Best Chicken Rub For Smoking Chicken

Name: Best Chicken Rub For Smoking Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup brown sugar; 2 tablespoons garlic powder; 2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic and Peppers seasoning (a Club House seasoning); 2 teaspoons paprika; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp seasoning salt; ½ tsp black pepper

This is the best Chicken Rub For Smoking Chicken! It uses simple pantry ingredients to create a sweet, savory, and spicy flavor, resulting in a beautifully caramelized crust. It even tastes great on turkey and pork!

Dry spice rub for smoked chicken in a mason jar with a white spoon.

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

This delicious rub works wonders on all cuts of chicken, whether you're smoking, air frying, or using the Instant Pot. It creates a perfect caramelized crust. Ready in 5 minutes, it's my go-to rub for flavorful, crispy chicken.

I use it as a smoked chicken leg rub on my Smoked Chicken Legs Recipe and as a smoked chicken thigh rub on Smoked Boneless Chicken Thighs.

Because it is a dry rub, it has no added liquid, which means the outside of the chicken sears quickly to give amazing flavor.

❤️ Why You'll Love This Smoked Chicken Rub Recipe

It comes together in less than 5 minutes.
Costs a fraction of what chicken rub would cost at the grocery store.
It gives chicken, turkey, and pork amazing flavor.
This rub crisps up nicely even if cooked at a higher temperature or over high heat.
Use it on Smoked Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Quarters, or Smoked Beer Can Chicken.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Used this last year and gonna do it again this year! It was the best turkey I ever had!

-Tracy Miller

🧂 Recipe Ingredients

This dry chicken rub for smoking contains ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store.

Ingredients for dry rub for smoked chicken measured out and placed on a wooden table.

🧂 Ingredient Notes

Brown sugar. Use dark brown sugar or light brown sugar.
Paprika. Smoked paprika is the real game-changer here. Trust me, it's worth having in your pantry.
Roasted garlic and peppers seasoning. I've experimented with multiple brands, and Club House consistently has the best flavor. Get it at Costco - you get a larger bottle for a cheaper price.
Chili powder. Use ancho or chipotle chili powder.
Black pepper. Freshly ground peppercorns are always best, but pre-ground also works.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities and a full list of ingredients.

🥣 How To Make The Best Rub For Smoked Chicken

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Add brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Roasted Garlic and Peppers Seasoning, chili powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper to a small bowl.

Tip: Add ingredients to a glass jar. Screw on the lid and shake for 10-15 seconds to mix all the ingredients.

The ingredients for the chicken rub in a white bowl.

Step 2: Stir ingredients with a spoon, fork, or whisk to combine. Break up large chunks of brown sugar.

The ingredients for the spice rub combined in a white bowl.

Step 3: To use, sprinkle dry rub on meat liberally with a spoon. You can also place a few teaspoons of rub on a plate and roll the meat to coat. Cover all areas, top, bottom, and sides. If not grilling or smoking the meat right away, place it in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

The chicken pieces coated liberally in dry rub on a white plate.

💭 Expert Tips

This chicken dry rub recipe makes about ½ cup of seasoning, lasting approximately four grilling sessions.
Use the freshest ingredients you can - spices tend to lose their flavor about nine months after they are opened.
Pat chicken dry with a paper towel to remove moisture and prevent the rub from sliding off.
Brush the chicken with olive oil to give it something to stick to.
Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Store rub in an airtight container away from direct sunlight.
If stored properly, this rub will last up to 6 months. However, for optimal flavor, use the rub within two months.
Store smoked chicken dry rub in the freezer in a resealable bag for optimal freshness for up to a year.

🌶 Variations

You can easily switch ingredients in this dry rub for smoked chicken recipe to suit specific tastes. Some ideas are:

More Sweet - add extra brown sugar to the spice rub for a sweeter taste.
Less sweet: If you prefer your rub to be less sweet, use only 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
Spicier: If you would like your spice rub spicier, increase the chili powder.
Extra spicy: If you want to add even more spice to this recipe, add some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Just a pinch will do!

Try it on Instant Pot Chicken Breasts and Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey.

🍗 Chicken Recipes Using The Best Dry Rub For Smoked Chicken

A smoked whole chicken with temperature probes placed in it after it is done cooking on the pellet grill.

Pellet Smoked Whole Chicken

Two crispy chicken thighs on a white plate with rice and green beans.

Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs

Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks

Juicy smoked chicken thighs on a serving platter, garnished with fresh parsely.

Smoked Bone-In Chicken Thighs

📖 Recipe FAQs

How long before cooking do you apply dry rub?

Let the rub sit on the meat for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours. Place the meat back in the fridge if not cooking it right away. I put the rub on the meat, then preheat the grill. By the time the grill is heated, the meat is ready to be placed on the grill. Because the meat is smoked, it is cooked at a lower temperature, and the rub will have lots of time to work its magic.

How do you stick a dry rub to chicken?

To make the rub stick better, drizzle a light layer of olive oil onto the chicken before applying the dry rub. The olive oil helps the rub stick better to the meat, making it less likely to fall off.

Can you use a dry rub and BBQ sauce?

Absolutely. Apply barbecue sauce during the last few minutes of cooking time.

Is this smoked chicken seasoning spicy?

This rub has a mild spice level, which you can adjust by increasing or decreasing the chili powder.

Can I use this rub on other meats?

Yes, this rub is versatile and works well on turkey, pork, and even certain fish like salmon.

What is a dry rub?

A dry rub flavors meat and gives it a delicious outer coating. It consists of dry ingredients such as herbs, spices, and sugar. A dry rub is coarser than seasoning and applied heavier than seasoning.

Homemade chicken rub in a small jar, with a small white spoon.

🧂 More Dry Rub Recipes You'll Love

If you like this post on the Best Chicken Rub For Smoker, please take a moment to rate the recipe 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and leave a comment below!

Recipe

Pin Recipe Print Recipe Save

4.90 from 101 votes