The Formula
Every dry rub, from a simple two-ingredient steak seasoning to a complex 12-spice competition blend, follows the same basic structure. There are four layers, and once you understand what each one does, you can build a rub for anything.
Salt is the foundation. It penetrates the meat, seasons from the inside out, and draws moisture to the surface where it dissolves and gets reabsorbed. Without enough salt, everything else is just decoration. Kosher salt is the standard because its coarse flakes are easy to measure and distribute evenly.
Sugar builds bark. When sugar hits heat, it caramelizes into the dark, lacquered crust that defines great BBQ. Brown sugar is the most common choice because its molasses content adds depth, but turbinado and white sugar both work. Too much sugar and the rub burns over high heat. Too little and the bark stays pale and thin.
Base spice provides color and body. Paprika is the workhorse. It gives rubs their characteristic red-brown color without adding much heat. Chili powder and ancho chile powder are common alternatives that bring more complexity.
Accent spices are where the rub gets its identity. Garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, dried herbs. These are the ingredients that make a Memphis rub taste different from a Texas rub.
The Ratio
A good starting point is 3 parts base spice : 2 parts salt : 2 parts sugar : 1 part accent spice by volume. It's not a rigid formula. It's a starting grid that you adjust based on the protein and your taste.
For example, a simple all-purpose rub might be 3 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of mixed accent spices (garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder). That gives you about three quarters of a cup of rub, enough for several cooks.
Our Classic All-Purpose BBQ Rub follows this structure with nine ingredients across the four layers.
Adjusting by Protein
The ratio shifts depending on what you're cooking.
Beef wants less sugar and more pepper. Beef fat renders and bastes the surface during cooking, so you don't need sugar to protect against drying. More black pepper complements the richness of the fat. Our Coffee and Ancho Chile Rub pushes this further. Coffee and cocoa replace some of the sugar entirely and create a dark, savory crust that works best on brisket.
Pork benefits from more sugar and aromatic herbs. Pork has less intramuscular fat than beef, so the sugar helps build bark that would otherwise form slowly. Herbs like oregano and thyme add a savory complexity that pairs with pork's natural sweetness. The Memphis-Style Dry Rub is built around this idea.
Chicken and poultry need a lighter touch overall. Poultry skin is thinner than beef or pork bark, so too much salt or sugar overwhelms the flavor. Smoked paprika and dried herbs like sage and thyme work well without overpowering. The Smoky Poultry Rub is built for this lighter approach.
Seafood requires the biggest shift. Fish and shellfish are delicate, so the rub should enhance rather than compete. Less salt, no sugar in most cases, and lighter aromatic spices like lemon zest, dill, and coriander. Our Lemon Pepper Seafood Rub replaces the traditional base spice layer with citrus zest and cracked pepper.
Vegetables absorb seasoning differently than meat. Without fat to carry flavor, vegetables rely more on the spices sitting on the surface. A rub with a bit of sugar helps caramelize the edges during grilling, and herbal blends tend to pair better than heavy smoke-forward profiles. The Herb Garden Vegetable Rub takes this approach with a Mediterranean-inspired herb blend.
Adjusting by Style
Regional BBQ traditions each have a signature rub philosophy.
Memphis leans into herbs and dry heat. Less sugar, more oregano and thyme, and a reliance on the rub to carry the flavor without sauce. The meat speaks for itself.
Texas strips things down to salt, pepper, and maybe garlic. The philosophy is that great beef doesn't need much help. The smoke and the cut do the heavy lifting.
Kansas City goes heavy on the sugar and builds a thick, sweet bark that pairs with the region's signature thick, tomato-based sauces. More brown sugar, more paprika, and a touch of heat to balance the sweetness. The Kansas City Sweet Heat Rub does exactly this.
Carolina favors lighter rubs because the main event is the sauce: vinegar-based in the east, mustard-based in the south. The rub provides a foundation that the sauce builds on.
Common Mistakes
Too many ingredients. A great rub doesn't need 20 spices. Five to ten well-chosen ingredients with clear roles will outperform a kitchen-sink blend every time. Each ingredient should have a reason to be there.
Skipping the rest. Freshly mixed rubs taste different than rubs that have sat for 30 minutes. The volatile oils from dried herbs and spices need time to meld. Mix your rub, seal it in a jar, and give it at least 30 minutes before using.
Using pre-ground pepper. Coarsely cracking your own black peppercorns makes a noticeable difference. Pre-ground pepper loses its volatile oils quickly and tastes flat by comparison.
Matching the rub to the wrong heat level. High-sugar rubs burn over direct high heat. They are designed for low-and-slow smoking or indirect grilling. If you're searing a steak over a hot fire, use a rub with little or no sugar.
Start Here
If you have never built a rub before, start with our Classic All-Purpose BBQ Rub. It follows the standard ratio, works on almost anything, and gives you a baseline to compare against when you start experimenting.
Once you're comfortable, try a regional style. Pick a protein you cook often, find the style that matches it, and go from there. The recipes on this site are all built on the same formula. The only difference is where we push and pull the ratios.