Name: Hugh's Dry Rub
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: ½ cup paprika; 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper; 5 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper; 6 tablespoons garlic powder; 3 tablespoons onion powder; 6 tablespoons salt; 2 ½ tablespoons dried oregano; 2 ½ tablespoons dried thyme

Use this dry rub on your favorite meat before grilling. It stores well in an airtight container, and I've had a lot of positive feedback no matter what I cook it on.

Hugh's Dry Rub

paprika

cayenne pepper

black pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

salt

oregano

thyme

In a medium bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano, and thyme. Mix well, and store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container.


A teriffic spice rub indeed. I have used this on lean pork chops as well as chicken with excellent results.

This is how I use it (adopted from Cook's Illustrated recipe for chops or skinless chicken breasts):

Take 4 pieces of meat (chop or breast) and brine in a solution of 1 quart water, 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup suger for 1 hour. Drain and pat the meat dry. In a 1 gal zip-loc bag, put 2 tablespoons of the dry rub and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (too much olive oil will dilute the spice). Mush the bag around to mix the spices and olive oil. Add the meat to the bag, seal, and toss for a minute to coat. 

Once coated, place the meat directly onto the grill and grill according to usual meat cooking instructions (5 minutes each side on high heat for the chicken, 3 minutes each side on high heat, followed by 5 minutes on meium-low heat for the chops).

We've also used this rub on chicken that we then grill, cut into slices, and use for chicken burritos. The flavors in this spice rub are excellent for mexican dishes. I make a low-carb version of a burrito using large lettuce pieces as my tortilla with guacamole, sour cream, cheese, a few slices of the spiced chicken, and a small bit of salsa  for a truly wonderful dish.

Great recipe with just the right amount of spice. For ribs, I would coat first with yellow mustard and then put the rub on. This helps it stick better and makes a nice crispy crust. During cooking, place some of the rub with the contents of 1 beer.Baste frequently while cooking for extra flavour. Mmmmmmm-Good!

This rub is outstanding!!  I tried it on a whim one night when my roomate and I were grilling some steaks and I am SOOO glad that I did!!  I scaled the recipe to 9, and it STILL made a ton.  We used it on New York strip.  I rubbed 1-2 tablespoons of the rub into each steak, then lightly coated them with about 1 tablespoon (each) of olive oil (the oil seems to make the steak ALOT jucier...which is my favorite part of a steak!) and let them sit in the fridge for about half an hour.  We made them alongside Pan-Fried Asparagus (also on this site) and some Lipton noodles and it was one of the best dinners I have ever made!!  I did cut down on the amount of Paprika (because I ran out) and Cayenne (used less than half of what was called for) and it was just perfect.  Had a little kick to it, but not what I'd call spicy.  This is SOOO good, you must try it!!   :)

We used this rub with Tri-Tip...it was amazing it gave it a wonderful taste. We used olive oil to make the rub stick and it also helps keep the meat from drying out. We will be using this rub again soon.

Good, but not great.  I halved the recipe to try out of a few different pieces of meat.  I only used 1 tablespoon of black pepper and 1 tablespoon of cayenne (kids).  I used about 3 tablespoon on a pork butt cooked on low in the crock pot for 9 hours and it really added nice flavor.  I also tried this on chicken tenders on the grill, not happy with the flavor on these.  

This was awesome.  I used this on grilled chicken for  some friends who helped with a roofing project.  Even the guys pasted up the steak for the chicken, everyone is still raving about it.  Going to try it tonight on chicken with a sweet BBQ sauce over top....

I really liked this rub, but my husband thought it was over powering.  Because we have a toddler (and I found out too late I didn't have any) I left the cayenne out.  I won't make it again, because my husband hated it, but I would recommend you try it because I did like it.  I found the flavor a little smokey and used it on steaks that I grilled.

Awesome...I've used this on steak, chicken and pork so far.  My boyfriend is on Atkins so we've been looking for ways to spice up some meat and this is a great combination.

The dry rub itself is a good combo of flavors, BUT, I think it's important to use a good cut of meat to bring OUT those flavors!!  I used pork sirloin chops and they didn't come out as I had hoped.  I reduced the amount of cayenne drastically, otherwise, it would have been too hot for my 16 month old. I let the meat marinate all day but it was not exploding with flavor.  I guess pork has a tendency to be a little on the dry side if not cooked properly.  Maybe that's what happened in this case.  May try again in the future.

Reduced the paprika as suggested.  Still paprika &amp; garlic are the dominant flavors.  It does make a lot of rub so I made a fourth of it with these measurements:  1T paprika, 1 1/8t cayenne, 1 1/2t black pepper, 2t garlic 1t onion powder, 1T salt, 1/2t sugar, 1/4t thyme.  Good, but not all that special.  I used mine on boneless chicken breasts.  Rubbed the spices on then coated with flour &amp; cooked in a pan.  Fast dinner.

Added a little brown sugar to give it a hint of sweetness.  Put it on a tri-tip and sit for a day.  By far the best tri tip i've ever had.  This is now a regular rub in my kitchen.

Excellent recipe! I used 4 Tbsp sea salt instead of 6 Tbsp because I was cooking for someone on a low sodium diet. I used this rub on 2 whole chickens and let them marinate overnight in the refrigerator. I roasted the next day and the chicken was so flavorful and not too salty. I did not use cayenne because I didn't know if the person could handle the heat. I used chili powder instead. I also sprinkled this rub on salmon last night and it was so delicious. I will likely add cayenne to my remaining mixture, but the 4 Tbsp of sea salt is perfect. This one is definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing.

This was really good!  I took the advice of other reviewers and cut the Cayenne in half - but next time I'll use the full amount, I like some spice.  I used it on ribs that I left in the fridge overnight with the rub, then put them in the slow-cooker the next morning with some sauce.  Eight hours later, you could pull the bones clean out of the meat!  I also added a bit of the rub to the baked beans I made to go with the ribs.  It gave them a nice flavor that complimented the meat.

I have to 5 star this! Everyone loves this rub. I make a big container of it and use it on pork and chicken. I didn't exactly follow the amount of each ingredient and I left out cayenne pepper...only because I didn't have any. This stuff is Great!

Was looking for a rub that doesn't have sugar in it. This rub was so good on my baby back ribs. Slow cooked on the smoker. Delicious!!

This is maaaavalouss,dahling.Rub it into beef the night before roasting or barbecueing,and the flavor wonderfully penetrates. Baste with your favorite BBQ sauce and you will serve a little bit of heaven to some very lucky folks.

Great Recipe.  Have used it with chicken and beef.  Very spicy hot, but we enjoyed it.  One batch goes along way.  Stores well as mentioned.  I will make more when I'm finished what I have

The main reason this recipe is good is, it's primarily Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning, only the portion amounts have been adjusted.

I have a smoker I use with mesquite wood and this is wonderful on all the meats we smoke.  It has a great flavor and I like the proportions.  Good job, Hugh!

Simply perfect mix of flavor.  I did 15# turkey before deep frying and it cooked right into the skin.  I think this worked out better than the liquid injections into the bird.

I used this on outside round steaks and it turned out great, I love the kick it gives the meat. I took the advice of others and cut the salt by half.

its very tasty when you use it with meat in almost any application, but..its very salty. i think the next time i make it i will either leave out the salt or reduce the amount to maybe 1 tablespoon. otherwize its very good, has a very nice bite.

I love it. I put it on everything. Has replaced the old standby, Lawry's.

I covered a brisket and 2 slabs of pork ribs with this magnificent rub and wrapped them tight in foil to sit overnight in the fridge.I cooked the brisket for 7 hours in the oven at 225f and the ribs at the same for about 3 hours both still in the foil.Fired up the grill with mesquite and smoked both over low heat for another 3 hours and this was by far the best tasting and most moist brisket that I had ever cooked or had the pleasure of eating.The ribs were awesome too.It was a completely different taste on each kind of meat.Hugh, you get an A+ on this one.

This is my favorite hand made rub.  I especially love it on pork, but I have grilled chicken with it and also use it a lot on grilled steaks.  I tweak it a bit, but it is my standard rub that I almost always have on hand.  I am supposed to limit my salt intake, so I make it without the salt and I also cut back on the Cayenne because I don't tolerate much heat.  Other than that, I leave it as it is.  It is a great thing to mix up and put in mason jars for gifts, too.  Oh, and to make the best ribs, cook them in foil in the oven with this rub on.  Low and slow.  When getting done, but not falling apart, pull them out of the oven and throw them on the grill and baste with your favorite bbq sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's original flavor).  Cook the ribs on the grill just long enough to get some caramelization from the sauce and you are done.  I promise they will be AMAZING!

I hate to give any recipe a bad review, but we just didn't care for this.  We both felt it was way too salty and salt was the first flavor I tasted.  I didn't think it was too spicy, and thought the spice level was ok.  I did scale this down for 8 servings, so it is possible the measurements may have been slightly off, but I did follow the recipe as written.  We both felt this tasted southwestern, which wasn't really what we were looking for.  I may try this again in the future, but I would reduce the amount of salt by at least half, and perhaps add a very small amount of sugar or brown sugar.  

I cut the salt in half as well as the cayenne pepper and black pepper just to cut back on the heat.  This goes well with chicken and pork, wonderful!

I love this on chicken thighs! I crave it! So good. A bit spicy if you don't like spice. BUT IT IS DELICIOUS!

Excellent rub that made great tasting grilled chicken. The only change I made was to reduce the amount of salt. Thank you Hugh!

I thought this was really good. Theres no 'wow' factor but its a great basic rub that can be very versitile. I halved the pepper.

This was good but next time I'm cutting back on the  black pepper n canine pepper. Way too spicy hot. 
I put the rub on a nice rack of ribs let it sit for 24 hrs then cooked it up, &amp;&amp; let me tell you should change the name to "KICKASS DRY RUB"

excellent.  So quick and so good !  Used it for an work day dinner party so it had to be quick.  It has a kick to it and I didn't need to use as much as i did.  My 80-somehting father didn't care for it because is's spicy, but everyone else did, even my 7 and 9 year old loved it and request it again.

Great rub,Hugh must have taught this to Emeril.Same one he calls essence.

Did not have any cayenne nor any dry onion powder.  I did add some dry onion flakes and kept everything else the same.  Great recipe and will make again.  Thanks for sharing.

Looks good, but I would drizzle honey over the rub and let that marinate for a while before smoking or grilling. I used a similar recipe on baby back or St. Louis Ribs when I worked for a restaurant in Tennessee.

Excellent with pork, chicken and steak, but too strong for fish. I love how easy it is to put together, and the portion here makes enough for two or three different dishes for my husband and me. This is a winner!

Love this rub on chicken! So yummy!!!!! Thank you.

i seldom rate recipes but just had to give this a 5 star. made no changes and love it on steaks and chicken. soo good and easy to put togeather.

Great dry rub.  I used it on chicken kabobs.  I did cut the both peppers in half.  Still spicy.  But Good!

Super. I scaled it down for 5 servings, I didn't add the oregano [forgot], and put alittle less salt in. I'll be using this again, Thanks!

I liked this rub however I used it as a base.  I added 1 tbls of brown sugar and a tsp of dry mustard.  A little too much pepper for my taste I think I'll cut that back the next time I use this.  I also added a little cajun spice.  Used it on baby back ribs with a sauce to baste...turned out pretty good.  My picky nine year old even liked it and that's impressive.

This was awesome on our steaks.  Especially on the ones were seasoned and then frozen for a later date.  By the time those steaks thawed and were cooked they were mouth watering.  This dry rub recipe is a keeper!

Loved it on some steaks kinda hot so I would not use to much

This was excellent. I omited the cayenne because we were out of it and although I usually prefere spicier rubs I didn't even miss it.

This is awesome!  Rubbed this on ribs and then followed the recipe from this site, Baby Back Ribs.  They were the best ribs we've ever had and will make this again and again!

This rub is fabulous! I put it on everything from chicken to ribs and keep extra on hand in my cupboard! As others have mentioned, I cut both peppers down to half the amount mentioned and it is still spicy enough (and I LOVE spicy food). Try adding brown sugar or even a bit of cinnamon for a hint of sweetness and variety. Overall, this is a wonderful base to start any BBQ rub!

I cut the recipe in half, but could've cut into 1/4 because it makes a lot of seasoning. I even reduced the paprika further since it's mainly for color, and cut the cayenne since we have kids. This was still too spicy for the kids, but tastes great. I'm looking forward to using this as a base for adding more seasonings for different types of rubs.

This rub was so overwhelming that my family could not enjoy the flavor of the meat.  I even reduced the amounts of both peppers and added some brown sugar.  We, normally, enjoy spicy food, but this was way too much.

Hugh this was excellent rub for deep fried turkey THANK YOU! from chris40

This was a good recipe. We didn't use as much heat as it called for, but it really gave the chicken a great complex flavour.

This was Ok, but I thought it had way too much oregano. I think if you sub'ed the oregano for brown sugar it would be a lot better. Great base recipe though.

This rub is outstanding Hugh! I use it on a pork butt to make Carnitas and Tamales. I've never had anything as good. Thank you from the bottom of my STOMACH!!

So tasty!  A perfect backdrop for steak.  This rub enhances the flavor of the meat while still letting the steak be the star of the show.

We used this on tri-tip, and it was excellent. For our own personal tastes, we might reduce the cayenne a bit next time. I rubbed it on the meat and let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two, then grilled. The meat was really juicy and flavorful. Will make again.

We. Love. This. Rub!  I did have to tweak it a little...we don't care for spicy-hot food.  I only added 1 tbls of cayenne and 2 tbls of black pepper.  I also added 1/4 Cup of brown sugar (this replaces the missing cayenne/pepper).  It adds just a bit of sweetness, but for us, it's PERFECT!  Thanks Hugh, who ever you are!  :-)

Used this recipe to season chicken chunks for making kabobs.  I knew we were having some spicy sauces for dipping so cut the "spicy" spices in half (paprika, cayenne and pepper) and also couldn't see the need for that much salt in something that had so many bold flavors so left salt out altogether.  Followed the directions for brining the chicken suggested by a reviewer and marinated with the rub and olive oil overnight.  Also added a cap full of liquid smoke to the marinade which gave it a nice but subtle smokey flavor.  The family loved it and it was a fun new twist on chicken skewers.

I made this for my family on vacation and they loved it!. I placed 4 washed and paper towel patted dry chicken breasts in a gallon zip lock bag. I then mixed 4 tsps of the mix in a bowl with some EVOO. I dumped the wet mix into the zip lock bag and let it marinate for a few hours. The key was the grilling. I preheated my Weber natural gas grill to max heat. I seared each side of the breasts for 2 minutes. I then turned off the middle burner and turned the outside burners to medium. This indirectly cooked the chicken for another 15 minutes or so. The chicken was so tender and moist, my family couldn't believe it. The recipe is a bit spicy. Cut back on the Cayenne of you want a little less kick.

Can I have 10 stars???
Awesome recipe.  I put it everywhere.  On my fish, bread crumbs, chicken, beef and very soon on my toasts lol!!!
Thanks a lot.

I made this for some friends and they use it on everything! ( Even more than I do!) I think it is going to be a tradition for me to refill their jar!

Tried this on ribs and it gave them a lovely color and flavor. I can't wait to try it on something else. Thanks for an easy, sugar-free rub. ** We used this on a whole turkey that we roasted this weekend. OMG was it good! Can't wait to show it off on Thanksgiving.

I have been using this rub for a few months now, and we love it! This rub helps me make the best bbq chicken me and my family have ever had. Thanks sooooo much!

This is a great recipe!
The only things I changed were lowering the amount of cayenne because my boyfriend can't handle spicy stuff, and I didn't feel comfortable using that much salt so I reduced that too.
Other than those 2 modifications I followed it exactly, it is wonderful!

Absolutely love it. I initially whipped up a batch for ribs and it was a super success (heroe with my Wife and In-laws).

very good. of course I changed it a bit. less pepper, less salt, some cumin, a bit of basal. but a very good rub. we had it on chicken.

Best steak seasoning I've uses so far. Although I would recommend to cut down on salt if you're not too keen on anything overly salted. I also mixed mine with olive oil so its easier to rub on.

I thought the flavor was very nice.  But Way too salty!  Next time I might skip the salt all together.  

Really good.  My favorite. The oregano and thyme add an interesting flavor.  I make this without the salt because I often brine soak the meat first and I can use as much as I want without over salting.  I can always sprinkle a bit of salt on anything that needs it.  I keep a shaker of this on the shelf so it's always handy.

I made this rub for pork chops, and actually used it for grilled chicken as well. I found that it coats best when mixed with olive oil (about 1:1). My boyfriend really like the flavor!

Great Rub..... similar to Emerils Essence, but better!  We love it on grilled chicken.  It's good on pork too.

This was spicy! Next time I might cut back on the spice a little, but it was grrrreat on steak.

We used this on grilled chicken legs/thighs.  My husband gives it 5 stars.  I thought it was bland and needed a lot of Bulls-eye on top to enjoy it.  I guess it depends on your taste.

The best rub for all my meats.  I keep an extra batch in my cupboard.  Thanks for sharing!!!!

This rub is so very good.  I've used it several times and it has a lot of  excellent flavor!

Ignore those that say it's too strong or overpowering or that you have to apply sparingly. I purposefully went light because of those comments and the first few cuts were very underflavored. Should have known better, it's not exactly my first time, but some of the reviews spooked me. Apply like any other rub, maybe even a little heavier if you like robust taste. People must be measuring their ingredients wrong or something—I used regular table salt, regular cayenne and black pepper, and a measuring tablespoon.

Very  reasonable and flavorful overall. Has a "back to basics" quality about it. Use it for "patio grill" occasions, not for "fancy grilling for company," as it has the campfire flavor—hint of onion, garlic, salt, and wood, little touch of heat, not much else. Nothing special, but solid and satisfying.

I wonder if the spicy complaints are a regional thing—I eat a lot of spicy food and really wouldn't even think of a rub like this as "spicy." If cayenne or a dash of Tabasco are "super spicy" rather than just flavors in your neck of the woods, maybe dial them back in the ingredients.

This stuff is awesome, better than the dry rub I get in restaurants.  Have been making this for years, and should have given it 5 stars long ago!

While this was a good rub I thought that the black pepper was overwhelming for chicken. I will use it for beef and cut the black pepper down for chicken in the future.

The longer this one sits to let all the spices "meld", the better it is. I wouldn't just fix and use it. It needs time to sit. I'd recommend a day before using it. But it is pretty good. I have used it on burgers, ribs and steaks. Very nice. Thanks.

I used this on my steaks! Those were the best steaks I have had in a while. Better than the steaks I have had in restaurants! I bet they would be awesome sitting overnight marinading.....I will let you know next time!

This was very delicious.  I tried it on tenderloin steak and next time will try it on prawns.  I cut back by half on the black pepper and cayenne pepper and it was PLENTY spicy enough.

This is a WONDERFUL dry rub recipe.Tried it on our deep fry Thanksgiving Turkey.WHAT A HIT!Thanks for sharing this recipe.Can't wait to try it on other meats!

I use this on a chicken halved and cooked on the grill. Delicious. Keeps the meat moist too. Also use on chops that I fry in a small amount of oil. One of our favorites.

Excellent recipe.  I deviated a bit from Hugh's recipe and got fantastic results.  I used smoked paprika, a pepper blend, less garlic powder and kosher salt instead of table salt.  I've used it several times and I'm getting "best ever" feed back from my tasters.  Thanks Hugh.

I've always looked for a rub to keep on hand in the cabinet and I finally found one!!! Fantastic!!!  It's a hit here in our home!

I am totally sold on this rub.  The only 'tweak' I make is the addition of brown sugar, everything else is kept to the original recipe.  I have only used it on chicken and pork...so far.  Many thanks Hugh for an excellent recipe.

I used this recipe again for the second time with the same changes ( 3/4 T cayenne 1/4 c brown sugar, an 1T thyme ) an it was fantastic. i cut up a fryer chicken an rubed this all over the pieces an under the skin then put little slabs of butter under an on top of the skin an broiled it. It was FANTASTIC!! Also about half way through i melted a little more butter an mixed in a little seasoning ( thanks to a friends suggestion ) an brushed it ove the chicken pieces. Yummy! Would suggest that the cayenne be decreased even more though if you have little ones. I had to make sure to give my 16 month old pieces that had no seasoning directly on them, cause it still had a kick to it. Thanks for the great recipe this will be used more!

Made this tonight as the directions stated.  I put it on two Costco whole chickens, and smoked/grilled them on my kamado grill.  I ended up letting the heat get too high, and kind of burned the outside, but they were still amazing.  I'm a huge griller (I have 7 grills, if that gives you any indication), and have tried many rubs.  If you like a little heat, this one is a real winner.  I'm thrilled with it!  Thanks, Hugh-ever you are.

One of the best rubs I've tried. I'll use it again.

One of the best rubs I've tried.This is the second batch I've made. I did cut back on the cynanne pepper.some don't like it to hot always can add but you can't take it off.. Keeps well in a airtight jar.                                       Thank You

I made this a while ago for pork chops, and we thought it was good...then my husband used it on the turkey he grilled yesterday for Thanksgiving, and it was awesome! He rubbed it all over the turkey and sprinkled it inside the cavity. The turkey meat was outstanding, and it seems to be even tastier today.

Hugh's Dry Rub

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Cost: $11.71 /serving

Author : Hugh

Ingredients

Instructions

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