This homemade, all-purpose Air Fryer Dry Rub recipe is perfect for cooking anything in the air fryer. Add all the rich, smokey flavors you love to your favorite protein recipes without any added sugar. Mix up a batch today and get ready for grilling season — without the grill.
Air Fryer Dry Rub Recipe
Skip the grilling recipes and get out the air fryer! You are not going to believe that it only takes two minutes to make a fabulous dry rub just for the air fryer! It’s such an easy way to add great flavor your home cooked meals.
Dry rubs add flavor and create a delicious crust on proteins, but it’s especially great on chicken. This recipe is sugar-free, but you’d never know it. Many rubs contain sugar or brown sugar. That’s what gives your favorite meats the sweet in sweet heat, but you don’t need it.
If you are following a low calorie diet or other healthy eating plan like keto or whole 30, this all-purpose rub is great to keep on hand. It’s perfect for the air fryer, too, because it’s a great way to get great flavor in a healthier way.
Once you have it mixed up, you can use the spice blend to jazz up a variety of foods. Use this rub on everything from air fryer chicken wings or air fryer grilled chicken.
And of course, you can use it for the grill, skillet or oven too! Try it on grilled chicken, pork chops and veggies.
Why You’ll Love It
I hope you love this dry rub as much as my family does!
- This homemade air fryer rub is super easy to make with simple ingredients.
- It’s sugar-free and great for Whole30, Keto and other healthy eating plans.
- Making homemade seasoning blends is one of best ways to save money and have full control over what goes in your body.
- You can use it on chicken, pork and beef! Even veggies.
- Rubs are time-saving! When you don’t have time for a marinade, a rub is a great option for delicious flavor.
Tons of pre-made seasoning blends include additives like corn starch, sugar, and maltodextrin, which aren’t necessary and just don’t work when you’re following Whole30 or Keto. No thanks!
Ingredients
The best thing about this all-purpose air fryer spice blend is that you probably already have all of the ingredients in your pantry. And if you don’t, you can grab them at any grocery store. (I get most of my natural spices at Costco or Thrive Market).
Here’s what you need:
- Chili Powder
- Salt
- Smoked Paprika — hot paprika and regular paprika works too!
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Pepper, optional.
- Swerve or Stevia, optional. (Omit if following Whole30, but feel free to use if you’re following a Keto/Low Carb way of eating and enjoy a little sweetness to balance the heat!)
How to Make It
Making homemade rubs and seasonings is so very easy! (Trust me and try my BBQ seasoning and my Italian seasoning. So much better than store-bought!
You can throw all the ingredients into a bowl and stir it up, or toss them into a mason jar and shake it up! It’s really up to you!
Then funnel it into a spice jar for use in all your favorite air fryer recipes.
👉 How to Use a Dry Rub
To use as a rub, start by simply patting the meat dry with some paper towels.
Season it liberally with the spice blend, rubbing it into the meat on all sides until it’s fully coated. For best results, let it sit for 5 minutes or so and you’ll see the meat start to glisten and “sweat”. Then, it’s ready to grill or cook however you want!
After that, you can throw it in the air fryer. The air fryer is going to cook your food from all sides and help you get that crispy crust. You can use this air fryer rub on chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, fish, shrimp and veggies.
Dry Rub Air Fryer Recipes
The dry seasoning mix helps draw moisture out of the chicken skin, which then concentrates the flavors and creates a crispy, flavorful crust when cooked. It adheres well to chicken and the salt helps drive the flavors into the meat as it cooks. The dried herbs and spices also help to form a coating that locks in the chicken’s natural juices during cooking.
Beyond the air fryer, you can also season meat with the blend before cooking it on the grill, in the slow cooker or in the Instant Pot.
Chicken: It’s delicious with chicken, especially. Use it all over an air fryer rotisserie chicken or some simple air fryer chicken thighs. You can even sprinkle it over breasts, drumsticks and wings! It works for turkey, too.
Seafood: Fish is great with a dry rub, like this air fryer tilapia or blackened salmon. You can even sprinkle it over shrimp.
Pork: You can rub it onto pork chops or pork tenderloin for your star protein. You can also rub it on pork for kebabs or pork shoulders, or shred it for these loaded fries.
Beef: A dry rub is great on steak to add extra flavor beyond the usual salt and pepper. Try it on air fryer filet mignon. It also works as a seasoning for burgers and burger bites!
Veggies: Sprinkle this dry rub over your favorite air fryer veggies, like green beans or broccoli, to give them some extra flavor.
FAQ
Transfer the seasoning blend to an airtight container or ziplock bag. Store it at room temperature. I like to keep my spices in small mason jars, labeled with the date I made it and readily accessible in my pantry.
For best taste, use any of your homemade spice blends within a year, unless the expiration on any of the individual spices comes before that.
I typically use mine up faster than that, since this recipe only yields about 2 servings. *To easily multiply the recipe below, tap the serving size and use the slider bar below!
More Delicious Homemade Seasonings
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about your experience!
Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Air Fryer Dry Rub (Sugar-Free and Whole30)
Equipment
- Wide Mouth Mason Jar
Ingredients
- 1.5 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, depending on how spicy you want it
- 1/4 teaspoon swerve or 1/8 teaspoon stevia, optional. *Omit if following Whole30 or Paleo
Instructions
- Measure each ingredient and add to a small dish. Use a spoon to mix together well, until fully combined.
- Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store at room temperature until you're ready to use it.
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