Create A Nearly Effortless BBQ Chicken Rub With Dry Mustard And One Pantry Staple

Among the list of clever and delicious ways to add more flavor to grilled chicken is generously coating it in a flavorful, BBQ-inspired dry rub. Generally composed of dried ground spices and seasonings, dry rubs not only infuse chicken (especially fairly bland white meat) with loads of flavor, they help seal in moisture by encouraging a crisp, savory crust to form as it grills. Plus, leaning on BBQ-style flavors means getting creative with simple seasonings to create the perfect sweet and spicy balance.

In terms of spicy, we already know dry mustard should always be in the pantry as it's pungent, tangy, and beautifully spicy, making it the perfect star flavor for any BBQ rub, especially when combined with another pantry staple: brown sugar. Mouthwateringly sweet, earthy, and just a touch bitter, brown sugar offers a balanced counterpoint to dry mustard. Together, they effortlessly create a distinct BBQ flavor that coats grilled or roasted chicken in a sticky layer of sugary heat that melts into the meat for a juicy and delicious bite.

It's hard to believe all that gorgeous flavor and texture is the result of whisking two ingredients together, though you can blend in other flavors, as well. If you decide to use just mustard and brown sugar, it's worth noting that building this dry rub is more of an art than a science, so feel free to add and taste until you get a tangy, balanced flavor. Just keep track of your ratios for future meals.

Though you can certainly use dry mustard and brown sugar alone as a deeper, richer take on honey mustard, these two ingredients pair too well with other delicious things to let them stand on their own. Garlic and onion powder are givens, as are paprika and cayenne, but you can also get creative with lemon pepper (or lime, mango, or orange pepper seasoning blends), cinnamon and allspice, smoked salt, or even things like zesty tomato powder. Simply whisk everything together, recording your ingredients and the estimated ratios to remove the guesswork from your next batch. If you have extra, pour it into a clean, airtight container and store it with your other seasonings in a dark, cool cabinet for up to 4 months.

Speaking of raiding your pantry, taco seasoning packets add loads of flavor to homemade dry rubs, and they're the perfect easy ingredient to zhuzh up the pairing of brown sugar and ground mustard. Most taco seasoning blends include spices like cumin and chili powder in addition to a few aforementioned flavors such as garlic and paprika. These strong, aromatic ingredients take on a mellow earthy flavor when mingled with mustard powder, which then transforms into a rich, almost smoky piquance when mixed with brown sugar. Strong flavors like this are also not only delicious on chicken (especially slightly bland white meat), but can also hold up to the richness of bone-in pork chops or beef short ribs.