or adding more chili powder listed works too
Dry Rub for Fish
Letโs start with our salmon dry rub shall we? If you havenโt tried our baked salmon recipe with a coating of this youโre missing out. We make it in the oven but have also used it on our smoked salmon as an added flavoring on the top and could massage into the skin too if you like.
Beef Dry Rub
During the holidays we have started making things that we actually love, that isnโt always ham. If youโre like us and kindaโ ehhhh about typical choices, try this tri tip dry rub this year instead. Makes every bite delish.
This steak dry rub is best to use on every cut you can get your hands on. I havenโt found any red meat that it isnโt good on. You just throw it all together, crush so it is smooth and coat all sides. Let the excess fall off and cook as you wish.
Only ever had bbq sauce on your baby back ribs or chuck roast burnt ends? Youโre in for a real treat when switching over to this (and itโs not as messy).
Dry Rub for Ribs Recipe
Now letโs talk about the best dry rub for beef. You can use this to smoke ribs on your Traeger, bake a roast in the oven, a batch of air fryer steak bites or any other cut on the cow. We buy in bulk at the beginning of the year so we cook a lot of things. I know beef yโall. There are so many different flavors on the same animal, this makes it better.
Dry Rub for Chicken
We just added this to our site last week. I donโt know why it took me this long to do so because we use it on our air fryer whole chicken all the time, but it did. If you love rotisserie from your local grocery store, this is so much better I tell you. As I said before you can make it a little spicier if you like, or leave as is.
Kids love lollipop chicken drumsticks because they are so easy to pick up and eat all the meat off of. You can bake them in the oven, grill or make smoked chicken. This coating works well on chicken legs for sure and you can skip the sauce entirely.
Most often this chicken wing dry rub is used on, wellโฆ.wings. I make these for dinner so often that I make a really large batch and store it in a container for later.
When it is time for cooking thereโs no need for measuring. Just use a spoon to coat the outside of your drumettes or whole chicken wings and seal up the rest for later.
Dry Rub for Turkey
When it comes to the holidays we love this too. Everyone at our house has always raved about our turkey dry rub when we cook it on the smoker or the oven.
Pork Dry Rub Recipe
Moving on to the pig now. Sometimes we get lucky and are able to buy half of a hog each year too. That way we get all the cuts so we can try them all. We have made smoked pork steaks that are OMG out of this world with this mixture featured below, and so many other pieces.
Most of the time we make 2 inch thick pork chops and coat nicely with this. If I have had a forgetful moment and resigned to cook air fryer frozen pork chops you can still enjoy it. Only difference is it wonโt stick at the beginning real well. Wait until youโre ready to flip, sprinkle it on the top, rotate, and add more to the other side.
Want a larger piece to serve a larger crowd? You can even use our pork chop dry rub on a pork roast in air fryer.
How long should dry rub sit on meat?
The length of time your seasonings should sit on meat depends on how much flavor you want to impart and the type of meat youโre using. 30 minutes is minimum but with larger cuts overnight can really be the ticket to a wonderful flavor.
- Short Rest: If youโre short on time, letting the dry rub sit on the meat for 30 minutes to 1 hour can still enhance the flavor. The salt and spices will start to penetrate the surface of the meat and add some seasoning.
- Medium Rest: Letting the rub sit on the meat for 1 to 3 hours allows the flavors to penetrate more deeply. This works well for smaller cuts like chicken breasts, pork chops, or steaks.
- Long Rest: Best for large cuts of meat (like pork shoulder, beef brisket, or whole chickens), allowing the rub to sit for 4 hours to overnight is ideal. This gives the salt and spices plenty of time to season the meat thoroughly, enhancing both the flavor and texture.
If youโre letting the rub sit overnight, wrap the meat in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it to keep it safe.
How to save leftover homemade seasonings
No matter which one you choose to use youโll fall in love. So much so that youโll likely want to make a larger batch to keep it for next time. Just use an air tight container or mason jar to do just that. If you double or triple the amounts listed on each one you then will save prep time going forward.
You may find one you love more than the others and they donโt always have to be used on the items I specify. Want to use the brown sugar rib rub on your chicken breasts, it will still be an amazing spice blend.
You can print recipe for pork below, or click on the blue link(s) above and get the one(s) you want from there. Most of them have brown sugar, regular or smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper if you like. If you want a bit of a zing, dry mustard will do that for yaโ. Let us know which you love best or if you tweak one that we should try!
Dry Rub Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 fork
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp dry sriracha, * Optional to add heat
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together. Only add dry Sriracha or red pepper chili flakes if you want it to be spicy. Blot meat dry with paper towels, rub mixture on all sides, lift up and allow excess to fall off. Cook as you desire.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love them! Thank you for sharing!
oh good