15 Best BBQ Rub (2023) Top Sellers From Amazon Put to Test

1 - Traeger Winemaker's Napa Valley Rub

Traeger Winemaker's doesn’t only manufacture world-class grills but also high-quality rubs. I found their Napa Valley Rub works better with chicken and fish than red meat.

I especially liked it with roast vegetables, hash browns, and potatoes.

Traeger doesn’t list all the BBQ rub ingredients, which I wasn’t thrilled about. I always want to know what the food I’m using contains. However, they do say their rub is Kosher and GMO-free.

I used this rub with my Traeger pellet, and it paired best with their Apricot BBQ sauce and Winemaker pellets.

The rub comes packed in durable aluminum tins that keep the rub fresh for a long time.

2 - Meat Church Holy Gospel BBQ Rub

Meat Church puts a lot of stock into their BBQ rub. They even called it the Holy Gospel, and I agree, it’s divinely good.

This rub is a combo is Meat Church’s Holy Cow and Gospel, and it has mild, smokey, and peppery primary flavors.

I found Holy Gospel very versatile, but I used it the most as a rub on chicken, ribs, and beef. I also liked it when added to roast vegetables.

Its main ingredients are sugar, celery, garlic, paprika, and dehydrated garlic, which work together nicely to enhance the flavor of any BBQ dish.

You can apply it to the meat and leave the rub overnight, or just apply it half an hour before cooking.

The only part of this rub I wasn’t impressed with was the calorie count. If you’re watching what you eat, you may want to skip this one. Otherwise, I had no other complaints.

3 - Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub

This BBQ rub was used by the championship-winning Killer Hogs BBQ team.

They claim they’ve spent 13 years developing it, and based on the rub quality, I believe them. It has a sweet and smokey flavor balanced with just a hint of chili kick.

I like that this rub can be used on its own, but it’s also easy to modify so it can be used in all kinds of barbecues.

Its ingredients are sugar, salt, onion powder, chili powder, garlic, orange peel, dill weed, mustard, and a few more.

They work well together to give this rub a flavor that compliments the meat well. I used it the most with pork butts and ribs. It gave the pork a mahogany bark and natural flavors.

I also liked that this sweet rub comes in a good size — 12 oz, so it’ll last a while. It comes in thick granules, so it’s easy to apply.

4 - Plowboys Yardbird Rub

Plowboys Yardbird Rub is a sweet rub created by winners of the 2009 American Royal Invitational BBQ competition.

Plowboys is a rub made explicitly for a pork and chicken dish. I find this both a pro and a con.

It’s a pro because you’ll have a perfect rub that works with your favorite chicken or pork, but it’s a con because you’ll have to buy more BBQ rubs for other kinds of meat, which means a higher expense.

That being said, I did find it worked well with seafood too.

This chicken rub is mild with only a touch of sweetness and heat, enhancing the natural chicken flavor when barbecued. I also used it with chicken in a stir fry and a chicken burrito.

Its main ingredients are brown sugar, chili pepper, garlic, onion, mustard flour, chili pepper, and celery seed.

It comes in a package of 14 oz, so it’ll last for months even if you frequently barbecue.

5 - Lillie's Q ' No16 Carolina Dirt' BBQ Rub

The next rub is ideal for slow-cooked meats, so if you plan to grill or smoke, this could be the rub for you. I also liked using Lillie's Q ' No16 Carolina Dirt' BBQ Rub on fries, which gives them a sweet flavor.

This rub is manufactured in Carolina, and it got its name from the dirt-red Carolina soil. It gives a subtle flavor and intensifies the southern-style barbecue.

This isn’t the most budget-friendly rub, as it comes in a package of 3.5 oz, so if you’re a frequent rub user, you’ll have to stock up often.

Its ingredients are paprika, sugar, brown sugar, dehydrated onion, and garlic.

You don’t have to rub in this BBQ rub; only sprinkle it on your food for as few as 15 minutes before cooking.

6 - Lawry’s Perfect Blend Chicken Rub

Lawry’s will do the job extremely well if you need a chicken rub. This rub is specially made for chicken and poultry, and I found it brings out the best chicken flavor. I also successfully used it in burger patties.

While it works best when barbecuing, I experimented with roasted, baked, and braised chicken that paired well with those.

My favorite part of Lawry’s Perfect Blend is the huge package — it comes in a 24.5 oz bottle, which is the second-largest bottle on this list.

This is more than enough rub if you’re a professional chef or cook for a large gathering.

Its main ingredients are dehydrated garlic, sea salt, thyme, rosemary roast seasoning, parsley, and onion.

7 - Hardcore Carnivore 'Black' BBQ Rub

Carnivore dry rub is perfect if you cook a lot of red meat, such as beef and steak.

What makes this rub stand out is the list of ingredients: sea salt, sugar, garlic, onion, other spices, and activated charcoal made from coconut husks.

This dry rub adds mild flavors to your meat, so it works well as a rib rub or on chicken and brisket. It creates a nice-looking black crust, thanks to the charcoal.

I was able to create the perfect sear on each steak with only a little of this dry rub. However, I wish the charcoal was a little more noticeable in terms of savory flavor.

It’s made in Texas and it's keto-friendly, so you can use it even on a strict Keto diet.

8 - Bad Byron's Butt Rub Barbecue Seasoning

The company says this rub is a favorite of professional chefs and barbecue cooks everywhere, and it also found itself on my favorite list.

What makes Bad Byron’s Butt Rub barbeque stand out is the chipotle powder, which gives it a kick at the finish.

Other ingredients include salt, black pepper, granulated paprika, granulated garlic, and onion.

I liked how versatile it is. I used it with chicken, beef, and pork, and it worked well with all kinds of meat, especially pulled pork. I also used it with fish and vegetables, and it paired well, thanks to its subtle blend and smoky profile.

It arrived in a 26 oz package, which is the largest on this list, and it took me months to get to the bottom of the bottle.

9 - Spiceology 'Sasquatch BBQ Dirt' Espresso Chile Beef Rub

This Sasquatch BBQ Dirt rub is different from the others I’ve mentioned — it’s a specialized beef rub. It has a nice earthly flavor.

The company says they only use natural ingredients, which I found to be true.

The ingredient list says this rub contains brown sugar, espresso powder, black pepper, salt, and activated charcoal. There aren’t any fillers.

I was especially curious how espresso would work as a signature steak seasoning, but it made other flavors, such as brown sugar, stand out more.

Apart from beef, I used this rub on pork, where it created a nice crusty bark, but I don’t recommend it for chicken, as the flavor is too rich and overpowering for poultry.

10 - Lambert’s Sweet Rub O’ Mine

If you’re looking for a sweet rub that works on all kinds of dishes, this could be the one. Sweet Rub O’Mine is an all-purpose rub that has five flavors.

It can be used to enhance the BBQ taste or for everyday seasoning.

The ingredients are dehydrated garlic, turbinado sugar, evaporated cane juice, mustard flour, salt, and more. My favorite is the turbinado sugar, which made the sweet taste stand out.

However, it also contains additives that deepen the color, such as MSG, which some people may be sensitive to.

I used this barbecue rub on beef, chicken, pork, and veggies.

11 - Szeged Rib Rub

Like the name says, this rub is best used as a rib rub.

That being said, I tried using this rub with pork, chicken, and steak, and it worked well. I was satisfied with how the meat tasted in the end.

One package contains 6 tin packs of 5 oz bottles, so this should last a while. I like that the bottles are tin, as many commercial rubs come in plastic containers.

The ingredients are paprika, mustard seed, other spices, and salt. They work well and enhance the rib flavor without being too overpowering.

12 - Lane's BBQ Signature Rub

Lane’s BBQ signature rub is an all-purpose seasoning mix that can be applied to any part of the meal.

I tried it with all kinds of meat: beef, pork, chicken, and seafood, such as shrimp. I even used it with eggs and pasta. It goes well with literally any food.

This is primarily due to its ingredients: black pepper, kosher salt, smoked paprika, thyme, coriander, and ground mustard.

The ingredients are all-natural and gluten-free. There aren’t any preservatives.

This is one of the rare rubs that doesn’t contain any sugar, so it’s good if you’re trying to lose weight. It’s also suitable for a Keto diet.

13 - Boom Boom Chicken Spice Rub

As the name says, this Boom Boom rub is made specifically for chicken. However, I tried it with other poultry, such as turkey and also vegetables, and I was satisfied with the flavor.

The ingredients are a blend of Szechuan, garlic powder, brown sugar, and paprika, and there’s a noticeable pepper flavor.

All the ingredients are natural and gluten and GMO-free.

The package size is 6.3 oz which isn’t the biggest on this list by far. But, you should use only about 1/4 teaspoon per serving so you’ll have enough rub for about 288 servings, which will last a long time.

14 - Snake River Farms Perfect Pork Rub

I’m a big fan of Snake River Farms’ meats, so I had to try their barbecue rub.

This rub is intended for use with pork only. I tried it as a pork butt rub barbeque seasoning, ribs, pork shoulder, and tenderloins and was blown away by the flavor.

Snake River Farms says they worked with barbecue professionals to develop the pork rub.

One thing I’d love to see is the list of the ingredients. They only state the rub contains brown sugar, pecan, cherry, and a blend of secret spices.

Also, this is far from the largest bottle on this list, but it was enough for a few uses.

15 - Bone Suckin' Sauce Bone Suckin' Original Seasoning and Rub

This Bone Suckin' versatile rub can be used on all kinds of barbecue meats.

I also tried it with vegetables and seafood and was pleased with the results.

This rub will satisfy many users, as it has a mild flavor. It’s not too salty or spicy, but it enhances the meat flavors just enough without being overpowering.

The ingredients are chili pepper, red bell pepper, celery powder, and critic acid. This is a family recipe that comes from Raleigh, North Carolina, so it’s a proprietary blend of ingredients.