9 Best Store-Bought Dry Rubs, According To Chefs

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Variety is the spice of life, and when it comes to dry rubs, it's also the key to better cooking. With so many options lining grocery store shelves, finding the right seasoning can feel overwhelming. To narrow it down, we asked chefs which store-bought dry rubs they reach for time and again to add flavor to everything from beef and ribs to chicken and even vegetables.

We spoke with executive chef and pitmaster Brandon Edwards at Smokehouse Social in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; executive chef Travis Watson at Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, California; executive chef Joseph L. Paire III at Claremont Resort & Club in Berkeley, California; pitmaster Jerek Lara at Albert Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas; executive chef Shawn Nakagawa at Hideout Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii; and chef and owner David Bancroft at Acre and Bow & Arrow, both in Auburn, Alabama. Ahead are the nine best store-bought dry rubs they recommend for your rotation and how to use them.

It can feel like the options are endless when it comes to dry rubs, and Kosmos Q alone offers more than 20. This includes classic seasonings from Sweet Honey Pecan to Dirty Bird Sriracha, as well as sugar-free, paleo, and keto blends. The rubs' coarse texture helps them hold smoke while remaining versatile enough for a wide range of proteins.

Brandon Edwards helped narrow down what to choose. "I would suggest starting by deciding your protein. For instance, brisket, beef clod, filets, and ribeyes benefit from kosher salt, big particle pepper, and granulated garlic," he said. "Pork ribs and pork butt like a little brown sugar and paprika, as it complements the flavor profile better." Edwards adds that many brands label rubs by protein type, which can be helpful when shopping. The same is true for Kosmos Q; the brand's "Best Rubs" line includes blends designed specifically for prime steak, burgers, and chicken as well as barbecue bundles.

Edwards likes Kosmos Q for baby back ribs, brisket, chicken, and pulled pork. But, again, dry rubs can be used on just about any meat. Just don't forget there's a right way to add dry rubs to steak if that's the protein you choose to experiment with.

Meat Church BBQ rubs are crafted with barbecue in mind, and its flavor offerings span from savory Holy Voodoo seasoning with jalapeños to a sweet Texas Sugar BBQ rub. Sweet, savory, smoky, spicy, and everything in between, Meat Church BBQ has something for every home cook. In fact, it's a favorite among professional chefs as well and is Brandon Edwards' No. 1 pick. "The blend of flavors and bark production are second to none," he said. "Their large, granulated ingredient blends are the most balanced and concentrated I've found yet."

We asked our experts how they use dry rubs in their kitchens, and Edwards walked us through his method. He typically dry brines in cold conditions, applying a binder and coating the protein evenly on all sides. He lets the meat rest for 24 hours so the salt starts to draw the moisture to the top of the protein for a more pronounced smoke ring. He establishes an even coal bed as the wood burns down and evens out the pit temperature-wise.

But dry rubs aren't just for barbecue. "Most [barbecue] rubs have standard ingredients that make them versatile for many different preparation methods aside from traditional barbecue," Edwards said. "Most store-bought rubs would double as a good taco seasoning [or] a seasoning method for grilled burgers." Meat Church BBQ's fajita seasoning, for example, works well for taco nights on both meat and vegetables.

Two of our experts reach for Killer Hogs Barbecue when adding spice to their meats. The brand has eight rubs that are mostly aimed towards the meat you are cooking up. The family-owned, small business offers BBQ Rub, A.P. (all-purpose) Seasoning, TX Brisket Rub, Hot BBQ Rub, Steak Rub, Rib Rub, Bayou Blend Cajun Seasoning, and Off Shore Buttery Seafood Seasoning.

Brandon Edwards loves Killer Hogs for the grill. "Killer Hogs is hands down my favorite blend for ribs and pork butts with a perfect cayenne, orange peel, brown sugar, and paprika balance to complement smoky pork," he said. If you're new at cooking ribs and your seasoning isn't sticking, there's a tasty fix from the owner of Killer Hogs, Malcolm Reed, as shown on TikTok.

Travis Watson agrees with Brandon Edwards on Killer Hogs' Hot BBQ Rub. "For most pork preparations, I prefer Hot BBQ Rub by Killer Hogs," he said. "The brown sugar and a touch of cayenne pepper give the pork an added level of complexity." Watson also has advice for picking out the best rub at the grocery store. "For the rubs I use, I want to see as few chemicals as possible," he said. "Most rubs will use some sort of anticaking agent so that the rub doesn't come out clumpy, but other than that, I want to see whole spices — garlic, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, etc. Clean labels are important in all foods; spice rubs are no different."

Kinder's offers a few lines of rubs for every type of palate. The company's steak seasonings offer seven varieties, including a savory Cowboy Butter Seasoning and a zesty Brazilian Steak Seasoning with a chimichurri-style blend. Or grill up some meat with a unique Black Cherry Chipotle Seasoning. Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Buttery Garlic & Herb Seasoning, and Italian Chicken Seasoning are only a few of the poultry dry rub options.

Joseph L. Paire III likes Kinder's for its quality ingredients and innovative blends. "These dry rubs are very versatile and work well across a range of dishes," he said. "They're especially great on steaks (all cuts), where they enhance the natural flavor of the meat. They also pair well with pork, adding depth and a balanced sweet-savory profile."

Paire doesn't just use Kinder's dry rubs for steak and pork. He likes to use the Brazilian Steak Seasoning on fish, like branzino, "for a fresh, herb-forward finish." He also uses the blends on vegetables (one of the best side dishes to serve with fish) to bring out the roasted flavors. Paire also offers a suggestion on how to use dry rubs that you might not have thought of. "Beyond traditional barbecue, I also like using these blends in salad dressings," he said. "They add a unique twist and extra complexity compared to standard seasonings."

Fire & Smoke Society has over 40 rubs and spices, but Travis Watson's favorite is the Black & Tan Steak Rub. This blend is a combination of mainly salt, pepper, and garlic and is a top steak seasoning among the brand's fans. "It's incredible!" Watson said. "All the spices are ground coarse to add texture and promote establishing a great bark." The dry rub is also delicious on lamb, pork, and brisket. Just be mindful not to make this crucial mistake that's easy to do if you're smoking brisket at home.

When shopping, Watson tells us what he looks for that separates an average rub from a great one. "One of the first qualities I look for is the texture of the grind," he said. "We want the rub to enhance flavor, but a great rub can enhance much more than that. I want salt to be low on the ingredient list. Some rubs can be very heavy on the salt, and that makes the entire mix unbalanced. You can always add more salt to something if you feel it's lacking, but once something is too salty, there is very little that you can do to correct it."

Avoiding salt altogether? Fire & Smoke Society has two salt-free dry rubs. The tangy Dilly-Licious blend works well on fish, chicken, and salads. Or try the Brazen Pig BBQ Blend, which is a mix of paprika, cumin, mustard, brown sugar, and more, on any meat you toss on the grill.

Livia's keeps it simple. The company has one dry rub, and it's made with just three ingredients: salt, pepper, and garlic. It's not only for meat, either. Livia's can be a winner on everything from popcorn to eggs.

Travis Watson especially likes Livia's for poultry. "For chicken and its many preparations, my favorite is Livia's SPG," he said. "It has a great texture and helps create a crispy chicken skin ... It's the perfect balance of seasonings." In addition to using a dry rub, there are also some other ways to add more flavor to grilled chicken as well as Bobby Flay's rule for getting the crispiest skin.

Just like Watson has a preferred dry rub for chicken, he notes that different proteins call for different spices. "I don't have a universal rub that I use for all meats," he said. "What I am trying to accomplish and the final result will dictate which rub to use. As grilling season is here, even the cooking method plays a part in what spices we use on each dish."

Bolner's Fiesta Brand offers 10 rubs that are mostly protein-specific, but there are also some more distinctive options, like Orange Pepper with its fiery kick of citric acid, onion, paprika, salt, and other spices. Jerek Lara's top pick for the grill from Bolner's Fiesta Brand is Uncle Chris' Gourmet Steak Seasoning. "It just has a blend of different flavors that don't overpower each other and blend together perfectly," he said. 

Beyond barbecue, Lara told us how he uses dry rubs in his own kitchen. "I like to use a little bit of beef tallow as a binder, followed by the seasoning, to let it sit for a couple of hours in the refrigerator," he said. "This will help with deeper flavor penetration, and if smoking the meat, it can help build a crust."

In the grocery aisle, Lara tells us what to look for when choosing a dry rub. "I would definitely recommend looking for recognizable, whole ingredients like paprika, pepper, and granulated garlic [or] onion flavors," he said. "You want to be sure that the spice has more pure ingredients than additives so you can enhance more natural flavors."

Da Kine Hawaiian has a dry rub for everything — literally. The company's newest offering, called Da Rub, is labeled "for everything." It's a mix of the Original, Smoky, and Spicy blends. Chef Shawn Nakagawa prefers the Original Rub and notes it works best with beef. "Da Kine Hawaiian Original has a nice balance of flavors and uses coffee as an ingredient, which is not very common in store-bought dry rubs," he said.

Nakagawa likes to use a dry rub to season the potatoes at his restaurant since they are a blank canvas. "We also use dry rubs for different beef specials that we offer throughout the year," he said. "You may be surprised how versatile a simple dry rub could be, from seasoning meat to even whole dishes. The dry rub will add another layer to your normal home-cooked meal if used correctly."

Similar to other chefs, Nakagawa looks for rubs that have fewer ingredients. "I find that too many ingredients cause imbalances in flavor when it comes to store-bought," he said. "Having fewer ingredients also makes it more versatile in the kitchen, as the flavorings may not be as niche or specific to one cuisine or flavor profile and can be adjusted." That flexibility allows the seasoning to complement a wide range of dishes without overpowering them. 

If you're looking for a Creole dry rub, look no further than Tony Chachere's. Choose from Famous Cajun Kick, Original, No Salt, More Spice, Bold, Lite, or Spice N' Herbs. The line of dry rubs is without a doubt David Bancroft's go-to. "You can cook almost every shrimp dish from 'Forrest Gump,' or you can add some brown sugar and a few other spices for all your pit-smoked meats," he said. "My all-time favorite way to utilize it is for grilling redfish on the half-shell!"

Bancroft explains what he looks for while in the grocery aisle. "There are so many seasoning options available nowadays that you really just have to taste your way through them and decide what you like," he said. "It definitely helps if you know exactly what flavors you're looking for based [on] your final goal. You have to be careful if a rub is super salty or super spicy. A lot of spices also contain MSG and anticaking agents. I'm not really concerned with either, but I know many spice rub connoisseurs try to avoid these additives." To grill shrimp perfectly at home, make sure to keep these considerations in mind before you pull out your shaker of Tony Chachere's.