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I know you’re tired of hearing it, but I’m just really enjoying being able to cook “for fun” without a cookbook-recipes-to-make list hanging over my head or have-info-typed-into-cookbook-database deadlines buzzing in my ears 24/7. It’s so nice to be able to just be creative in the kitchen with no strings attached. I can make supper without an agenda. If a new recipe turns out well – great! If not – no problem! We’ll just eat it and do better next time (apologies to my poor family…but at least everything is usually quite edible, just not quite postable).
Cookbook update: I took my cookbook cover photos on Saturday (you can see a behind-the-scenes snapshot here on my Facebook page), and my designer has been working on cover layouts for me! Decisions, decisions…but it’s so much fun to see all the last details coming into place! I have a title now too, but that’s going to remain secret for the time-being. 😉
This spice rub came to be one evening when I told my mom I’d make supper and there were bone-in chicken thighs thawing on the counter. I love using bone-in chicken thighs because a) they’re cheap, b) they’re tender, c) they’re easy, and d) skin and bones are a great source of natural gelatin/collagen. Ever since I was served an amazing spice-rubbed pork tenderloin on tour with Laudate this summer, I knew that a sweet and spicy meat rub was in my very near future. This one did not disappoint, and it makes supper a snap! Simply use this spice rub on chicken thighs or another cut of meat and bake or grill it, serve it with some veggies, and you’ve got supper on the table in no time flat! (Instructions for using this rub on chicken thighs are included in the printable recipe below.)
I think that the sweetness in this spice rub is perfect, but feel free to adjust it up or down to your own personal tastes. My mom thought it was on the sweet side. I used THM Super Sweet Blend in this rub and it was the perfect concentration. If you decide to use another granulated sweetener, adjust the amounts as necessary; you can use this sweetener conversion chart from Trim Healthy Mama as a guide. I do not recommend using Pure Stevia Extract Powder in this rub because it’s super-concentrated and you don’t want to accidentally end up with a blob of stevia on your chicken….
I’ve used this spice rub on quite a few different things – roasted carrots, salad, meats of all sorts. I bet it would be a great seasoning for roasted chickpeas as well!
I served the seasoned chicken thighs with a stir-fry that I made to clean out the fridge: butter, zucchini, onion, banana peppers, okra, curry powder, garlic salt, and some shredded cheddar cheese. It was an interesting but yummy combination!
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for answers to FAQs. Check out the Suggested Products section below the recipe for links to the products I use and recommend.
You may also enjoy:
- Starting THM
- my picture recipe index
- my recipes indexed by THM fuel type, allergy info, and theme
- Bri’s Basic Spice Rub
- ¼ c. dehydrated tomato powder*
- 5 tsp. salt
- 1 T. smoked paprika
- 1 T. chili powder
- 1 T. THM Super Sweet Blend**
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- Mix the ingredients together and store in a sealed container at room temperature.
- This spice rub is great on bone-in chicken thighs. Sprinkle the thighs generously with the spice rub, then bake at 350* for one hour or until done. (Chicken thighs would be an S due to the fat content in dark meat, Trim Healthy Mamas.)
**Feel free to decrease the sweetener amount to your own taste.
Suggested products:
I finally purchased all the ingredients to make this. I’m planning on using it on baked chicken pieces tonight. The spice rub by itself is amazing! I couldn’t help but keep dipping into it and tasting it! The smoky and sweet pairs so excellent!
Oh my. You have cost me more money. Your sweet/spicy rub is amazing. My husband wants it in everything. Last night I put it on pork chops we did in the air fryer and he moaned over them. So he bought racks to use since he discovered our oven dehydrates and we have lots of veggies we can do. Absolutely love this rub.
Haha…sorry about the money, but I’m so glad you like the spice rub! I’ve been using it on everything too.
Well thank you it’s well worth it AND he wants me to get your cookbook. I’m brand new to cooking since I retired in April. He used to do all the cooking. Now since THM it’s me and a new hobby. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. And maybe I’ll get the ice cream maker for Christmas!!!!!!
This is way too good. I put this on all of my savory dishes. This is a must have in your cupboards
Love love this rub ♥️
Hey Briana!
I know this has nothing to do with the recipe, but I have a question. We have these Organic Tortilla Chips that I THINK are on plan, but I want to double check with you. The ingredients are: Organic Whole Corn, Organic Sunflower oil, Sea Salt, and Lime/Calcium Hydroxide (For processing aid). There is 18 carbs and 7 grams of fat in eleven chips…so it would be a crossover if it is on plan. Your thoughts?
Hi Anna! I’m afraid I don’t know the official answer to that. I’m not sure if the lime is used for processing the corn (similar to masa flour) or not – I’m guessing it is, and if so, then they would be fine. Definitely not weight-loss-promoting due to the corn plus the fact that they’re a crossover, but fine for an occasional treat. 🙂