Homemade BBQ Spice Rub {Kid Friendly}

A basic, kid friendly and quick homemade BBQ spice rub recipe for chicken, ribs and other meats using everyday spices. And...goes perfectly with these slow cooked BBQ chicken drumsticks!

Homemade BBQ Spice Rub

You know those days when the sun's shining and the kids are home and it's gonna be one of those lazy days? This homemade BBQ spice rub is perfect for putting together (it takes seconds) as and when the mood takes you and then throwing on some chicken or steak on the Bbq grill.

The ingredient list for this rub are literally spices you likely already have in your pantry and if you haven't, they're common and some of the more popular spices so you'll be able to find them easily.

Sugar Free BBQ Rub

When we started this Clean eating thang, I did not know that Bbq rubs mostly had sugar in them. I know. Ignorant? Maybe. But I still didn't know, and when I did know and started reading the labels of the things I was buying, some of the most popular well known ones have a lot of sugar in them!

Now I'm not against sugar in some forms. Unrefined sugars I use all the time, but these were not unrefined. And I didn't want to give them to the kids. So I decided to make my own.

I originally tried to make this using coconut sugar to replace the regular dark brown sugar that was most often used. This did not work out well for me. Coconut sugar, while the right texture as opposed to Maple syrup (my other favorite!) threw the taste off completely. And no one wants their BBQ rub to taste coco-nutty!

In the end I left it out all together and that's how I make it now to this day. The kids don't ask or realise it's sugar free, it's just a bbq rub that makes foods taste awesome!

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During the warmer months I tend to make a batch of this (like, 4 x the ingredient quantities) and then I have it there as we use the outside grill a lot and so I know we'll be grilling meat a lot. You can keep this in an airtight container and I've kept it for up to a month before and it's been good to use.

I've made this barbecue rub mixture quite mild so it's good for younger kids or those with shall we say, a slightly less adventurous palette! You can always up the heat once everyones happy if you wanted to.

More BBQ Food Recipes

• Clean eating homemade BBQ sauce
• Honey chicken drumsticks for kids
• Chicken and pineapple skewers
• Grilled fish Tacos
• Beef and veggie skewers
• Lemon Garlic & Shrimp foil packets

Why Use BBQ Rub?

A Bbq rub gives meats a flavor boost and make them taste amazing. The good thing about making a homemade spice mix is that you can play around with it and adjust the flavors to suit your family.

I know lots of us find spices a little daunting to start with, I know I used to, and I'd always be concerned about ruining the meat and so if I was going to use a spice mix I'd buy them ready mixed. But the truth is they're so simple to make yourself, get yourself some of the more popular spices and you can mix a whole load of things without having to buy each mix individually.

How Much Dry Rub Should You Use?

Start small and work up, I've always found that to be the best way forward! I give this a really god rub into the meat no matter how much I'm using, but depending on if you think the kids are going to be up for it, use as little or as much as you like, within reason.

You don't want to have huge clumps of spice mix in any one area, just an even layer all over. Once you've added the rub to whatever meat you're putting it on, let it sit for at least 20 minutes before cooking it to give the spices a chance to really take.

What Can You Use BBQ Rub On?

I use this rub on pretty much any meat. Most often I use this on chicken wings and drumsticks and then the kids eat them as finger foods. I've also used this on steaks, burgers and pork ribs, and I even once rubbed some into potatoes and veggies before roasting them and they we're pretty darn good!

If you feel like something would go well with the BBQ flavor, try it!

How Long Does This Homemade BBQ Rub Last?

I keep this in airtight containers like these little ones that also handily come with their own labels. Once you have your blend just transfer any you haven't used to one of these jars and you can keep it with your other spices for up to a month. I don't think I'd keep it for much longer than this, only because I'd feel the spices would lose some of their flavor.

*For full disclosure, this is not based on anything science-y. Please feel free to correct me :)

How To Make Homemade BBQ Spice Rub

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Sweet Paprika 
• 1 tablespoon Onion powder
• 1 tbsp Salt Sea salt, not table salt. You can also use Kosher salt
• ½ tbsp Garlic powder
• 1 teaspoons Cumin
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• ½ tsp Cayenne pepper, Chili powder or Chipotle powder Up this quantity if your kids like heat!
• Leave this out if you have Coriander phobes!

Instructions

• Put all the ingredients into a NutriBullet or or the bowl of a processor and pulse until all the ingredients are blended
• Use immediately and put any unused BBQ rub into an airtight container

Homemade BBQ Spice Rub Recipe