How to Make a Signature Spice Rub Unique to Your Business
JUNE 2023
A great spice rub can make a dish more appetizing and impress your customers. If you are a restaurant chef, food manufacturer, or caterer, consider these tips for how to make your own signature spice rub.
Understand When To Choose a Dry Rub vs. Wet Rub
The first step to consider before you make your own rub is whether or not a dry rub or wet rub will be most helpful to you based on how you cook.
Wet and dry rubs are great to use on all kinds of meat. Use dry rubs if your food is going to cook faster and be served with a sauce; use wet rubs if you intend to cook your meat slower and it needs more moisture.
If you are a chef at a restaurant or caterer, you will likely find dry rubs to be the most helpful to your cooking method.
Use the 5 Basic Components of a Spice Rub
Whether you plan to make you a BBQ spice rub, dry rub, or wet rub, there are five basic components to remember:
- Sweet
- Salty
- Pepper
- Transition
- Flavor
As you make your own rub, strive to find a happy balance between these 5 elements of a homemade rub. To better assist your culinary artistry, below is a list of some common spices that fall under each category of spice:
Sweet
- Honey
- White sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Brown sugar
- Molasses
Salty
- Kosher salt
- Sea salt
- Himalayan salt
- Table salt
Pepper
- Ancho chile pepper
- White Pepper
- Black Pepper
- Black peppercorn
Transition Spice
Choose Spices That Complement Your Meats
Spice rubs can add intense flavor to brisket, pork ribs, steaks, beef, chicken, pork chops, seafood, and more, which is why it is such a great seasoning step to add to your cooking.
Below, we have included a list of spices that complement different types of meats.
Lamb
- Cinnamon
- Cumin
- Curry Powder
- Garlic
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Turmeric
Pork
- Allspice
- Caraway
- Celery Seed
- Cloves
- Coriander
- Fennel
- Ginger
- Mustard Powder
- Paprika
Seafood
- Bay Leaf
- Cayenne
- Chives
- Dill
- Lemongrass
- Mint
- Tarragon
Source: Char-Griller
Spices Blends Paired With Your Meats
Here are some of our quality spice blends that you can use in place of a homemade rub. It will still offer that delicious, unique, flavorful taste your customers will love while cutting out a few steps in the process.
Chicken
- Giddy Up! Green Chili Blend: Mix of green chili, jalapeno, garlic, onion, and other ingredients to create a dry aromatic savory spice blend.
- Citrus Habanero Jerk Blend: Mix of habanero, jalapeño, citrus, warming spices, and other ingredients to create a complex spiced seasoning blend.
Beef
- Santa Fe Scorpion Blend: Mix of onion, garlic, Scorpion Chili, spices, and other ingredients to create a savory and spicy seasoning blend.
- Cafe Havana: Mix of coffee, cocoa, warming spices and other ingredients to create a smoky, bitter, and savory spice blend.
Lamb
- Uniquely Yucatan Blend: Blends guajillo and habanero chilis with a twist of cinnamon and turmeric to give rich, earthy flavor.
- Warm Sedona Sunset Blend: Blends ancho chilies, citrus, turmeric and warm spices.
Pork
- Everything BUTT the Carnitas Blend: Mix of onion, garlic, earthy spices, and green chili to create a dry woody and savory spice blend.
- Bold Sweet Mesquite Seasoning: Blend of sea salt, spices, dehydrated vegetables, and other ingredients.
Seafood
- Spicy Citrus Coast: Mix of scorpion chili, red chili, citrus powders and other ingredients to create a dry zesty and spicy seasoning blend.
- Gulf Coast Seasoning: Spicy, savory blend of red pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, salt, and other spices for use in a seafood boil or as a general all purpose seasoning.
Buy Quality Spices for Your Spice Rubs
Another factor to consider that will help your spices stand out is using quality wholesale spices that are responsibly grown. We offer some great options that you can use in your homemade rubs or seasonings for sides like veggies.
Not only can you purchase quality, individual spices wholesale on our website, but you can also explore our many spice blends—spices you can buy in bulk—to give you a head start on your dishes.