How to make the Ultimate Spice rub for your Summer BBQ

Looking for something to spice up your meat and keep your summer guests coming back for more? Look no further, this easy to make spice rub will do the job just nicely.

Our BBQ got dusted off a little earlier than usual this year. We had a burst of beautiful weather which had us scurrying to spruce up our sitting area so that we could make the most of it. You never know how long it's going to stick around!

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This spice rub is really easy to make and you can use it on meat, chicken or fish so it's the only rub you'll need for your summer BBQ! It's also great for gifting when you've been invited and have nothing to take! #spicerub #bbq #bbqseason #spices #picnics #fingerfood #herbsandspices #grilling

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Have you tried this spice rub? It's really easy to make and you can use it on meat or fish so it's the only thing you'll need for your summer BBQ! Come & grab the recipe over on the blog! #spicerub #bbq #bbqseason #spices #picnics #fingerfood #herbsandspices #grilling

We love to use steak rub on just about anything that sizzles on our grill and we've been using a fantastic mix from South Africa which was given to us as a gift. This year, after we'd cleaned and tidied and planted and remembered to buy coals and wood chips for the grill and meat and plonk for us and lemony candles for the mosquitoes, we realized we'd already used up our last portion of that gorgeous S.A. spice rub mix. A trip to the supermarket was out of the question because it was a public holiday and for once, all the shops were closed!

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Make a spice rub & tidy your drawers!

In our house, a BBQ without spice rub is out of the question and I don't know about you but we have a spice drawer literally overflowing with bags of herbs and spices. Seriously, however tight I try to seal the packet afterwards, those pungent powders always find a way to explode out. It seems like I'm forever cleaning that spice drawer! I decided I was going to have a go at making my own version of the S.A. Spice rub and fix my wayward spice powder problem at the same time! What was left over in the bag after making up the spice rub, I emptied into a glass jar which I labelled immediately so I wouldn't get the spices mixed up (as if ;).

It’s much too good to use just on steak though. You can sprinkle it over potatoes or chicken and I’ve even used it on tuna and salmon steaks because they're a bit meaty and my boys just love the taste!

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients for Ultimate Spice Rub

¼ cup garlic powder

2tlbs cayenne pepper

¼ cup chilli powder

½ cup paprika

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup cumin

2tbls black pepper

¼ cup salt

¼ Dried Italian seasoning - I ground this up a little in my pestle and mortar but you don't have to do this if you don't have one.

Make extra spice rub for gifting

Combine all the ingredients and mix really well. Store in an airtight jar or container. The amount is roughly enough to fill a Jam jar so around 450g. This disappears fast in our house, especially during the BBQ season so doubling up on this recipe is a great idea!

This ultimate homemade spice rub makes a great gift on its own or as part of a gift hamper for foodies. Of course, I made up a couple of batches of this because I'm always thinking of options for gifting and this spice rub is just about perfect for everyone I know! Now, if we get an impromptu invite and I have nothing to bring, I can just grab a jar of this to take and I'm done!

I hope you love this as much as we do and if you have a favourite spice rub recipe to share, let us know in the comments below so we can all try it out!