Spice Rubs for Grilled Chicken

Published July 1, 2002.

Make-ahead spice blends provide deep flavor with little effort.

The Problem

Purchased spice rubs are expensive, and many of them are either dull tasting (little fresh spice flavor) or overpowering (too much salt).

The Goal

We set out to create savory, robust mixtures of spices and herbs that would promote the development of deeply browned crusts filled with complex, concentrated flavors.

The Solution

For the sake of speed and ease, choose pre-ground spices (the dry heat of a grill will toast the spices right on the chicken), and add only a modest amount of salt. Pre-ground spices also have excellent sticking power.

list of recipes

America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.