The 10 Best Brisket Rubs

Editor's Notes

October 27, 2019:

Smoked meat, especially brisket, is a point of pride for many cooks across the USA. You'll find a lot of brands that tout theirs as the very best, although of course there's an endless range of combinations you can use on your brisket to create your own flavor profile. If you've started with high-quality beef and are looking for something simple that will let the meat's flavor shine, check out John Henry's Texas Blend or Miner's Mix Original. If you like spice, try out Pitmaster Harry Soo's Slap Yo Daddy, which -- in addition to a funny name -- packs a considerable amount of heat. Oakridge BBQ Signature Black Ops also has a noticeable about of red pepper flavor, but it's more on the side of sweet paprika rather than the super-spicy kind. It's also available in very large bags, which makes it great for large banquets.

A few of the ones we included, such as Plowboys BBQ Bovine and EAT Barbecue Most Powerful Stuff, are frequently used on the competitive BBQ circuit (yes, that's a real thing). They're not particularly unique, but they are well-traveled and quite delicious, so they're very popular as bases that experienced chefs will then add their own unique ingredients to.

That said, there are three that you should absolutely check out if you want to make the tastiest smoked meat you've ever had. I've personally smoked an immeasurable amount of meat -- whole chickens, massive pork butts, high-end prime rib, ultra-flavorful beef ribs, and of course brisket, and my friends, family, and guests have agreed across the board that my coffee-based rubs (in particular my signature coffee-chocolate blend) are truly next-level seasonings. To that end, you will have a hard time topping Flavor Seed Cocoa Butt'er, as its simplicity and ideal ingredient list are almost undeniably the tastiest way to rub meat. It's not especially complex, but it really doesn't need to be, especially if you're using quality wood chips and taking your time with a good smoker, whether conventional or propane-fueled. Now, while the Flavor Seed is probably the simplest on our list, the Dead Rooster Co. Black Gold is actually a little closer to the blend I've been making in my kitchen most recently. Instead of chocolate, it has a touch of cinnamon and cumin that combine to really make earthy, oaky flavors pop. And if you want that one-of-a-kind roasted bean flavor but you need a high-volume option to coat a bunch of slabs, check out Jansal Valley Coffee Chili, which delivers a touch of heat as well as a complex blend of traditional seasonings underneath a strong coffee base. Also, keep in mind that if you want that classic bark on your smoked meat, you'll need to choose a rub that has a touch of sugar and salt in it -- the salt draws out the moisture from the outer quarter-inch of meat while the sugar caramelizes and forms the chewy, delectable crust that a good brisket needs.

Finally, some of the best rubs use MSG, some use combinations of chemically similar substitutes, and still others use mushroom powder. Despite rampant fear-mongering, there's actually no reason to believe that MSG allergies actually exist, and in fact, shittake mushrooms have a considerable amount of naturally occurring MSG. Nonetheless, some people prefer not to use the chemical, and most of our top selections don't explicitly use it -- although they might use mushroom powder, which isn't made in a lab, but from actual mushrooms.