The 7 Best BBQ Rubs You Can Buy and Why You Should

April 21, 2025

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The 7 seven best bbq rubs is a bold statement especially to someone who has never used a barbecue rub or even held a bbq rub. Personal preference on the exact usage of terms is key when discussing barbecue. But for someone who has been steeped in the physiology, mythology, biology and all of the other “ologies” related to barbecue, then one begins to pay attention. So, we’ll focus on what we consider to be the best bbq rubs in existence, not because these are products that we are familiar with but because of the way in which these very products deliver their unique brand of awesomeness to create some amazing taste results for a barbecue.

At Jake’s Famous Foods we’ll start with a base amount of knowledge in understanding what a rub actually is and what it does. Now the simplest of all rubs is salt which has been around for thousands of years. I’m sure every person thinks they know what salt really is and what it does. And from our basic days in high school chemistry we learn about the existence of salt, or that white stuff we’ve been shaking on our burgers and french fries for years. But would it surprise you to know that salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). A mineral being inorganic or classified as something that is not alive or living, like vegetables or roots in the earth. Salt is a chemical compound of sodium and chloride and in its natural form as a crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite.

Sodium which most people simply classify the terms as too much sodium intake but rarely say too much salt intake serves a vital roll in maintaining the human condition in that it is an electrolyte, and performs the duty of helping nerves and muscles function correctly aiding in what is known as the osmotic regulation of water content in body organs or in laymen’s terms keeping the fluids in your body in balance.

Salt is also a preservative so when combined with other elements assists in storing or keeping foods for a longer than standard length of time especially if the meats or food item was left out in the open to suffer the ravages of the elements.

Salt was often paired with its most central of spices, things like cumin, oregano, and turmeric but it wasn’t until the combination of salt and pepper that the normal every day expectation was made. One could never have a table setting that didn’t combine salt and pepper. And certainly you would never have a table setting of say salt and turmeric, or salt and oregano but no pepper. Your guests would consider you odd for such pairings and would immediately if not politely ask, then demand to have their fair share of pepper on hand.

The difference between bbq rubs and seasonings.
It is important to note this small but not innocuous difference between a bbq rub and a bbq seasoning. BBQ Rubs are meant to be shaken and layered onto meats that will be allowed to bathe in the rubs for a period of time. While bbq seasonings are just the opposite, being place on the intended meat sometimes minutes before they hit the grill to play a role in the Maillard effect of browning the meats. Seasonings can and will be burned off the meat quickly if not properly allowed to rest and be absorbed through the Myofibril structures of the meat which supports holding the seasoning while effectively curing the meat with flavor.

When considering the necessities of seasonings, and rubs, and mixes or pastes one must consider what the meat is, and believe me when we discuss bbq rubs we center only on their uses on meats. And we consider the intended result of the selection efforts. Meaning, are you striving to achieve a flavor result that leaves a salty, savory, bitter, sugary or natural taste of the original starting product. Our belief is that most of the customers we see want the natural flavor of the meat but realize they can’t spend $100 a pound on something so the best way to drive a less than superior cut of meat up the taste scale is to thoroughly season the meat altering its flavor. To achieve that an individual may blend granulated or powdered forms of garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, sugar, turmeric, oregano, onion and more toward achieving the end result.

So, with that in mind we’ll finally get to what we believe to be the best bbq rubs to buy. Starting with our longtime mainstay and first actual product Santa Barbara Smoked BBQ Rub.

This Santa Barbara Smoked Rub was formerly known as Southwestern Hickory Dry Rub because in it’s original form it concentrated on a combination of California Chili Powder and hints of Cayenne pepper with subtle combinations of coarse ground black pepper, garlic, onion, smoked salts and of course hints of brown sugar. The resulting combination of flavors yielded a spicy, peppery mix with savory overtones that complimented particular items like pork ribs or beef ribs. This was true to form bbq rub heaven all wrapped up in one.

Some have called this the ultimate rub but we have to keep in mind terms like those are subjective so we’ll just take it on faith that a large audience really like the dry rub for the results that it yields. The rub was renamed when we chose to widen the nature of the rub. We believed we could serve a growing fish centric market by increasing some of the key elements along with the conversion to a maple based sugar as opposed to brown sugar. The results have and continue to be phenomenal.

We take a move away from a spicy, peppery bbq rub into one that is the true essence of barbecue rubs. This Tri Tip Steak and Rib Rub although a mouthful to say is highly the most versatile bbq rub in existence. Performing triple duty on steaks, ribs, and tri tip. Each meat has their own unique role in American culture and the Tri Tip, Steak, and Rib Rub deserves a spot on the podium. This is the most impact focused combination of spices, herbs and salts we have ever made. The bbq rub is a revelation in the use of smoked salt, herbs of oregano and tarragon, along with savory elements like paprika, onion, and garlic paired with just the right amount of golden brown sugar.

This is a bbq rub that can be shaken on allowed to achieve having great “stickiness” at room temperature then moved quickly to the grill for the best tasting steaks you’ve ever made. Or applied with the smallest amount of olive oil to thick cuts of tri tip that are rested for minimum periods then properly seared and roasted to perfection. Not to mention the all popular rib combinations where ribs are brought to room temperature then rubbed with the bbq rub and allowed to rest for a minimum period then barbecued slowly for 5 to 6 hours to produce the tenderest ribs ever. This my friends is the “creme de la creme” of bbq rubs. It’s easy to use, comes in a convenient container, and stores for 2 years without losing its vitality. Some of the best bbq rub seasonings in existence today.

The California Chipotle Dry Rub is borne from the period of time when society as a whole discovered the existence of Chipotle. And for about 10 years it was all things Chipotle from practically every direction you could think of fresh off the heels of Mesquite firewood cooking. This is one of the few times in which savory seasonings were blended together with subtle sweet but spicy blends of dried Chipotle peppers and sugars.

The effect of these blends was to produce a spicy result that was savory but did not overpower the item that was seasoned.

Take for example chicken breasts or thighs amply seasoned with California Chipotle Rub then allowed to rest in the blend for an hour. When properly grilled and at this point we won’t say slow or fast grilled simply because no one wants raw chicken and chicken that cooks too long is basically over cooked and tough. So, we’ll go with chicken properly cooked will produce a juicy, tender result with an aroma of fine peppers, garlic and onion. This is a truly savory blend that will deliver exceptional results each time the grill is fired up.

Pure Santa Maria Dry Rub that name practically says it all, Pure. This is one of the few bbq rubs on the market today that literally does exactly what the name says it is. Santa Maria for those not in the know is a city or as most would say a region in which true tri tip barbecues were created. This region nestled between the California cities of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara all share in this form of cooking tri tip. Tri tip is effectively a triangular piece of meat from near the front legs of the steer is cut away and trimmed leaving a reasonable amount of fat or as we call it the “fat cap” on the meat which will render enhancing the flavor of the meat. The meat which when properly cooked is seasoned with the sparsest amount of basic seasonings salt, pepper, garlic and enhanced with onion and mustard and just the right amount of dried parsley. The meat is properly rested for absorption then seared on both or all sides first then relocated on an adjustable grill such that the meat is indirectly cooked or roasted until done. The meat is cut perpendicular to the grain wherein the results will leave even the most ambivalent with smiles of joy. This is true Western cooking and the meat and dry rub represent the best the region has to offer.

There are many impostors out their now but one must consider that true rubs carry no more that 6 basic spices to achieve the desired end result. Larger form granules of salt, and pepper hearken back to the days of rustic ingredients all focused on producing the perfect bite and flavor.

California Chicken Dry Rub, never before has their been a better more focused dry rub that serves one key food category. The chicken rub does just that by using the very elements necessary to break down that pathways of tenderness for chicken. In most cases one might think chicken to be relatively easy to season but it’s exactly the opposite. Chicken can be the toughest of all poultry to season ahead of turkey and game hens. In cases where there is no skin the seasonings may just fall off or burn up on contact with the grill. Therefore it is primary that one properly season the meat with spices and herbs to complement the subtle flavors of the chicken.

Chicken may be dry and tasteless if not properly managed and we’ve overcome that with turmeric that not only leaves a golden color on the meat but almost Mediterranean flavor combined with ample hints of garlic, paprika, onions and for spice just a hint of cayenne pepper. Add those ingredients along with a specific hint of brown sugar and you’ve got one of the best savory, salty, subtle sweet bbq rubs money can buy. This is truly a great chicken rub that we can’t talk enough about. It is superior at resting and delivering tenderness through its capillary action and when properly seasoned will produce staggering results that will change how you think about chicken.

Memphis Blues Dry Rub contains an almost unmistakable element of flavor, one that you can just barely put your hand on. You know what it is in the back of your mind but you just can’t seem to find the words for that particular element of uniqueness. That uniqueness is defined by two key elements celery seeds and coriander. Two key elements that are as unique by themselves as the city that holds them up in legendary fashion in their namesake dry rubs. Traditionally Memphis style ribs are rubbed with their special blend of seasonings then grilled for long periods of time. The ribs are then rested and dusted with the Memphis style rub just before being brought to the table.

The seasonings are adhered by the juiciness of the moisture resulting from the barbecue process. When the ribs are cut and served the eater receives the aromatic effects of the celery seeds, coriander, thyme, pepper, garlic, cumin, mustard and more. The one thing they won’t have to worry about in our Memphis Blues Dry rub is the addition of sugar either in the form of raw white or brown sugar. We’ve created a Memphis Style Dry Rub borne from our direct experiences in Memphis. A light dusting after barbecue is just enough to deliver the savory flavors of this dry rub. Elegant in appearance and wholesome in taste. And with our Memphis Blues Dry Rub taste is what you want and what we deliver all wrapped up is a nice little see through container where we hide nothing from the buyer. The last thing we want to do is leave rubs without the proper directions which is why we’ve detailed instructions and BBQ Recipes right on our website that take your ribs to the next level. What’s the use of barbecue if the results turn out less than satisfactory and that’s why we take all the guess work out of the process.

San Ysidro Rub as unique as the name. This by far is our most ambitious dry rub. Again this is a Sugar Free dry rub but one that focuses directly on the cleaner elements of barbecue. Exacting blends of smoked salts, garlic, Hungarian Paprika, coarse ground black pepper, and hints of turmeric and onions all compliment this truly audacious dry rub.

This is a bbq rub that drives flavor but not through the use of sugar. Key to this dry rub is its use on vegetables of all shapes and sizes particularly potatoes, roasted carrots, egg plant, yellow squash and more. The bbq rub is perfect for those who must consider a dry rub that would affect their glycemic index or more specifically for those who have certain sensitivities to glucose or sugar. The bbq rub can be shaken or rubbed onto meats, or can be made into a paste through the addition of olive oil then spread evenly on ribs, chicken, or fish. After cooking a light dusting of the rub can be added to increase the flavor profile. This is a barbecue rub that is a cut above and as we say it’s about time that someone consider the effects of sugar intake not only directly but through things like barbecue and the addition of barbecue rubs. As my friends and I like to say “move quickly” as this truly is a target rich environment where barbecue rubs are concerned.

These are the 7 Best BBQ Rubs you can buy.
We believe these rubs will improve the flavor of your barbecue without a doubt. See our website “Jake’s Famous” and gain access to our stable of fine bbq rubs and sauces. And when you do check out our products we’ve got a special offer for you at Checkout. Get 10% OFF pricing on our award winning dry rubs, sauces and seasonings. You’ll get that immediate 10% OFF when you use Jake’s product savings Code: 1707200910 at checkout. Get all our BBQ Rubs Today!

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