Want to elevate your cooking game? Tired of all of your meat tasting the same, and maybe even a little bland? Spice up your cooking and your life with this Basic Spice Rub recipe. Your friends and family will thank you.

*This post contains affiliate links to help support our site. For more information, please visit our Privacy Policy here.*

The Spice of Life

We have all been there. We try so hard to make dinner not only filling but into a culinary experience.

We aren’t all chefs (or food bloggers) but we all like to think that our cooking is not just appreciated, but thoroughly enjoyed. So when we go to the trouble of making dinner, we want our cooking complimented. It’s just our nature.

Spice rubs can turn a boring, basic cut of meat into something special. It brings out the meat as only spices can.

Enhance, Not Hide

Spice rubs and seasonings shouldn’t hide the flavor of the meat. It should bring it out as only spices can.

Even the most famous of chefs won’t cook without salt and pepper. Not because they don’t have access to the best meats and need to hide the flavor. It’s the addition of seasonings that bring out the perfection of good quality meat.

We all don’t have access to the most expensive cuts like these world-renown culinary geniuses, but we do not have to sacrifice flavor for a budget.

Basic Spice Rub

This recipe is simply a base. That is the beauty of it. The basic rub can stand alone on top of just about any dish, from chicken to vegetables. The wonderful thing is, that you can add anything you like to make it your own.

I will add some variations at the end to help get you started, but each person has their own unique pallet. Sometimes it’s dietary-based, other times it’s cultural. To each their own, I say.

Herbs and spices are everything in how I cook.

This basic recipe is super simple to customize. Like spicy foods? Add in some cayenne pepper. Love garlic in your food? Add in garlic powder to give it more pizazz.

Variations to Basic Spice Rub

Mediterranean Rub

1 recipe Basic Spice Rub
2 tbsp dried ground oregano
2 tbsp dried ground basil
2 tsp dried ground thyme
2 tsp dried ground rosemary

Southwestern Rub

1 recipe Basic Spice Rub
2 tsp dried ground oregano
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp onion powder

Fresh is Best

As always, all herbs taste best when freshly ground. If you only have access to dried herbs from the local grocery store, use those. Just toss all of the ingredients for the Basic Spice Rub into a mortar and pestle to grind them again and release more of the flavor.

Want more recipes and ideas? Follow me on Instagram and don’t miss a thing!