All-Purpose Sweet & Spicy Dry Rub Recipe

Name: All-Purpose Spicy Dry Rub
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons smoked paprika; 2 tablespoons kosher salt; 3 teaspoons garlic salt; 3 teaspoons white granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons brown sugar; 1 tablespoon ground pasilla pepper; 1 tablespoon ground New Mexico chili pepper; 2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper; 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger; 1 tablespoon ground mustard powder

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With a perfect balance of spices and just a hint of sweetness, this Spicy Dry Rub brings big, bold flavor to poultry, beef, and especially fish.

Top view of colorful spices whirled on a torn piece of parchment paper.

This spicy dry rub recipe was originally created for pan-frying fish, but we've tried it on everything from chicken to steak to grilled veggies with great results!

How to Make this Recipe

The hardest part of making the spice rub is gathering all the ingredients!

Once you have everything assembled, simple mix them up.

Store in an air-tight container for up to a year.

Where can I buy ground chili peppers?

One of the secrets to a good spice mix is fresh spices.

You can find a plethora of ground peppers in the Mexican/Hispanic foods aisle of most grocery stores or at your local Hispanic mercado. All of the dried ground peppers used in this recipe are inexpensive, and the recipe makes a lot of dry rub, so it will go a long way.

Another option is to buy the ground peppers at your local herb and spice store, or through a reputable online spice store. (Currently, Savory Spice Shop is our favorite online go-to for fresh spices.)

Can I make this dry rub using regular chili powder?

No problem. If you don't have these specific ground dried Mexican chiles on hand, just substitute equal parts regular chili powder for whatever you're missing. The flavor of the dry rub may be slightly less complex, but delicious just the same.

Serving suggestion

We use this Spicy Dry Rub to make one of our favorite fish dishes: Spicy Blackened Pan-fried Rockfish!

Spice-encrusted pan-fried rockfish on a plate with green salad and a fork.

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All-Purpose Spicy Dry Rub

With a perfect balance of spices and just a hint of sweetness, our Spicy Dry Rub brings big, bold flavor to poultry, beef, and especially fish.

Inspired and adapted from Skillet Street Food, Seattle, WA.

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Course: Condiment

Prep Time:5 minutes

Total Time:5 minutes

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Renee

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

5 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 teaspoons garlic salt
3 teaspoons white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground pasilla pepper
1 tablespoon ground New Mexico chili pepper
2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper
2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground mustard powder

Instructions

Mix all ingredients.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Mixture is best used within one year.

Notes

Substitution for chiles: If you don't have these specific ground dried Mexican chiles on hand, you can substitute equal parts regular chili powder for whatever you're missing. The flavor of the dry rub may be slightly less complex, but delicious just the same.

Nutrition

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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