The Best Dry Rub for Chicken

Summertime means pulling out the grill! When I cook out, I usually want to stick to the basics, nothing too fussy. That often means picking up some chicken and throwing some rub on it before I grill it.

I like to make my own spice rub because I can control what goes into it and tweak it to my own tastes. Having a pre-made batch of the rub stored in the pantry means dinner is ready fast.

What's in This Spice Blend

This chicken rub uses a lot of paprika, along with granulated garlic and onion powder. It also has herbal notes with the addition of oregano and dried thyme. The coriander adds a floral, citrusy note, which works well with the neutral flavor of chicken meat.

Customize Your Rub

As with all spice rubs, you can customize the blend to your own taste.

• Omit the cayenne if you don’t like it spicy.
• Consider more pepper or reduce the salt to suit your palate.
• Add herbs and spices such as dried basil, parsley, marjoram or sage to give the rub a more pronounced green herbal note.
• Lemon, lime or orange zest add a citrus touch.
• Porcini mushroom powder gives the blend an earthy savory umami kick. You can find it upscale grocery stores and online.

Use Fresh Spices and Herbs

Pantry herbs and spices don’t go bad, but they do lose potency and flavor. It’s best to use fresher dried herbs and spices for best flavor with this rub.

Most herbs and spices have a 2-year shelf life for potency. You can test each herb and spice by crushing a pinch of the spice or herb with your fingers and smelling it. If it smells dull or musty, it’s time to replace it.

Pro tip: Use an airtight glass jar to mix the ingredients together and you’ll save on cleanup!

How Long Does This Rub Last and How Should I Store It?

Store this spice rub in an airtight container in the pantry with the rest of your herbs and spices, clearly labeled with a date. If the spices you used are fresh, the rub should last a solid two years. If your spices aren’t quite that fresh, the rub won’t last as long.

What to Use It On

This spice rub is great on all chicken parts—breasts, thighs, legs, or wings. You can even sprinkle it on a whole chicken to grill or roast. It’s also delicious on roasted potatoes or as a seasoning for veggies in general.

How to Use It

Drizzle a little bit of oil over the chicken, then sprinkle as much rub as you want all over the chicken. Use your fingers to rub the spice blend in. Then grill or roast in the oven as you normally would! You can even use this rub to make a sheet pan dinner, meaning you have dinner ready in no time.

Five More Ways to Use the Rub

• Roast Chicken with Carrots is basic enough for you to customize the approach.
• Rub the chicken with this blend and then load it up with garlic for this Roasted Garlic Chicken.
• Instead of straight up salt and pepper, try using equal parts of this blend for Air Fryer Fried Chicken.
• Kick up your chicken tenders by adding some of the spices to the breading in these Goldfish Chicken Tenders.

Three More Rubs to Know

• The Best Dry Rub for Fish and Seafood
• The Best Dry Rub for Steak
• The Best Dry Rub for Ribs