14 Ingredients to Enhance Your Next Bourbon Dry Rub

Bourbon dry rub seems like an oxymoron. Isn’t bourbon a liquid? This might be confusing for those of us just dabbling in the wonderful world of grilling. But for grill masters, it’s pretty straightforward. Your typical bourbon dry rub doesn’t contain any liquid, and instead uses spices that have been smoked using bourbon barrels, aka barrels that were once used to store and age bourbon. This is a familiar concept for those handy with a grill because we often use smoking chips to infuse our food with the woody essence, sometimes presoaked in a liquid like bourbon or even apple cider. Standard bourbon dry rub uses bourbon barrel smoked paprika to give it its oaky bourbon undertones. In addition, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar help to round out and balance the rub with flavor. However, there are plenty of other ingredients to elevate your next bourbon dry rub.

Bourbon dry rub can be used for grilling steak or prime rib, but is rather versatile as it also works well with most meats, as well as vegetables, and even some fruits. Although popularly used during grill season, this rub can be used all year round in the oven or on the stovetop. The grill helps to elevate the smoky undertones of the rub, which is always a bonus, but shouldn’t limit its use elsewhere. 

As a chef and recipe designer, I’m always finding a balance between flavor and convenience. So, if you need to go with a store-bought mix don’t worry about it compromising the potential of the dish. Instead, beef it up with other spices to create a truly memorable culinary experience.

There are so many reasons why date sugar should be considered as an ingredient to elevate your next bourbon dry rub, but there are two that stand out in particular. The first is flavor. While white sugar has a rather straightforward sweetness to it, date sugar is riddled with complementary flavors. If you’re familiar with the flavor of dates, then you’ll know just what to expect from the dehydrated and granulated version. Dates have an undertone of soft caramel and vanilla-like notes. With a raisiny, molasses sweetness, date sugar complements the smokiness of the bourbon paprika beautifully.

Secondly, date sugar is a whole food, meaning it’s not refined sugar. Refined sugars spike glucose levels because they are not balanced by fiber. Because date sugar and date syrup are made with whole dates they should be your go-to alternative sweetener. A flavor boost plus health benefits? It’s a no-brainer. You can find date sugar in the baking aisle, although it’s rather specialized so you might need to order it online or swing by your local health food store.

You may have never heard of berbere, especially if you haven’t dabbled in African spices or cuisine. However, there’s no time like the present to expand your horizons and add one of the most delectable spice mixes to your cabinet. This Ethiopian mix of spices is sweet, savory, and spicy. Including ingredients like fenugreek, cardamom, and cloves, balanced by cayenne and paprika it is laced with bold flavor. Although berbere is often used for meats, it’s also found in stews and mixed into cooked vegetables.

Just a pinch of berbere with your bourbon dry rub will add a kick of spice and an intense depth of flavor. Your meal will go from standard to powerfully aromatic. Many of the spices on this list of ingredients to elevate your next bourbon dry rub are already a part of the berbere mix, which makes your life easy. Add a world of flavor with just a simple pinch of berbere spice blend. The small amount of cayenne will help to excite the taste buds so the flavor of the steak or vegetables can shine through intensely.

Some standard bourbon dry rub mixes will include mustard powder, but tragically, some will not. It’s made the list of ingredients to elevate your next bourbon dry rub because if it’s not in your mix, the mix is not complete, in my opinion. Mustard powder adds a kick of nose-watering spiciness that won’t overpower the palate. In addition, it’s slightly bitter and has a powerful aroma that awakens your mouth to promote salivation, which will, in turn, help you to taste better.

Most barbecue sauces or marinades will include vinegar, which has an intense tangy flavor. If we are keeping things dry then mustard powder is just about as close as you can get to the same tangy notes without getting your toes wet. It also couples beautifully with any sweetener, whether you choose sugar, date sugar, maple sugar, or granulated molasses. Mustard is added to many salad dressings because it helps to balance the sweet notes and creates a rounded mouthfeel. It’s best friends with garlic and onion powder and is only elevated by the smokiness of the paprika.

Allspice is generally associated with desserts but also sneaks its way into gamey meat rubs and marinades. It’s intense, and although its name implies that it is a spice blend, allspice is actually its very own spice. For those who haven’t experienced it on its own, it has the spiciness of cracked black pepper and cinnamon but has a clove and nutmeg-like intensity. Don’t be fooled by allspice recipes that offer a similar profile but are not made with the allspice berry. All these flavor notes offer variety and are complementary to the existing ingredients in a bourbon dry rub.

When using allspice in your bourbon dry rub it’s important to do so in moderation. The smokiness of the bourbon paprika needs to shine through the strongest, and can easily be trampled by a spice as intense as allspice. Use less than a teaspoon per ½ cup of spices and salt to start, and you can always ramp it up from there. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference so a taste test is going to help you determine the correct ratio.

Hey, paprika doesn’t need to be the only smoked ingredient in the lot. The more bourbon smoky flavors you can cram into your dry rub the better. Unless you frequent those specialty shops that sell endless flavors and varieties of salt, or you are a gourmet chef then you probably don’t know everything there is to know about salt. Beyond Himalayan pink salt and kosher table salt, the options vary greatly. Surprise, salt comes in a smoked variety, and you can even get as specialized as bourbon smoked salt. Although, you may have to order it online unless you’re ready to do some serious digging.

Bourbon smoked sea salt will just intensify the bourbon undertones in the dry rub. The process for smoking salt is similar to that of smoking most spices and is just another way to use up those bourbon barrels. To intensify the flavor even more you could use bourbon oak wood chips, or oak wood chips smoked in bourbon in the grill after you’ve applied the rub and given it a chance to sink in.

As a Vermonter with maple syrup running through my veins, I could easily argue maple syrup is a necessity for almost any recipe. But, as a discriminating recipe designer and chef, I am very selective about my ingredients. Maple syrup is a serious pick for bourbon dry rub because maple and bourbon go together like peanut butter and jelly. Ever tried maple bourbon, or bourbon maple syrup? The sweetness and smokiness of both create a truly complementary duo.

Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees that is then exposed to heat in a sugarhouse which reduces and caramelizes the liquid into syrup. Traditionally, the sap boils over wood-burning fires which gives the final product that unbelievably rich and smoky flavor. Now you see why bourbon and maple syrup are two peas in a pod. One smoky, one sweet, together unstoppable. Maple sugar is simply granulated maple syrup, which has the same delicious flavor. It’s often used in marinades for its unique flavoring and should not be forgotten in the world of dry rubs.

One of the reasons folks love meat so much is for that rich umami flavor. It’s that deeply savory taste that lingers on your tongue and it’s found in many foods beyond steak. One of the foods with the strongest umami notes is mushrooms, particularly shiitake and porcini. For my dry rubs, I like to add a savory boost with a rich mouthfeel by including mushroom powder. Can’t find it in the stores? Simply use a high-speed blender to make mushroom powder using dehydrated mushrooms. These guys are often hard to find in the grocery store but often linger near the produce. However, you may want to ask an associate for help or go to a specialty store if necessary.

Consider blending the mushroom powder until it’s rather fine, and then using quite a bit of it in your bourbon dry rub. Although it’s strong, it’s not as strong as many of your spices, so feel free to use about a teaspoon per every tablespoon of spice mix. Porcini mushroom powder is the key to any umami steak, but feel free to use it on vegetables too. The meaty flavor works perfectly with the notes of bourbon and the overall smoky flavor.

Ginger is an underused spice in my opinion. It gets much more recognition worldwide but in the United States, the standard American diet gives it much less room to shine. If you’re used to working with fresh ginger then you know it can be spicy and sweet, with peppery citrus notes that can translate to tangy. Powdered ginger is slightly less sweet but carries most of the same notes and can be a great addition to elevate your next bourbon dry rub.

We are always looking for ingredients that are peppery, sweet, and spicy to complement bourbon dry rub. Ginger complements each of the standard spices in the mix well, and is often used paired with meats, and most vegetables. Ginger and garlic are an obvious pairing, and when you add the smokiness of the bourbon-smoked paprika and the sweetener of choice you’ll have a uniquely mouthwatering experience. Consider adding just a little to start, and ramping it up if you find it tantalizes your particular palate.

I love using turmeric in my cooking, not only because of its earthy subtle flavor and bright vibrant coloring, but its incredible anti-inflammatory benefits. Turmeric contains curcumin which is a powerful antioxidant. When black pepper is added to the mix, the curcumin is more easily absorbed by your body, and since black pepper is already in a bourbon dry rub, there’s no reason turmeric shouldn’t join the party.

Please do take note that turmeric is bright. It’s deeply yellow with a sometimes orange hue and can dye anything from fabric to your hands. Whatever you’ve decided to rub your bourbon dry rub on will change color. It’s rather beautiful when paired with light meats, and bright vegetables, but has an interesting look on dark meat like steak or lamb. This doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be considered as an ingredient to elevate your next bourbon dry rub. It gives the meat warmth, and will leave your plate bright yellow, but adds an earthy flavor almost reminiscent of mild ginger. Powdered turmeric can be used as a mustard substitute, so as you can see it plays nicely with many of the other ingredients. Use just a small amount if you’re worried about the aesthetic changing too much, and don’t wear anything white.

Ever used pink peppercorns? Perhaps you have a pepper grinder with a mix of white, black, and pink peppercorns but that’s the closest you’ve ever gotten. Well, on their own pink peppercorns actually taste slightly sweet and citrusy, while still carrying notes of mild pepper. They’re almost slightly botanical and can add an element of beauty to your rub. Leave those pink peppercorns whole, or crush them up. Either way, you’ll want to add pink peppercorns to elevate your next bourbon dry rub.

Any rub that carries both savory and sweet flavors — especially ingredients that can help bridge that gap — is always a good idea to consider. Enter pink peppercorns. They pair nicely with meatier flavors, as well as smoky and sweet undertones, which are delivered by the bourbon dry rub. Consider including pink peppercorns in your rub for any lighter meats, like poultry or pork. It will not only look beautiful, but the slight citrus notes will help the white meats to shine under the heaviness of the smoky bourbon. These layers will reinforce a diversity of flavors in your dish.

Tomato powder is something that most folks don’t keep in their pantry but should. It’s as simple as it sounds, dehydrated tomatoes. Similar to tomato paste, which is often used in marinades for its umami richness, tomato powder is dense and powerful. It’s the concentrated essence of a tomato, which is sweet, tart, and deeply savory. Adding tomato powder to elevate your next bourbon dry rub will help boost those umami flavors while also creating a beautiful aesthetic.

Like tomato paste, tomato powder will give your dish a dark red hue. This looks mouthwatering in combination with red meats, and will just elevate the paprika’s pizzaz. Tomato always pairs well with smokey notes, garlic, onion, and sugar. In fact, tomatoes can become incredibly sweet on their own the longer they are cooked. The sugar will simply help to magnify that sweetness. If you’re only considering adding one extra element to your store-bought bourbon dry rub, target tomato powder. Don’t worry, you won’t let the jar go to waste because it has endless uses.

Fenugreek is famous as a spice that aids with milk production in lactating women. Beyond that, it’s used as a spice in many cultures but doesn’t often make its way into standard American cuisine. The spice is famous for its smoky sweet aromatics, reminiscent of maple syrup. Beyond its maple fragrance, fenugreek is slightly nutty and gets less bitter the longer it is cooked. It pairs magically with bourbon because both exhibit a similar sweetness and smokiness, with burnt sugar undertones. Fenugreek can help to amplify those bourbon notes which create a stronger presence.

Find fenugreek in the spice aisle, and use it in curries, stir-fries, marinades, and dry rubs. You’ll notice after you mix it into your bourbon dry rub that it will fill the room with a sweet aroma. If you’re just learning what fenugreek is and how to use it start slow because it’s powerful. If you can’t get your hands on granulated molasses, maple sugar, or brown sugar then you’ll want to use fenugreek alongside the white sugar to help round out the flavor.

Some of us look at coffee as the essential beverage to keep us moving all day long, while others see it as a powerful tool that can be used in many forms. Have you ever scrubbed your face with coffee grounds? What about adding instant coffee powder to your chili? Well, powdered espresso is a fantastic ingredient to include in your dry rubs. Particularly, a bourbon dry rub pairs well with the roasted bean because both carry smoky elements, along with a deeply rich flavor.

Espresso powder is very concentrated and rich. It’s smooth, smoky, deep, and complex, much like a shot of espresso. It pairs flawlessly with sugar, coffee, and bourbon. You can even find bourbon barrel-aged coffee, so it’s no wonder espresso will elevate your next bourbon dry rub. If you don’t have any on hand (which many of us don’t) then the best substitute for espresso powder is instant coffee. It’s just a little less intense but has a similar flavor and effect. Keep in mind that this surprise ingredient contains caffeine, so when you’re craving some midnight leftovers maybe forgo the roast with bourbon dry rub.

Specialty ingredients aren’t always worth it, but granulated molasses is one of those that’s hard to find but easy to find uses for. Molasses powder and granulated molasses should be considered for your bourbon dry rub because they are much richer in flavor than plain old sugar. Molasses is a byproduct of making granulated sugar from sugar cane or beet sugar, and can almost be described as having the essence of burnt, concentrated sugar. A spoonful is intense, tasting almost like caramel with a slight smoky tinge coinciding with a whisper of bitterness.

Granulated molasses is a wonderful swap for white sugar in your next bourbon dry rub because it delivers layers of flavor instead of just sweetness. The liquid form can be used in your marinades but you’ll want the granulated version for your season mix or dry rub. You can find granulated molasses online, or in specialty stores. There are endless uses for molasses so don’t worry about stocking up. When it comes to meat and grilling, this is a wonderful option because of the smokiness it carries.