Sweet And Spicy All-Purpose Dry Rub Recipe

Even the simplest or most neutral of dishes benefit from some spice and seasoning. Salt and pepper are ubiquitous, but thinking beyond those two staples, the possibilities can feel endless; at times, it simply feels too daunting to craft a successful seasoning combo right there on the spot. That's where a go-to, tried-and-true, all-purpose dry rub comes into play. In our sweet and spicy all-purpose dry rub recipe, you don't have to rummage around in your spice cabinet or choose a single flavor profile to run with. The mix is equally ideal for jazzing up weeknight chicken and enhancing roasted veggies.

There are a handful of spices that go into this dry rub (six in total, not counting the salt, pepper, and brown sugar base), yet it manages to strike just the right balance along that sweet-spicy line. There's a good dose of heat from the cayenne pepper, some sharpness from mustard and ginger, and sweetness from the brown sugar. Some additional pantry staples come through with those savory notes. The ease of making the rub is undeniable, too; anyone with a moderately well-stocked spice cabinet and a few minutes can whip it up and put it to use right away — or stash it for a later use.

Dark brown sugar serves as the base for this dry rub recipe, which provides that sweet backdrop for the spices to shine. As for those key spices, you'll need sweet paprika, garlic powder, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, onion powder, and ground ginger, along with salt and pepper to round it all out.

In a small bowl, use gloved hands or a whisk to combine brown sugar and salt, working out any brown sugar lumps.

Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.

Transfer the mix to a lidded jar or airtight container, or use immediately.

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Despite the simplicity of this sweet-and-spicy dry rub, there are quite a few ways to tweak the spices to your liking. To start, you can simply increase or decrease the amount of a given spice that you add depending on which flavor notes you want to highlight. The cayenne in particular brings a distinct level of heat to the rub, so you can elevate or temper the spice level by adjusting the amount that you add. The same goes for the brown sugar, so if you like a slightly sweeter rub, you can increase the sugar amount while keeping the spice quantities the same. 

Other than adjusting the quantities of the ingredients already present in the rub, you can also introduce new flavors into the mix. If you're concerned about the heat from the cayenne, consider swapping in a chile powder instead for a slightly less spicy, more smoky-leaning alternative. Speaking of smoky notes, smoked paprika would work well here, either in lieu of or in addition to the sweet paprika. Dried herbs like thyme or oregano would add a certain earthiness and depth, while cinnamon would add warmth and play well with the sweetness from the brown sugar. Finally, you could even add coffee to the mix (especially if you intend to use the rub for barbecue), which would provide a robustness to the blend and help all of the other flavors pop. 

This all-purpose dry rub truly lives up to its namesake in that it is good on virtually anything. We recommend experimenting with all types of meat, with roasted chicken or even dry-rubbed chicken wings being a great place to start. Many spices included in this blend — ranging from garlic powder to cayenne pepper to paprika to ground mustard — are some of the best spices you can use on barbecue pork ribs, so naturally, ribs and all types of pork products would pair well. Steak is another great contender; just make sure you're adding the dry rub to the steak after searing it. Seafood is also fair game with such a versatile rub. Salmon's naturally rich notes make it an ideal option, while shrimp would also serve as a nice, neutral vessel to take on the bolder flavors that the rub has to offer.

For any plant-based eaters out there, don't worry: This rub works just as well outside of the meat realm. Roasted veggies of all sorts, including asparagus, carrots, or even Brussels sprouts would benefit from a sprinkling of this rub. You can also get more creative and use the rub to season a batch of French fries or sprinkle it onto freshly grilled corn on the cob.

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