Beef rubs are the best way to take any cut of beef to the next level. Here are 10 of our favorite dry rub recipes, and they all use basic pantry ingredients! From roast beef to beef ribs to filet mignon, a good dry rub recipe can be customized to your personal taste and helps add lots of flavor to any type of meat.
It’s no secret. We like beef.
We don’t have beef for every meal, but you will usually find it on our dinner table about twice a week.
When we’re short on time or we want to keep it simple, we season beef with kosher salt and pepper so that the natural beef flavors shine through.
However, we also use a lot of beef rubs depending on what we’re making.
Beef rubs are an amazing way to add complex flavors to beef, but not fat.
They create a beautiful, savory crust on beef, similar to what you’d find at your favorite steakhouse.
Over the years we have used different beef rubs and steak seasonings. Some are store-bought and others are homemade, but our favorite are always homemade rubs. With a homemade rub, you can customize the ingredients, and eliminate the preservatives and additives.
What’s a beef rub?
A rub is a mixture of spices and seasonings that add flavor without overpowering beef.
Rubs have two varieties — dry and wet.
Dry rubs use dry herbs and spices, and wet rubs use spices plus a wet ingredient like soy sauce or olive oil to form a paste.
Rubs are applied directly to the surface of the meat. A good rub will enhance the flavor of the meat, not overpower it.
Rubs can be added just before cooking or hours before.
How to apply a beef rub?
The application of a dry rub is very easy.
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl, pat beef dry with paper towels, and then rub all over your favorite piece of beef. When applying, be sure to use a generous amount of rub. Don’t skimp! Typically, we use two tablespoons of rub for every pound of beef. Then, let the beef sit for a predetermined length of time to soak up the flavors.
You can either put the beef in a Ziploc bag, or wrap it in plastic and place it in the refrigerator.
The longer you let the beef soak, the more flavors you will notice when you eat it.
We’re not very scientific on timing it, but usually, we try and put on rubs anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours before we cook the beef.
Pantry Ingredients for Beef Rubs
One of the many great things about making your own beef rubs is that they use very common pantry ingredients.
Below we list 10 of our favorite beef rubs. They use 15 common ingredients, but each rub is very different. If you decide to make your own perfect blend of spices, here are some of the common pantry ingredients used for rubs:
- Salt
- Sugar
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cocoa
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Cumin
- Dill Seed
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Black Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Thyme
Why is salt a common ingredient in beef rubs?
Salt is a must when seasoning beef. Many dry rubs have salt included in the recipe, but you can also use salt as a stand-alone ingredient to enhance the beef.
So, what does salt do? Salt penetrates the meat and draws the moisture to the surface of the meat. The salt then dissolves into a brine that is reabsorbed by the meat when it rests. Ultimately, salt makes the meat juicier, more tender, and brings out the natural beef flavor.
When salting beef, we prefer Kosher salt because it has larger grains that distribute more evenly, and it doesn’t dissolve as quickly as table salt. To salt meat, place the beef on a rimmed baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Create a rain shower with the Kosher salt by sprinkling it onto the beef from about 2 feet about the meat. We like to use about ¾ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon per 8 ounce steak. Once beef is salted, let it rest at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Why is sugar a common ingredient in beef rubs?
Seasoning your beef with a little sugar is another chef’s secret will make your beef shine. Like salt, if you sprinkle sugar over beef it helps keep the meat tender. Plus, when you add heat, sugar will caramelize, and create a savory brown crust that many people want on their steak. If you cook a steak without sugar and wait for the crust to form, it’s likely you’ll overcook the steak. If you add a little sugar, you get the desired crust quickly and easily.
How to store beef rubs
Another plus on all of these recipes is you can make them ahead and store them for quick-use in the future.
Rubs can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 months in a cool, dry location. We love these small mason jars, but any airtight container will do.
Beef rubs can also make a great edible gift to share with friends and family.
An obvious secret about beef rubs
It probably goes without saying that you’ll get better results from your rubs if you use the freshest ingredients possible.
We recommend buying from local specialty spice shops whenever possible. Spices from the grocery store can also work, but sometimes grocery store spices aren’t as fresh and therefore don’t have the same flavor profile
10 of our favorite beef rubs:
1. The Dalmatian (Salt & Pepper):
- 3/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2. DIY 8:3:1:1
We’ve talked about this 8:3:1:1 rub before. It is one of our favorites because you can use almost any ingredient in your spice cabinet and your meat will turn out great. One of our favorite combinations is
- 8 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
3. All-Purpose Dry Rub (with sugar):
This rub can be used on any cut of beef.
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- ¼ cup brown sugar
4. All-Purpose Dry Rub (no sugar):
This rub can be used on any cut of beef.
- 1 ½ Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
5. Cowboy Steak Rub:
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper.
6. The Best Hamburger Seasoning:
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp dark brown sugar
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
7. All Purpose California Beef Rub:
- 2 Tbsp finely ground coffee
- 1 ½ Tbsp Kosher salt
- 1½ Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
8. Carolina BBQ Rub:
- 2 Tbsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup paprika.
9. All Purpose Beef Roast Dry Rub:
- 3 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp salt
- 2 Tbsp Ground Black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
10. Beef Brisket Rub:
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 bay leaf crushed
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Thanks for the feedback and for following our site. We typically don’t brine our beef. We like the results of the more traditional approach of salting steak with kosher salt.
I love your emails and reading about your farm. very interesting! I have been following about 2 years. Two questions.
Do you ever brine your meat?
Do you ever use a Jaccard for tenderizing?
Thank you and keep the wonderful content coming 🙂
I’m looking for a great rub for roast beef recipe