How to Apply Dry Rub to Chicken

Step 1

Put the dry rub on the chicken any time before you prepare the meat. Dry rub doesn’t tenderize the meat, so it’s okay to apply it to your chicken any length of time before you decide to cook it. Choose a time to season your chicken when it’s the most convenient for you, whether that’s a week before or the day you plan on cooking.

Step 2

Pat your chicken dry with paper towels. Make sure the chicken you’re using is completely defrosted before you put your dry rub on it. Take the chicken you plan on seasoning with the dry rub and set it inside a baking pan so you don’t spread any bacteria. Blot paper towels on each side of the chicken to absorb some of the excess juices and contaminants on its surface. Continue patting all sides of the chicken until the paper towels look clean after you blot them.Always wash your hands after you handle raw chicken since it contains bacteria that could lead to food poisoning.Warning: Don’t rinse or wash chicken in your sink before you cook it since you could spread bacteria to other foods, utensils, or surfaces in your kitchen.

Step 3

Drizzle a light layer of olive oil onto the chicken if you want the rub to stick better. Olive oil helps the dry rub adhere to the meat so it’s less likely to fall off while you’re cooking it. Put a coin-sized amount of olive oil on the chicken and spread it evenly across the sides of the chicken. Only use a small amount of olive oil, or else the dry rub will run off the meat and you’ll lose the flavor.You don’t need to use olive oil with your dry rub if you don’t want to.If you don’t have olive oil, you can use any vegetable oil to help the dry rub stick.

Step 4

Pour an even layer of the dry rub on each side of the chicken. Use your nondominant hand to scoop the dry rub out from its container and put it directly onto the chicken. You can use as much or as little dry rub as you want, but usually 1 tablespoon (8 g) of dry rub for every 1 pound (450 g) of meat you’re cooking. Make sure you coat all sides of the chicken so the dry rub covers the entire piece of meat.Avoid touching the chicken with the spoon you use to scoop if you want to save the dry rub later. Otherwise, you’ll contaminate the dry rub and you’ll need to throw it away.

Step 5

Work the rub into the chicken with your dominant hand. Apply pressure on the chick with your dominant hand and rub the spices into the meat with a kneading motion. Work with the grain of the meat so the dry rub sticks to all of the hard to reach areas on the chicken. Continue rubbing the spices into all sides of the meat until it’s completely coated.Always try to keep one of your hands clean so you don’t accidentally contaminate other surfaces in your kitchen with bacteria.You can leave the rub in a 1⁄8 in (0.32 cm) crust on the meat, which will help lock in moisture so your chicken tastes juicier.

Step 6

Store the chicken in a container with a lid if you don’t plan on cooking it right away. If you don’t plan on cooking your chicken right away, set it in a container that has an airtight lid so bacteria can’t cross-contaminate other items. Put the seasoned chicken in your fridge and use it in about 1-2 days so the meat doesn’t spoil.You can also use resealable plastic bags to store your chicken.Avoid wrapping your chicken in plastic wrap, since the wrapping could remove some of the rub from the meat.