Name: Homemade BBQ Spice Rub (Memphis-Style Barbecue Rub)
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons smoked paprika (14g); 1 tablespoon brown sugar (12g); 2 teaspoons onion powder (2g); 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (3g); 1 teaspoon garlic powder (2g); 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground (2g); 1/2 teaspoon cumin (1g); 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard (1.5g)

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This all-purpose BBQ seasoning recipe adds a smoky southern barbecue flavor to everything from grilled chicken, to pork ribs, turkey, shrimp, tofu, and even vegetables. We love this house blend because you can add it to just about anything whether you're smoking, roasting, pan-searing, or grilling. And it's a great gift to give your friends.

bbq spices in a shallow bowl and you can see the individual spices (before being mixed together)

What Spices are in BBQ Seasoning?

BBQ Dry rub spice is a smoky spice blend made of a combination of dried spices, herbs and sometimes sugar. It often includes cumin, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, ground mustard, and even cayenne and chili seasoning for a little extra kick. Making it. yourself at home means you get to customize it just the way you like it.

homemade BBQ seasoning mixed together in a bowl

pork ribs covered in homemade BBQ spice rub

Why We Love This BBQ Spice Rub Recipe

It's a perfect blend for adding BBQ flavor to any meat or vegetables
Makes enough for several meals and less expensive than store-bought versions
Uses basic pantry spices you probably already have on hand
It takes 3 minutes to make

BBQ grilled chicken cooking on a grill pan

How Do you Make Homemade Barbecue Seasoning?

Making homemade BBQ dry rub is as easy as mixing a few spices together and storing them in an airtight container. You can double or triple the amount to get you through spring and summer (or fall and winter if you enjoy the taste of summer when it's freezing outside).

The Best Homemade BBQ Rub Ingredients

For this BBQ seasoning recipe, I wanted to provide measurements for a ½ recipe and a full recipe in order to give you more options. This way, you can make a ½ recipe first without using up so much of your dried spices. Then if you love it as much as we do, you make the full recipe (*find those measurements in the recipe card notes).

2 tablespoons smoked paprika (14g)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (12g)
2 teaspoons onion powder (2g)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (3g)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (2g)
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground (2g)
½ teaspoon cumin (1g)
½ teaspoon ground mustard (1.5g)

Beyond Cheeseburger with lots of melted cheese on a super squishy homemade potato bun and fries

perfectly golden brown purple cauliflower steaks covered with toasty sesame seeds

closeup pan-seared caramelized and golden brown zucchini slices on a white platter and a sprig of crispy rosemary on top

perfectly pan seared long carrot slices glistening with olive oil on a white platter

homemade potato chips in a bowl in the sun

Delicious Ways to Use this Homemade BBQ Spice Blend

Now that you've decided to make this super easy BBQ rub, here are a few delicious ways to use it.

to season Veggie Beyond Burgers
to spice up Twice-fried French Fries
to season Pan-Seared Purple Cauliflower Sesame Steaks
to season Pan-Seared Zucchini
to season Pan-Seared Sweet Carrots
to spice up Pan-Seared Asparagus
to make Homemade BBQ Potato Chips
to make BBQ grilled chicken (recipe coming this week)

homemade BBQ seasoning mixed together in a glass Weck jar topdown view

Let's get started!

📖 Recipe

Homemade BBQ Spice Rub (Memphis-Style Barbecue Rub)

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Author: Kelly
Total Time: 3 minutes
Yield: 6 Tablespoons 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

This all-purpose BBQ seasoning recipe adds a smoky barbecue flavor to everything from grilled chicken, to pork ribs, turkey, shrimp, tofu, and even vegetables. We love this house blend because you can add it to just about anything whether you're smoking, roasting, pan-searing, or grilling. And it's a great gift to give your friends.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons smoked paprika (14g)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (12g)
2 teaspoons onion powder (2g)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (3g)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (2g)
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground (2g)
½ teaspoon cumin (1g)
½ teaspoon ground mustard (1.5g)

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Instructions

Make the BBQ dry rub seasoning. Combine all the spices and stir well. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Enjoy!

Notes

Make a spicy bbq rub by adding up to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
I don't add any salt to my blend because it allows me to use the rub with more versatility, however, if you do want to add salt to your BBQ blend, add 1 tablespoon (12g) to the ½ recipe and add 2 tablespoons (24g) to the full (aka double recipe) recipe measurements below.

BBQ RUB RECIPE MEASUREMENTS FOR DOUBLE RECIPE

4 tablespoons smoked paprika (28g)
2 tablespoons brown sugar (24g)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon onion powder (4g)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika (6g)
2 teaspoons garlic powder (4g)
2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground (4g)
1 teaspoon cumin (2g)
1 teaspoon ground mustard (3g)

Prep Time: 3 minutes
Category: Spice Blends
Method: Mix & Stir
Cuisine: Southern

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 teaspoon

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