Opinion
The Best Rubs for Chicken Wings You Can Buy!
Last Updated on October 16, 2023 by Chris Whitehair
The Best Rubs for Chicken Wings You Can Buy!
Wing lovers – we invite you to skip the sauce!
Recently, I’ve noticed at some of the local pizzerias in my area have started to increase the number of dry rubs selections they have on their chicken wings menu.
For those amateur cooks like myself who are into DIYing it, I have a rotation of the best rubs for chicken wings I like to use when I want to skip the sauce.
Don’t get me wrong – I love a good hot or BBQ sauce to slather on freshly fried or baked chicken wings.
There’s something so satisfying about biting into a drumette or flat with a thick layer of sauce.
With that being said, there is something also to be said about going sauceless and using just a dry rub to flavor up that wing as well.
With a growing number options available to purchase for the home market, I thought I would take a look at some of my favorites.
I’ve broken them down into the flavor style and my preferred brand for each, let’s take a look!
Ingredients: Brown Sugar, Garlic Powder, Spices (Including Chili Pepper), Salt, Paprika, Sugar, Dehydrated Onion & Bell Pepper, Celery Powder, Citric Acid & Natural Flavor.
Bone Suckin’ Sauce Chicken Seasoning & Rub
Style: “Everyday”
Brand: Bone Suckin’
Bone Suckin’ is from top-to-bottom is one of the most complete lineups you’ll find at Flower City Flavor Company, so you know one of their seasonings would wind up here. We love their Original Rub but when it comes to all things chicken, their specialized Chicken Seasoning is the way to go for wings. A little less brown sugar than the Original but it’s balanced nicely with garlic powder and salt. A must have in your seasoning rotation.
Ingredients: Sea Salt, Evaporated Cane Juice, Onion, Ground Chile, Green Mango, Garlic, Allspice, Black Pepper, Ginger, Thyme, Clove.
Karma Sauce Jerk Me Around Seasoning
Style: Jerk
Brand: Karma Sauce
I could not write a blog on the best rubs for chicken wings you can buy without going right to Karma Sauce’s Jerk Me Around Seasoning. A good jerk seasoning needs to find the perfect balance of the allspice and Scotch Bonnet peppers and Jerk Me Around does it flawlessly. This was a Golden Chile winner at the 2013 Fiery Food Challenge at ZestFest and it’s no surprise why. If you’ve never had a jerk seasoning before, this is the place to start. The island flavors will make you want to take a trip to the Caribbean!
Ingredients: Salt, Black Pepper, Granulated Onion, Granulated Garlic, Paprika, Chipotle Powder (Smoked Jalapeno), and Microcrystalline Cellulose (A Natural Anti-Caking Agent).
Bad Byron’s Butt Rub Barbeque Seasoning
Style: BBQ
Brand: Bad Byron’s
“A little Butt Rub makes everything better”. You’re dang right – I can’t make a list for the best rubs for chicken wings without this all-star seasoning. We think Butt Rub is especially awesome on chicken wings that are grilled, so when you’re out at a BBQ with the family or friends, make sure to bring this gluten-free and no MSG seasoning with you. This one has won so many awards it’s not even funny.
Ingredients: Sugar, Brown Sugar, Kosher Salt, Spices, Cinnamon, Chipotle Pepper, Black Pepper, Onion, Garlic, Vinegar Powder, Jack Daniel’s Black Label Whiskey.
Historic Lynchburg Tennessee Whiskey Cinnamon Chipotle Seasoning & Rub
Style: Sweet & Spicy
Brand: Historic Lynchburg
This is Flower City Flavor Company’s all-time best selling seasoning and it’s no surprise why. What’s not to love in this blend? Sugar, cinnamon, chipotle and of course, real Jack Daniel’s Black Label Whiskey! Even though it’s great on any protein and even popcorn, our favorite love for it is on wings, especially smoked wings on a grill! Yum!
Ingredients: Salt, Sugar, Citric Acid, Black Pepper, Garlic, Celery Seed, Onion, Tricalcium Phospate & Silicon Dioxide, Lemon Oil, Yellow Lake #5.
Burning Asphalt Lemon Garlic Peppercorn Rub & Seasoning
Style: Lemon Pepper
Brand: Burning Asphalt
One of Flower City Flavor Company’s newest brands, Burning Asphalt, comes up big with the wildcard of all chicken wing dry rubs – lemon pepper. The flavor stays in your mouth well after you’ve finished devouring that wing. The garlic punch in addition to the sweet lemon and powerful peppercorn adds another complex layer.
Bravado Spice Co. Crimson Tex-Cajun Seasoning
Style: Cajun
Brand: Bravado Spice Co.
Who doesn’t love a good meal with some cajun spice! Heat up those dry wings with this flavorful offering from Bravado Spice Co. It packs a punch from the paprika and the Arbol chilis.
Ingredients: Dehydrated Granulated Garlic, Salt, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper, Onion, Other Spices.
Mikey V’s Garlic Sprinkles Seasoning
Style: Garlic
Brand: Mikey V’s
Garlic Parmesan is definitely my favorite wing sauce flavor, but remember, no sauce here! Skip the butter and still get the goodness of garlic you desire. We found no better garlic than Mikey V’s version.
The Best Rubs For Chicken Wings: In Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ve read this blog with open eyes to consider going dry next time wings are on the menu.
You can still get the same types of flavors as sauces, but biting into a crisp, juicy wing that’s crusted with a rub can satisfy even the biggest wing snob.
Whether it’s fried, baked, air-fried or grilled, shake it up and pour it on! Let us know your favorite type of rub in the comments.
