All-Purpose Dry Chicken Rub Recipe

Chicken may be one of the most popular and versatile proteins out there, but it's typically not the most flavorful — not on its own, at least. Luckily, there's a plethora of seasoning options out there to spruce up even the blandest of cuts, but with so many options comes some room for hesitation. If only there were a go-to, catch-all chicken rub that would come in handy time and time again ... and thanks to recipe developer Erin Johnson, there is!

Johnson's all-purpose dry chicken rub really covers all of the flavor bases — "This chicken rub is perfect for any chicken recipe," Johnson attests.  While she opts to use this rub before air-frying chicken breasts, it's a versatile mix that will cover just about any cut. You've got classic inclusions like salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then you've got some that really add complexity — think brown sugar for sweetness, cayenne pepper for a hit of spice, smoked paprika for some warmth, and even nutmeg for just a touch of nuttiness. The next time you're staring at bare chicken breasts and can't fathom what to season them with, turn to this rub for a foolproof option.

There are several ingredients that go into this rub, but there's a good chance that most of them are already sitting in your pantry. To make an all-purpose dry chicken rub, you'll need brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, smoked paprika (Johnson notes that you can opt for regular paprika for a "milder rub or if that's all you have on hand"), coriander, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. "I like a spicier rub, so I usually increase the cayenne to about ½ teaspoon," Johnson says of the recipe's spicy source. "As always, adjust the recipe for your heat preference. ¼ teaspoon adds a subtle heat, add more or omit for your preference."

As with most seasoning rub recipes, there's essentially just one step: mix it all together. Into a small bowl, add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, sage, smoked paprika, coriander, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper — then simply mix with a spoon or whisk to fully combine. 

There are several standout spices in this mix, but Johnson takes care to highlight one that adds some surprising freshness: coriander. "Coriander adds a nice lemon accent to this rub, and may not be an ingredient you would expect. I love using this to add a hint of citrus without needing to use lemon zest."

The best all-purpose rubs aren't limited to one protein, and this one is no exception. While this blend does pair exceptionally well with chicken, Johnson has a few other seasoning suggestions. "You can also use it to season turkey or chicken burgers, as a dry marinade for BBQ chicken, or even as a seasoning for homemade fries," she says. She also notes that when it comes to a chicken breast, she uses about 1 tablespoon of rub per piece of meat.

This recipe yields 32 servings, so it's almost guaranteed that you're not going to use the whole blend in one sitting. Luckily, that's no problem because all of the ingredients are shelf-stable, as is the rub itself. In fact, you can store this rub for up to three months. "This recipe fills a pint sized jar (2 cups) and is what I usually store the rub in," Johnson says. Needless to say, this all-purpose rub is versatile and easy to store — when it comes to seasoning blends, it really doesn't get much better than that.