The 9 Best Dry Rubs For Grilling Season: Best For Chicken, Best For Ribs & More

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When it comes to boosting the flavor of grilled foods, there are multiple avenues to explore. You can enhance meat or seafood with a bold, zesty marinade, brush it with a sticky glaze during cooking, or dress proteins with lashings of your favorite sauce when they're fresh off the grill. However, one of the best ways to amp up the spiciness, sweetness, or smokiness is with a dry rub. These carefully-crafted blends of herbs, spices, and salt are applied liberally to the meat while it's raw, to create a deeply flavorful crust as everything cooks on the grates. 

To help you enter barbecue season with confidence, we've hand-picked nine of the very best dry rubs on the market, each with its own distinctive character. These mouth-watering blends are super quick and easy to apply, and they're sure to take your cookout spread to the next level. We've selected our top picks for chicken, steak, ribs, seafood, and more, to ensure every element of your grilling menu is covered. And, all of these products come highly rated by real customers, as confirmed by online reviews.

True dry rubs tend to be coarser in texture, while seasonings typically offer a finer, more powder-like consistency. Despite this, many products advertised as seasonings do a fantastic job when rubbed onto proteins pre-grilling. Hence, we've included both seasonings and rubs in this lineup.

When we ranked nine popular store-bought chicken dry rubs, this zesty blend from Weber was a clear winner. The Kick'N Chicken Seasoning has notes of citrus, warmth, sweetness, and umami, and is a remarkably well-rounded pick. It offers just the right amount of heat, thanks to the inclusion of red pepper and paprika, and there's plenty of savory depth from the onion and garlic. According to Weber, Kick'N Chicken's "grill master secret" is the inclusion of orange peel, and there's no denying the zingy brightness this brings. The mix isn't overly salty, either, and it boasts a coarser texture than many seasonings, making it more akin to a true dry rub.

On Reddit, Kick'N Chicken Seasoning has received multiple rave reviews from customers. "I use this seasoning close to 100% of the time when marinating Chicken", said one fan. Another person commented, "Weber Kick'n Chicken is one of the best chicken seasonings I've ever used. I have no idea why this isn't talked about enough". So, it seems to be a crowd-pleasing pick. Sprinkle this seasoning over chicken breasts, wings, thighs, or drumsticks to bring some serious flavor to your barbecue feast. And, it works great on pork or turkey, too.

If ribs are on your barbecue menu, make sure to get your hands on Meat Church BBQ's Honey Hog BBQ Rub. This is frequently recommended by home cooks and grilling experts alike, praised for its mild, subtly sweet flavor profile and bold color. Garlic and celery bring that all-important savory balance, creating a blend that complements the rich, smoky taste of pork ribs exceptionally well.

One customer took to Reddit to share their experience with the rub, proclaiming "I'm done experimenting. This is the one. Meat churches honey hog hot". The statement was accompanied by a rather mouth-watering photo of a grilled rack of ribs, which boasted a perfectly charred crust. Multiple users commented in agreement, sharing that the seasoning was also their go-to.

To give your ribs the Honey Hog upgrade, just sprinkle the seasoning all over the meat, ensuring both sides are coated evenly. You can absolutely get grilling right away if preferred, or pop the ribs in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors deepen. Cooking ribs low and slow is the key to achieving that glorious crust and fall-apart tender finish. A temperature of around 250 F is ideal, and two to three hours on the grill will yield the best results.

McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning is perhaps the most popular steak seasoning in the U.S, and for good reason. It's a deeply savory mix of garlic, onion, paprika, salt, and pepper. This product comes with a seemingly simple ingredient list, but clearly, those ratios are spot on, because the seasoning delivers a truly impressive depth of flavor. 

Not only did the Montreal Steak Seasoning take the top spot in our ranking of 10 store-bought steak rubs, but it also received plenty of praise from happy customers. On the Walmart website, for example, this product has over 2,000 five-star reviews. One fan summed things up perfectly, stating that the seasoning provides "high-end steakhouse flavor right in your own backyard." Another dubbed the Montreal blend far superior to other steak seasonings, noting its bold flavor and ability to create a deep, golden crust during grilling.

You can apply the rub to the steaks right before they hit the grill. Feel free to brush the meat with a little olive oil beforehand if you'd like, to help the seasoning stick. Then, the steaks are ready to be grilled to perfection and served with your favorite sauces and sides.

Old Bay has long been the seasoning of choice for many seafood lovers. It's often mixed into crab cakes or sprinkled over freshly boiled shrimp, but it is also ideal for using as a rub during grilling season. Thanks to its unique blend of ingredients, this seasoning offers a distinct savory, salty, and slightly spicy taste, with subtle herbaceous notes too. Key components include paprika, celery seed, bay leaves, cloves, and cayenne pepper, which come together to create a complex yet beautifully balanced flavor profile that pairs with the mellow briny sweetness of seafood.

This seasoning can be sprinkled over shrimp skewers, soft shell crab, lobster tails, or salmon fillets prior to grilling. For a more intense hit of savory flavor, you can dust a little more Old Bay over the seafood right before serving. Or, try mixing the spice blend into melted butter to create a rich, glossy glaze. It's great for sprucing up other classic barbecue side dishes, too. Toss Old Bay with crispy fries, stir it into potato salad, or sprinkle it over grilled corn to continue that bold, spice-forward flavor throughout your cookout spread.

Meat Church BBQ Holy Gospel BBQ Rub is a brilliant option for anyone looking for a versatile, all-purpose seasoning. Its core flavor notes are garlic and paprika, but there's sugar, salt, celery, and other spice extracts in there too, for a moreish mix of sweet, savory, and warming spice. This rub lends itself well to all kinds of proteins, including beef, chicken, ribs, and pork loin, so it's a top pick when you want one reliable rub that works across the entire grill. According to BBQ Report, the Holy Gospel BBQ Rub is "balanced, forgiving, and great value," and an excellent choice for anyone new to grilling.

The application process will vary depending on the protein you're enhancing. To help build a flavorful, caramelized crust on proteins like steak and chicken wings, add the rub around 30 minutes before grilling. On the other hand, larger cuts like brisket or pork shoulder can be coated up to 24 hours in advance, to give the rub plenty of time to penetrate the meat. The Holy Gospel rub also works beautifully as a seasoning for grilled or roasted veggies, whether used to coat them before cooking, or sprinkled over to serve.

Many dry rubs and seasonings lean mild, sweet, and smoky, but if you like your grilled proteins with a good hit of heat, the Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning Hot Blend is a must-try. This blend has a short but punchy ingredient list, with no unnecessary additives or fillers. It's a simple mix of salt, red pepper, black pepper, and granulated garlic, which delivers that classic Cajun warmth without feeling one-dimensional or overpowering.

The Slap Ya Mama hot blend is widely touted as boasting a tangy, fiery, and well-balanced flavor profile, with just a small amount of the product needed to completely transform the taste of your grilled proteins. This seasoning is frequently recommended in Reddit discussions, with customers confirming that the seasoning provides much more heat than many similar products on the market. 

This seasoning is perfect for livening up everything from chicken wings and steak to pork chops, ribs, or salmon. It's noticeably hotter than the brand's original seasoning, which delivers that signature Cajun flavor with a less intense hit of chili. Slap Ya Mama also offers a white pepper blend and a low-sodium option, so there are plenty of products to suit different tastes and dietary requirements. 

For those watching their sodium intake, the Dash Original Seasoning blend is a fantastically flavorful, yet completely salt-free option for elevating grilled meats, seafood, and vegetables. This aromatic, herb-forward mix features oregano, thyme, garlic, and lemon juice powder, with a touch of warmth coming from cayenne pepper and black pepper. And, despite the lack of salt, it packs heaps of savory depth into anything it touches.

Dash's flavor profile lends itself especially well to poultry, but it would also taste great on pork or seafood. Just rub it on right before you start your grilling session, and the proteins will come out gorgeously charred and packed with fragrant, herby deliciousness. Walmart customers say this blend provides great flavor to take your cooking up a notch. It's a godsend for many who can't use traditional salt-containing products, as confirmed by one fan, who writes, "just try it once and you won't miss salt anymore." Thanks to its fine texture, the seasoning also works well as a finishing dust, and you can use it to flavor side dishes like deviled eggs or potato salad, too.

Bring some Mexican flair to your next cookout with the Spanglish Asadero Carne Asada Seasoning. This traditional blend includes chili, garlic, citrus oil, and salt, and while it of course works beautifully on beef, it's just as tasty rubbed onto chicken, fish, and grilled veggies. It's a bold, richly flavored rub that brings that signature carne asada taste with minimal effort.

Highly regarded amongst shoppers, the Spanglish Asadero seasoning is another top-rated product with a plethora of rave reviews. One Walmart reviewer praised the authentic carne asada flavor, explaining that the seasoning "caramelizes beautifully, creating a slightly crispy, flavorful crust while keeping the inside juicy and tender." Another called the blend a "next level seasoning," noting its versatile flavor and well-balanced spice level.

Spanglish Asadero recommends lightly oiling the meat before applying the seasoning, then you can grill everything right away or let the rub infuse the protein for a few hours first. Either way, this product will leave your grilled goodies bursting with zesty, aromatic depth and smoky richness.

A citrusy rub will brighten up just about any grilled dish, cutting through rich, smoky flavors with a welcomed dose of refreshing sharpness, and that's exactly where Kinder's Lemon Pepper Seasoning shines. This vibrant blend combines zesty lemon with black pepper, garlic, and onion, creating a tangy, savory profile with just the right level of warmth. It feels right at home sprinkled over seafood and chicken, but also shines on steak or pork, serving as a lighter alternative to traditionally smoky-sweet barbecue rubs.

There are various lemon pepper products on the market, but many shoppers say the Kinder's version is their go-to. This blend stands out for its bright, balanced taste, with one fan noting the "very good lemon flavor that doesn't get masked by the pepper" in a Walmart review. "This is truly a premium quality seasoning and the taste is excellent", wrote another satisfied customer, while others commented on the product's versatility, highlighting how easily it fits into a variety of other dishes beyond the barbecue.

The rub and seasoning market is definitely saturated. There are many options competing for attention on grocery store shelves, so it can be challenging to separate genuinely great products from those that simply rely on good branding. With this in mind, we set out to sift through the real-world feedback and pick out the dry rubs that truly stood out amongst home cooks. 

To compile this lineup, we drew on Reddit discussions, social media posts, specialist outdoor cooking websites, and verified customer reviews on grocery chain websites. Our final picks come highly praised for their flavor, versatility, and performance on the grill, with recommendations across multiple platforms. Plus, they're all widely available at at least one of the major U.S. grocery store chains.