Chicken rub recipe?

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geoff yonkers

Newbie
Original poster
Mar 15, 2015
8
10
Hello all-

Hoping someone might point me to a good homemade rub for a chicken. Unfortunately I wont have time to brine the chicken, so Im trying to rely on a good rub. Also what wood would you recommend to compliment the chicken? I was thinking of maybe a mix of Peach and hickory?
 
A decent commercial rub is McCormick's Sweet n Smoky.  Should be available just about anywhere. 

Here's my homemade version of the same rub.  Kind of a go-to for me for chicken and pork.

Sweet and Smoky Rub

Ingredients
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbs plus 2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 Tbs granulated sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
2  tsp onion powder
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

Directions

1. Stir all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

As far as wood, pecan and hickory should be fine.  Cherry and hickory works nicely too, my go-to woods for chicken.   
 
Last edited:
thanks for sharing! Im going to give it a whirl and let you know how it goes. 
 
This is a rub I use on chicken. I omit salt when I brine.
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup Italian seasoning
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp ground mustard
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp salt
 
Last edited:
A decent commercial rub is McCormick's Sweet n Smoky.  Should be available just about anywhere. 

Here's my homemade version of the same rub.  Kind of a go-to for me for chicken and pork.

Sweet and Smoky Rub
Ingredients

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 Tbs plus 2 tsp. smoked paprika

2 Tbs granulated sugar

2 tsp garlic powder

2  tsp onion powder

2 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

Directions
1. Stir all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

As far as wood, pecan and hickory should be fine.  Cherry and hickory works nicely too, my go-to woods for chicken.   


I am going to rub some chickens with this for tomorrow. How early do you start the rub? Is it too early to rub and keep in the fridge till tomorrow night?
 
Most of the time i apply rub then over night in fridge then another coat of rub just before smoking
 
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