make your own grill rubs (with free printable labels)

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Gifts for Guys goodness just keeps on coming, y’all. Today’s guest Molly from The Creative Maven is here today with some fabulous recipes to make your own grill rubs (as part of Gifts for Guys)-
Hey everyone!  I was so excited to be asked to participate in the Gifts for Guys series over here – I live in a male-dominated household so this is right up my alley!  Growing up with two sisters, figuring out gifts for men used to really intimidate me… but then I acquired a husband and had a son.  That helped me to get over it :).

It seems like whenever there is a BBQ the men seem to congregate around the grill, am I right?  I’m not sure what it is, but it’s a natural phenomenon… the men hang out by the grill while the women have to keep reminding them to check the meat and not overcook it! So I decided that a set of homemade spice rubs would be a good gift for any grilling man – whether he is a beginner or more advanced!

First, I found these cute little magnetic spice containers at my local Fred Meyer, but I also found these online at the Container Store – I’m sure there are lots of options!

I decided on three very different spice mixes: a brown sugar rub, a tandoori rub (Indian flavors), and a Greek rub… but just Google “spice rub recipes” and you are sure to find something that you’ll love – there are lots of them out there!


Brown Sugar Rub for Pork or Beef
1 T. brown sugar

1 T. salt
1 T. paprika
1 T. chili powder
1 T. ground black pepper



Tandoori Rub for Chicken

1 T. ginger
1 T. cumin
1 T. coriander
1 T. paprika
1 T. turmeric
1 T. salt
1 T. cayenne

Greek Rub for Chicken or Pork

2 t. oregano
1 ½ t. onion powder
1 ½ t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1 t. cornstarch
1 t. fresh ground black pepper
1 t. beef bouillion
1 t. parsley
I also made some simple labels on my computer.  I used fancy schmancy Adobe Illustrator, but you could even make labels in Paint, Photoshop Elements, or even Picnik or Picasa!  However, you can click here to download my labels.
Happy Grilling!  Thanks ladies for having me!

If your needing more ideas for handmade Christmas gifts, may I suggest these fleece dino slippers or a pair of ‘sweet dreamer’ pj pants from Molly’s blog? Go stop by and say hi!

MORE FATHER’S DAY GIFTING GOODNESS-

DIY grill rubs for Father's Day (with FREE printable)

Spice rub packets (with free printables!)

Similar Posts

86 Comments

  1. What a great gift for anyone that loves to cook or BBQ; even Grandpa who is always hard to buy for. The Container store is probably my most favorite store too. They have such awesome stuff and I can spend hours in that store. Sadly the closest one is about 1 1/2 hrs from here but lucky for me we do go there often as that is where I buy all my storage containers for my sewing room fabrics and other goodies. Thank you so much for the labels too. I've been looking for a reason to buy those cute little tins at that store so now I have that reason. YAY.

  2. It's always hard to find small gifts for the guys that you can make at home. Love these! I'm including them in my Friday Favorites this week!

  3. Thanks for this post. I have my children make homemade gifts for their uncles, grandparents, etc. and it is always a struggle for my son who is more into sports than "making things" – this is perfect for him – simple and a practical gift.

  4. These look great! I'll def have to try these as gifts for others and myself! Thanks for posting it.

  5. The tins are also available at Cost Plus "World Market." Small are $3 and large are $4 providing I remember correctly. Great idea!

  6. I am just wondering… I’ve downloaded the labels but what do I print that on? Just a “sheet” sized label and then cut them out? I appreciate anyone’s help as I am using these for Christmas gifts!!

    1. I printed out the labels just on regular paper, but it didn’t work well because the labels are straight and don’t wrap well around round containers! I’m trying to make it work but if anyone has a better suggestion please let me know!!

      1. Katie, I haven’t ever printed them, so I have no idea. Could you use washi tape to fasten it together on the back (while making it straight on the front?)???

  7. Another great tutorial, thanks! In my youth, we had heat packs made of cherry pits. And we would put them in a little cavity (called cavette!) especially built for them in the tile heater.

  8. Hi Kristin,
    Thanks for sharing entire procedure to make own grill rubs cause frequently I need to make this. So now it would be very much easy for me to make own grill rubs.

  9. Pingback: Gakvo Blog

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *