This homemade BBQ seasoning is a sweet, smoky, and savory blend of spices that’s perfect for ribs, chicken, brisket, and more. Mix it up in minutes and keep it on hand for all your grilling and smoking recipes!
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Recipe Highlights
- ⏱️ Ready in: 5 minutes (just measure, mix, and store)
- 🍽️ Makes: About 1 ¼ cups of seasoning
- 👩🏽🍳 Difficulty: Easy
- 🧂 All Purpose: Perfect for ribs, chicken, pulled pork, or brisket.
Good BBQ always starts with a solid rub, and this homemade BBQ seasoning is the one we reach for most. It’s sweet, smoky, and savory with just the right amount of spice. Perfect for just about anything you throw on the smoker or grill!
We use this blend for our smoked St. Louis style ribs and Buffaque Wings. It’s easy to make and keeps well, so we always have a container of it ready to go in the pantry. Simply store in plastic containers or mason jars.
Why You’ll Love This BBQ Rub
- Texture that Works: Using granulated garlic and onion instead of powder prevents clumping and helps the rub coat meat evenly.
- Pitmaster-Approved Salt: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt delivers seasoning precision and consistent results every time.
- Versatility: This all-purpose BBQ rub works on pork, chicken, beef, seafood, and vegetables.
Ingredients
- Kosher Salt: We always use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because of its larger, flaky crystals. It also gives you better control over seasoning. Not all salts measure the same, so if you use another brand, the rub may turn out saltier than intended.
- Granulated Garlic and Granulated Onion: We prefer it over garlic powder and onion powder for seasoning blends because it mixes more evenly and won’t clump up as quickly. It also holds up better when exposed to smoke and heat.
- Sweet Paprika: We prefer sweet paprika because it doesn’t overpower the other flavors in a rub. You can swap it for smoked paprika if you want a deeper, smoky flavor.
See the recipe card below for full information on the ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Homemade BBQ Seasoning (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Add all ingredients to a medium bowl.
Step 2: Whisk together until fully combined.
Step 3: Use whisk or your hands to break up any brown sugar clumps.
Step 4: Transfer the BBQ rub to an airtight container for storage.
What Goes Good with Homemade BBQ Rub
This BBQ seasoning isn’t just for pellet grill smoked brisket or smoked St. Louis style ribs! It works on so many dishes.
Some of our favorites include these Buffaque Wings, plus our pork belly burnt ends, party ribs, and rib tips recipes.
Homemade BBQ Seasoning Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can leave out the salt and season your protein separately. This helps you manage sodium levels.
Keep it in a mason jar or airtight container in a cool, dry place. Homemade bbq seasoning will stay fresh for up to 6 months.
More Homemade Spice Blends to Try
If you love this bbq spice rub, you’ll also want to try:
If you tried this Homemade BBQ Seasoning recipe or any other recipe on our blog, consider leaving us a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments.
📖 Recipe
Homemade BBQ Seasoning
Ingredients
- ¼ cup kosher salt (we recommend Diamond Crystal)
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons black pepper coarse
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- ½ tablespoon chipotle powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl.
- Whisk until fully combined.
- Use your hands to break up any brown sugar clumps.
- Transfer the rub to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.
Notes
- Swap in smoked paprika for a deeper, smoky kick.
- Want more control over the salt? Leave it out of the mix and season your protein separately.
- Store in a mason jar or plastic food container. The seasoning will stay fresh for up to 6 months.
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