- Prep5 min
Sweet, smoky and a little warm: a low carb BBQ spice blend you make by shaking seven pantry ingredients in a jar. No cooking, no chopping, about five minutes. Make one batch and the seasoning for plenty of dinners is sorted: a scoop on steak, chicken or wings and you’re done.
There’s no easier version, because this is the easier version. You can measure it sitting down, and future-you skips the seven-jar shuffle.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low-Spoon
- Hands-on time: about 5 minutes, nothing hands-off
- Main effort: measuring seven ingredients into one jar
- Chopping: none
- Standing and attention: none. You can do it sitting at the table with everything within reach
- Washing up: one jar, plus measuring cups and spoons
Only one sensible way to make it, and it’s already the easy one.
Kerry’s notes
I keep the jar next to the stove, because a rub I have to hunt for is a rub I don’t use. Seven things in, a good shake, and dinner’s seasoning is sorted before the pan’s even hot.
Smoked paprika does most of the work, so check the label says smoked, not sweet. The golden monkfruit sweetener stands in for brown sugar and gives the rub its sweet edge. Chilli, garlic, onion, salt and pepper do the rest.
Why spices and sweeteners behave the way they do is Leigh’s department. She’ll explain it at length once I’ve put the kettle on, and her ingredients and nutrition guides are the place to start. I’ll stick to the jar.
This one’s Ninja Approved. Marty would’ve had a steak on the barbecue before I’d found the tongs.
What’s that ingredient?
Golden monkfruit sweetener (with erythritol)
- What it is: a granulated sweetener made from erythritol and a little monk fruit extract, sold as a brown sugar replacement.
- What it does here: gives the rub its sweet, brown-sugar edge without the sugar.
- Where to find it: Low Carb Emporium, online.
- Season or price: available all year.
- Keeping it: keep the pack sealed in the pantry.
- Easiest swap: brown sugar, if you’re not keeping carbs low.
- Good to know: sugar alcohols like erythritol don’t sit well with every tummy. If that’s you, use less, or swap in brown sugar.
Smoked paprika
- What it is: ground dried capsicum that’s been smoked before it’s ground.
- What it does here: the smoky flavour and the deep red colour.
- Where to find it: the spice aisle at the supermarket.
- Season or price: available all year.
- Keeping it: lid on, jar out of the sun.
- Easiest swap: sweet paprika. You lose the smoke.
Himalayan salt (pink salt)
- What it is: a pink rock salt. This blend uses the fine grind.
- What it does here: it’s the salt.
- Where to find it: Yo Keto, online.
- Season or price: available all year.
- Keeping it: lid on, kept dry.
- Easiest swap: any fine salt, same amount.
Why this recipe works
- Smoke, sweet and a little heat in one jar: the paprika leads, the sweetener rounds it off and the chilli adds warmth.
- It’s measured in cups and spoons, so there are no scales to find or wash.
- You mix it by shaking, so there’s no bowl or whisk to wash.
- It’s dry ingredients only, so there’s nothing to chop, thaw or keep cold.
Ingredients at a glance
- Smoked paprika: the smoke and most of the colour.
- Golden monkfruit sweetener: brown-sugar sweetness, without sugar.
- Chilli powder: a little warmth.
- Garlic powder: savoury depth.
- Onion powder: savoury depth, with a touch of sweetness.
- Himalayan salt: the seasoning.
- Black pepper: a bit of bite.
No Spoon Swaps
- Wide-mouth jar: easier to spoon into, with fewer spills. It takes a bit more cupboard space.
- Baking-paper funnel: fold a sheet of baking paper into a funnel if your jar is narrow. One more thing to fold, but no paprika on the bench.
- Pre-ground pepper: use pepper that’s already ground. It’s a touch less punchy than freshly ground, and it works fine here.
- Ready-made BBQ rub: a shop-bought rub is a legitimate shortcut. Many contain sugar, so check the label if you’re keeping carbs low. You can’t adjust the sweetness.
Substitutions and allergens
- Smoked paprika: use sweet paprika. The blend loses its smokiness.
- Golden monkfruit sweetener: use the same amount of brown sugar. The blend then isn’t low carb, and this swap hasn’t been tested.
- Chilli powder: use less for a milder rub.
- Himalayan salt: any fine salt, same amount.
Allergen notes
- No major allergens in the ingredient list as written. Spices and sweeteners are packed in different factories, so check each label for “may contain” statements, and for gluten if you need to avoid it.
- For a severe allergy, follow your own allergy plan and the advice of your health professional.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Pantry (the blend): airtight jar or container, in a cool, dark, dry place. Keeps for up to 6 months.
- Fridge (meat cooked with the rub): cool and refrigerate within 2 hours, store covered at 5°C or below and eat within 3 days. Keep raw rubbed meat in the fridge until you cook it.
- Freezer: the dry blend doesn’t need it. Cooked meat freezes for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, use within 24 hours and don’t refreeze.
- Reheating: reheat once, until steaming hot all the way through.
Serving ideas
- A bagged salad on the side keeps the whole meal low-effort.
- More shake-in-a-jar blends: Caribbean, Asian and South American.
- Looking for a spoon-friendly dinner to put it on? Browse the Low-Spoon recipes.
Frequently asked questions
How much BBQ spice blend do I use on meat?
Use 1 tablespoon per 500 g of meat.
How many serves does one batch of BBQ spice blend make?
One batch is about 350 mL, roughly 70 teaspoons in Australian measures. The card lists 68 serves, so a serve is about 1 teaspoon.
Do I have to use smoked paprika?
No. Sweet paprika works, but you’ll lose the smoke.
Can I use regular brown sugar?
Same amount, yes. The blend then isn’t low carb, and it hasn’t been tested. Not sure where you land on carbs? There’s a guide on keto vs low carb.
Is it hot?
There’s 1 tablespoon of chilli powder in the whole batch. Use less if you like it milder.
Rub Me the Right Way – Sweet & Smoky BBQ Spice Blend
Equipment
- Screw-top jar or airtight container (at least 500 mL)
Ingredients
Spice blend
- ½ cup smoked paprika
- ½ cup golden monkfruit sweetener (brown sugar replacement)
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp Himalayan salt fine
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Mix
- Put a screw-top jar or airtight container (holding at least 500 mL) on the bench.
- Measure in ½ cup smoked paprika.
- Add ½ cup golden monkfruit sweetener.
- Add 1 tbsp each of chilli powder, garlic powder, onion powder, Himalayan salt and ground black pepper.
- Screw the lid on tightly.
- Shake until the colour is even, with no pale streaks of sweetener.
Store
- Store the jar in a cool, dark, dry place, such as a pantry cupboard.
Notes
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Make the jar once and the hard part’s over. Next time you reach for the steak, the seasoning’s already sorted. Give it a go, then tell us what you rubbed it on in the community group.
