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A top-notch BBQ rub elevates the flavor of beef, poultry, and pork by complementing and highlighting their tastes. Ideally, you’re looking for a seasoning that combines sweet, salty, and spicy ingredients to bring out the best flavor in different meats.
We always enjoy BBQ rubs that are customizable with ingredients from the pantry. It lets us enhance aspects of the flavor without compromising its balance. It’s a BONUS if the BBQ seasoning works with the meat’s juices to create a delicious bark.
Here are our top 11 best seasonings for your barbecued meat, starting with the best BBQ rub before moving through the best of the rest.
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- Balanced flavors brings out the best in meat
- Creates delicious bark on all meat cuts
- Doesn’t overpower the meat’s flavor
- Developed by award-winning pitmasters
This exceptional rub complements almost EVERY cut of meat available. The sweetness of the sugar brings out the best in pork and ribs, while the paprika and dill pair well with chicken and roasted lamb.
We think this rub will delight both seasoned BBQ veterans and newcomers alike. It’s easy to use and creates a gorgeous crispy bark on your meat. Make the Killer Hogs BBQ Rub your go-to for your summer of barbecuing.
Top 11 Best BBQ Rub Reviews
We love absolutely EVERYTHING about this rub. The folks at Killer Hogs have combined an assortment of tasty, reliable ingredients to create a balanced and delicious seasoning that works to highlight the meat without overpowering it.
One of our favorite things about this rub is that it works to complement and elevate any meat’s taste. The sugar and salt bring out chicken breasts and wings’ juiciness, while the paprika and chili powder combine with pork and beef fat to create a richly-colored bark.
The BBQ Championship Team at Killer Hogs spent 13 years perfecting this rub, and it shows. The jar’s granules are chunky, making them easy to rub onto the meat’s surface. The Killer Hogs shaker’s price is good value, considering the seasoning’s versatility and flavor.
Who Should Get This?
Whether you’re a veteran pitmaster or a newcomer, we KNOW you’ll enjoy the well-rounded flavor that this rub offers. You’ll also appreciate its ability to complement rather than compete with the meat’s taste.
Pros
- Versatile and easy to modify
- Goes well with poultry, beef, pork, and lamb
- Product of 13 years of experimentation
- The range contains a spicier rub
- Easy to use for beginners
Cons
- Doesn’t have the bold, intense flavors of other options
The clue is in the name when it comes to this Plowboys BBQ rub because it is made to elevate the flavor of chicken joints and cuts.
The BBQ championship-winning team at Plowboys HQ have created this flavorsome seasoning, combining salt and sugar with paprika, garlic, onion powder, and some other spices.
All of the ingredients in this BBQ rub pair delightfully with chicken: we especially love the kick of nutty, full flavor that the dehydrated garlic gives to the barbecued poultry skin.
Plowboys Yardbird BBQ rub does use artificial flavor enhancers to help augment its taste profile. People who prefer not to eat additives should avoid this particular seasoning. However, others will find that the MSG helps bring out the rub’s savory, spicy flavors.
This seasoning is an affordable option if on a budget. Each well-priced container includes just under 200 servings.
Who Should Get This?
This Yardbird rub is PERFECT for people who love barbecuing and eating poultry, be it turkey, chicken, or even guinea fowl. The flavors combine to create a powerful and enjoyable tasting experience.
Pros
- Great value for money
- Perfectly complements chicken, turkey, and other poultry
- Balance of sweet and spicy
- Creates flavorful color on chicken
- Provides a great alternative to spicier Cajun seasonings
Cons
- Uses MSG-additives
- Doesn’t go as well with pork and beef
This Bone Suckin’ rub is one of the best BBQ rubs around when it comes to both affordability and versatility.
It’s an all-purpose blend of brown sugar, dehydrated garlic, chili pepper, mustard flour, and paprika that you can use whenever you’re grilling, smoking, frying, or putting the meat in the oven for a roast.
If you want to use this rub solely for flavoring your ribs, we guarantee that this is one of the best BBQ rib rubs on the market. The celery seed traces help heighten the pork’s taste, while the mustard and garlic combine effortlessly elevate beef ribs to new levels.
The Bone Suckin’ company also guarantees they source from Non-GMO ingredients, meaning you’ll never have to worry about the potential dangers of genetically-engineered products when you eat.
Who Should Get This?
This product is ideal for someone looking for a versatile and adaptable rub for all meats. Even if you don’t barbecue much, you’ll still find yourself using this seasoning for soups, stews, roasts.
Pros
- Pairs with pork, red meat, salads, and shellfish
- Complements ribs PERFECTLY
- Good value for money
- Gluten-free and fat-free
- No MSG or chemical additives
Cons
- Some people might dislike the brown sugar base flavor
We absolutely LOVE this comically-named seasoning. It brings a flourish of Louisiana soul to any dish, particularly gumbo, crawfish, or jambalaya.
The mix of salt, paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder in the Cajun flavoring helps bring out the tasty elements in pork, chicken, and beef. However, if you’re looking for a rub to highlight those particular meats’ most flavorful aspects, this product is not for you.
It shouldn’t be too surprising when we say that the Slap Ya Mama seasoning really comes into its own when combined with Cajun-style cooking. As the name suggests, this rub makes a shrimp étouffée or jambalaya “slap” by bringing a perfect blend of spice to it.
Who Should Get This?
You should get this BBQ rub if you’re a fan of Cajun or Creole-style food and like to grill shrimp and other shellfish on your barbecue.
Pros
- Boosts spicy flavors of meats
- Adds rich Cajun flavor to shellfish and jambalaya
- Free from MSG and chemicals
- Creates a purely savory flavor
- Can completely transform a flavorless dish
Cons
- No real sweetness
- Cajun doesn’t go as well with beef or lamb
The folks at Traeger Grills know what they’re doing when it comes to creating deliciously flavored seasonings for smoked and barbecued meat. This product brings out the best in poultry, making it the best BBQ chicken rub on this list. This is excellent news if you love juicy chicken wings and turkey burgers as much as we do.
This rub combines citrusy zest with black pepper’s sharpness to tenderize and illuminate the poultry’s taste. The addition of cane sugar also boosts flavor, while the paprika spice brings a soulful edge to the meat.
Traeger have designed the rub to pair with their range of luscious BBQ sauces. Apply a generous sprinkle of the Chicken Rub to BBQ wings before cooking, then douse them in a sweet, smoky sauce for the ultimate BBQ fare.
Who Should Get This?
If you love BBQ chicken, get the Traeger Grills chicken rub RIGHT AWAY. It brilliantly showcases the juicy, tender texture of smoked and grilled poultry.
Pros
- Perfect mix of sweet and savory flavors
- GMO-free and gluten-free
- Comes in a classy, durable aluminum tin
- Adds citrus dash to roasted chicken
- Brings out the best in turkey burgers
Cons
- Doesn’t pair as well with beef burgers or ribs
- Not very spicy
Grand Champion Pitmaster Harry Choo made this award-winning blend, combining sea salt and cane sugar with paprika, garlic, and cumin to bring out the best in lamb and pork-based dishes.
Cumin is often an under-utilized ingredient for BBQ seasoning, and we can’t really figure out why. The warm, earthy flavor goes well with spicier cuisines and brings out the gamey taste of tender, slow-cooked lamb. Cumin also complements pork ribs and fries, making it an ideal spice for barbecues.
There are a couple of downsides to this BBQ rub: for one, the product range tends to be quite expensive. Also, some people may dislike that the seasoning contains certain chemical additives.
Who Should Get This?
If you’re a fan of aromatic Moroccan or Indian-style seasoning, we recommend that you try Slap Yo Daddy BBQ rub, with its earthy, sweet cumin taste.
Pros
- Pairs well with lamb, pork, and sausages
- Outstanding balance between sweet and spicy
- Gluten-free and MSG-free
- You can use it in plenty of dishes
Cons
- Relatively expensive product
- Contains artificial additives like soy lecithin
Mark Lambert, the THREE-TIME Pitmaster World Champion, created this BBQ rub, giving it a stamp of guaranteed quality. The rub itself also won at the 2o13 Memphis in May Grand Championship for the best pork shoulder.
The rub itself uses turbinado sugar to give the meat a unique, molasses-type flavor. We also like the addition of mustard flour, which complements pork well, and celery to bring out the meat’s savory juices.
Sweet Rub O’ Mine’s gentle, smoky sweetness brings out the best in pork chops and ribs. The flavorful turbinado helps to brown the meat and add a caramel-like taste to it, while the paprika adds a bold depth of color.
Despite its well-rounded mix of flavors, the Lambert BBQ rub can feel like it’s missing something. It doesn’t have that kick of Cajun spice or musky aromatic spices. It works well when combined with marinades and sauces to add a subtle sweet undertone.
Who Should Get This?
If you’re someone who enjoys mild, sweet seasoning and smoky, browned pork that’s not too spicy, then this BBQ rub is for you. If you prefer more intense hits of flavor, opt for something else.
Pros
- Produces pleasant sweet taste
- Creates a rich color on the meat
- Developed by World Champion Pitmaster Mark Lambert
- Complement a variety of different foods
Cons
- Not incredibly bold or intense
- Contains artificial additives including MSG
The experts at Traeger Grills have created another specialist BBQ rub designed for all your beef and vegetable needs. The seasoning itself contains a weird and wonderful array of original ingredients, including coffee, cocoa powder, black pepper, and paprika.
It’s likely the case that this flavor combination might not be for everyone. However, we LOVE the way that the coffee seasoning helps to tenderize and soften barbecued beef. We also appreciate the work that the bitter cocoa powder does in bringing out a steak or pork chop’s lush richness.
There’s no question that this seasoning rub provides an unforgettable flavor when added to beef or vegetables, but it doesn’t combine nearly as well with chicken or turkey. That’s because the bold flavors tend to overpower the lighter aroma of white meat.
Who Should Get This?
If you’re a fan of an intense flavor profile that mixes roasted coffee traces with bitter cocoa undertones, get this powerful BBQ beef rub.
Pros
- Bold and unique flavor combination
- Specifically designed for beef and roast vegetables
- Comes in a long-lasting, collectible aluminum tin
- Gluten-free and GMO-free
Cons
- Doesn’t pair well with chicken
- Some may not like the unusual flavor
The John Henry’s Texas Brisket rub blend combines salt, sugar, dehydrated garlic, paprika, and citric oil to create a seasoning that pairs excellently with slow-cooked beef and steaks.
The team at John Henry’s has created a blend that retains the meat’s juices and fat while it cooks, ensuring that the beef’s flavor is fully realized. The natural beef juices mix with the slightly salty, slightly spicy brisket rub to wonderful effect. You’ll find yourself returning to this seasoning again and again whenever you want to imbue extra flavor into a steak or some ground beef chili.
The only real issue with this affordable seasoning is that it’s not designed to pair as well with meats like poultry or pork. It’s not sugary or citrusy enough to bring the best out of a chicken wing.
Who Should Get This?
You should get this rub if you cook and barbecue a lot with beef, as it really works to elevate this meat’s flavors. If you’re a fan of slow-cooked, tender brisket, you’ll LOVE this seasoning.
Pros
- Explicitly designed for brisket and slow-cooked food
- Creates especially flavorful beef
- Coats meat with light dash of salt
- No anti-caking additives
Cons
- Doesn’t pair as well with other meats besides beef
The team at Trader Joe’s has brought together several ECLECTIC ingredients to create a unique-tasting BBQ rub.
You should give this seasoning a try, even if you think that you’ll dislike the taste. We found that the coffee combines well with the garlic to create a rich, smoky flavor that elevates beef and poultry.
The coffee also works to form a coating around steak or chicken breasts, helping to keep the meat juicy and moist.
Remember to rub this seasoning onto your meat at least an hour before your barbecue to allow the ingredients to get some of the tastiest flavors into the meat before cooking.
Who Should Get This?
Adventurous eaters will enjoy the unusual combination of coffee and garlic. People who love a smoky, non-spicy seasoning for your beef, poultry, or pork will enjoy this rub.
Pros
- The coffee seasoning helps to tenderize beef
- Creates a savory and smoky flavor
- The garlic and paprika pair well with chicken
- Comes in a sealed, reusable container
- Very affordable to buy at your local Trader Joe’s
Cons
- Some people won’t enjoy the coffee flavor
This seasoning is one of the best rubs around for both versatility and understated taste. It mixes salt and black pepper with paprika and chipotle powder to bring a beautiful balance of savory and spicy to your barbecue meats.
If you prefer your seasoning to be a touch sweeter, simply add some brown sugar to the mix. The molasses flavor combines well with all of the rub’s ingredients.
When it comes to pork, this rub shines: pop some of this on your pork roast or into the slow-cooker to help bring the best out of your home-cooked pulled pork.
If you love barbecuing beef, this seasoning may not be the right choice. The chili seasoning in the chipotle powder doesn’t complement steak or ground burgers particularly well.
Who Should Get This?
People seeking out a versatile and easily modifiable seasoning will love this rub. It goes well with most flavors and foods, but it is ideally suited for poultry dishes.
Pros
- Creates gorgeous savory flavor
- Easily adaptable to make sweeter
- Great value for money
- Understated and balanced composition of ingredients
Cons
- Doesn’t pair as well with beef
Final Verdict: Best BBQ Rub For Your Money
There are plenty of BBQ rubs that will elevate the cooked meat’s flavor. However, there is one option that stands above the rest: Killer Hogs BBQ Rub.
It pairs well with every type of barbecue meat, is easy to adapt, and creates lush, crispy barks on pork shoulder and brisket. The ingredients provide a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy, allowing the seasoning to highlight each meat’s flavors.
We think you should make the Killer Hogs BBQ Rub your number one seasoning choice this summer.
