Dry Rubs Galore for Grilling | Fresh Ideas | Food Lion

When it comes time to hit the grill, you could just torch some meat and throw a bit of barbecue sauce on it. But is that really the best way to go? Trust us: Your guests will love you a lot more if you give them a restaurant quality meal! Dry rubs are quick to make, use simple ingredients and you can batch them up in quantity to keep extra on hand for months. To make extra of any of the below dry rubs, just double or triple the recipe and store in an airtight container in your pantry.

Coffee

Coffee rubs are popular in steakhouses and extremely easy to make. It's literally just ground coffee and seasonings! It makes for a deep, rich flavor. You don't need to buy coffee especially for this, either—using whatever you have on hand (decaf works as well!) that you enjoy is perfect, as long as it's ground finely.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp ground coffee
• 3 tbsp chile powder
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 /2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tbsp paprika

Method: Stir all ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined.

Italian

Adding a packet of dressing mix to meat tastes good, but those contain a lot of additives and packaging agents. How about a delicious Italian rub that is healthier but doesn't compromise on flavor? An Italian dried herb blend is the main thing you need, and you'll never miss the MSG and other additives from a package.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Italian herb blend
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Method: Stir all ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined.

Slow-Cooked Smoke

If you love the taste of "real" barbecue that takes endless hours to prepare, you'll enjoy both the taste and the time-saving simplicity of this easy rub. It uses smoked spices like paprika and chipotle to mimic the effect of actual smoking, making your guests wonder if you actually started cooking hours ago. You'll need less of this than for other dry rubs due to the intensity of flavor, so the recipe yield is smaller than the others here.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp smoked salt
• 1 tsp chipotle powder (very spicy: decrease quantity for a milder rub if preferred)

Method: Stir all ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined.

Sweet Mustard

Are you a lover of honey mustard potato chips or pretzels? If so, this rub is one to try! It will impart some zing to your grilling with just enough balancing sweetness. Since sugar burns easily, use this for proteins and vegetables that you can cook either a little more slowly, or slightly less overall. (This rub is ideal for fish, zucchini or chicken tenders.)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup dry mustard powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp dried parsley

Method: Stir all ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined.

Fiesta Spice

Mexican flavors go far beyond chili powder blends. Cumin and coriander give this rub an elevated flavor profile, but not so much so that it can't be a family favorite. Dried herbs round out the spices, which are mild, making this a great choice for large cuts of meat like flank steak or pork.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ancho chile powder
• 2 tbsp dried cilantro
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder

Method: Stir all ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined.

Cajun

Ideal for seafood but strong enough to hold up to poultry, Cajun favorite Old Bay seasoning gives this dry rub that signature Creole taste so many people love. The addition of paprika rounds it out with subtle peppery notes, and the rub pairs well with veggies like eggplant.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt

Method: Stir all ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined.

Garlic Pepper

So simple we had to save it for last, this steakhouse signature flavor is all about the pepper. For best results, crush peppercorns yourself—it's easier to do than you may think! Just put them in a plastic bag then run a rolling pin or a glass over them until crushed. The result will be pepper of varying sizes, which is what makes the crunch of a pepper crust.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup lemon pepper seasoning
• 3 tbsp crushed peppercorns
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sugar

Method: Stir all ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined.