Close up shot of a hand basting barbecue meat on an outdoor grill
Food & Drink

50 sauces, marinades, and rubs to take your barbecue to the next level

Written by:
Elizabeth Jackson
July 1, 2022
Ground Picture // Shutterstock

50 sauces, marinades, and rubs to take your barbecue to the next level

You can have the best fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains in the world, but they won't taste as good as they do all by themselves. For food to really shine, it is usually best served with some kind of sauce, marinade, or rub. Nowhere is this more true than with barbecue, and now that summer is officially here, so is grilling season. Summer and barbecue are inextricable concepts, in large part because it's the perfect time to be outdoors. While the Fourth of July is the most popular grilling holiday of the year, there are ample opportunities for additional outdoor festivities in the coming months.

In other words, it's time to break out the spices and seasonings. Simply rubbing your ribs with a tangy marinade, for instance, can take the dish from hearty and satisfying to zesty and out of this world.

Different kinds of marinades, sauces, and rubs work best for different meats. What tastes best on beef might not have the same result on a chicken dish, and vice versa. Although marinades are more traditionally thought of as being used for grilling red meat, don't overlook the potential of using marinades to give your fish and seafood a kick of flavor. A simple sauce of soy, garlic, lemons, and a dash of sugar can take shrimp kebabs to the next level.

To help amp up your barbecue game ahead of July 4, 2025, and the rest of the summer season, compiled a list of sauces, marinades, and rub barbecue recipes from. Click through for a look at the best of the best, which can be used on a wide variety of dishes all summer long and beyond.

You may also like: Hopping into spring: Instacart reveals America's most loved and loathed Easter and Passover foods

Kathy's Award Winning Barbeque Sauce

- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 20 mins
- Servings: 16
- Yield: 2 1/2 cups
- Number of ingredients: 11
-

Rosemary Garlic Rub

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 1/2 cup
- Number of ingredients: 6
-

Jerk Seasoning

- Prep: 10 mins
- Total: 10 mins
- Servings: 1
- Yield: 1 /4 cup
- Number of ingredients: 8
-

Carolina-Style Barbeque Sauce

- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
-

Italian Chicken Marinade

- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Additional: 4 hrs
- Total: 4 hrs 30 mins
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 4
-

You may also like: Top pizza chains in the US

Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 40 mins
- Total: 50 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 3 cups
- Number of ingredients: 14
-

Teriyaki Marinade

- Prep: 10 mins
- Total: 10 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 3 cups
- Number of ingredients: 9
-

Caribbean BBQ Sauce II

- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Total: 25 mins
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 3 cups
- Number of ingredients: 13
-

Fajita Marinade

- Prep: 15 mins
- Total: 15 mins
- Servings: 16
- Yield: 2 cups
- Number of ingredients: 9
-

Korean BBQ Sauce

- Cook: 10 mins
- Total: 10 mins
- Servings: 4
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

You may also like: The best burger in America, according to a health expert

Best Pork Chop Marinade

- Prep: 10 mins
- Additional: 6 hrs
- Total: 6 hrs 10 mins
- Servings: 2
- Number of ingredients: 14
-

Best Steak Marinade in Existence

- Prep: 15 mins
- Total: 15 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 1 1/3 cups
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

Big Al's K.C. Bar-B-Q Sauce

- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Total: 35 mins
- Servings: 48
- Yield: 6 cups of sauce
- Number of ingredients: 16
-

A Very Popular BBQ Sauce

- Prep: 10 mins
- Total: 10 mins
- Servings: 32
- Yield: 4 cups
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

Grilled Chicken Marinade

- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 4 hrs
- Total: 4 hrs 20 mins
- Servings: 5
- Number of ingredients: 9
-

You may also like: How a Vermont cheesemaker helps local farms thrive

The Best Steak Marinade

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 1 cup marinade
- Number of ingredients: 7
-

Lisa's Favorite Carne Asada Marinade

- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 1 day 10 mins
- Total: 1 day 40 mins
- Servings: 12
- Number of ingredients: 14
-

Yummy Honey Chicken Kabobs

- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Additional: 2 hrs
- Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
- Servings: 12
- Number of ingredients: 9
-

Beef Bulgogi

- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 5 mins
- Additional: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 15 mins
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
-

Steak Dry Rub

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 1 cup
- Number of ingredients: 8
-

You may also like: The 'king of poisons' is building up in rice

BBQ Spice Rub

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 20
- Yield: 1 1/4 cups
- Number of ingredients: 8
-

Dry Rub for Ribs

- Prep: 10 mins
- Total: 10 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 1/2 cup
- Number of ingredients: 5
-

Easy Marinated Pork Tenderloin

- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 45 mins
- Additional: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 50 mins
- Servings: 3
- Number of ingredients: 6
-

Fajita Marinade

- Prep: 15 mins
- Total: 15 mins
- Servings: 16
- Yield: 2 cups
- Number of ingredients: 9
-

Korean BBQ Sauce

- Cook: 10 mins
- Total: 10 mins
- Servings: 4
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

You may also like: Does alcohol shorten鈥攐r lengthen鈥攜our life? Longevity experts weigh in

Oven BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 5 mins
- Servings: 3
- Yield: 6 drumsticks
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

Perfect Flat Iron Steak

- Prep: 7 mins
- Cook: 8 mins
- Additional: 2 hrs
- Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
- Servings: 6
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

Doc's Best Beef Jerky

- Prep: 20 mins
- Additional: 8 hrs
- Cook: 4 hrs
- Total: 12 hrs 20 mins
- Servings: 10
- Number of ingredients: 11
-

Easy Chicken Fajita Marinade

- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Additional: 4 hrs
- Total: 4 hrs 35 mins
- Servings: 10
- Number of ingredients: 8
-

Best Chicken Marinade

- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Additional: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 25 mins
- Servings: 4
- Number of ingredients: 8
-

You may also like: 10 traditionally vegan meals from around the world

Best Pork Chop Marinade

- Prep: 10 mins
- Additional: 6 hrs
- Total: 6 hrs 10 mins
- Servings: 2
- Number of ingredients: 14
-

Alabama-Style White Barbecue Sauce

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 3 cups
- Number of ingredients: 9
-

Bourbon Whiskey BBQ Sauce

- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 16
- Yield: 4 cups
- Number of ingredients: 12
-

Steak Tip Marinade

- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 25 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 5
-

Grilled Garlic and Herb Shrimp

- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 5 mins
- Additional: 2 hrs
- Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
- Servings: 4
- Number of ingredients: 9
-

You may also like: How this Gen Z cookie entrepreneur took her part-time business full-time

Kabob Marinade

- Prep: 15 mins
- Total: 15 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 3 cups
- Number of ingredients: 8
-

Sriracha-Soy Chicken Thigh Marinade

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 4
-

Grilled Sirloin Tri-Tip

- Prep: 10 mins
- Marinate: 8 hrs
- Cook: 15 mins
- Stand: 10 mins
- Total: 8 hrs 35 mins
- Servings: 4
- Number of ingredients: 7
-

Bar-B-Que Sauce

- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Additional: 10 mins
- Total: 30 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 1 cup
- Number of ingredients: 8
-

Best Ever Beef Marinade

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 8
- Number of ingredients: 7
-

You may also like: Wegovy diet plan: What foods to eat and avoid while taking semaglutide

Smoked Chicken Breasts

- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 4 hrs
- Additional: 4 hrs
- Total: 8 hrs 5 mins
- Servings: 3
- Yield: 3 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
-

Marinade for Chicken

- Prep: 10 mins
- Total: 10 mins
- Servings: 32
- Yield: 4 cups
- Number of ingredients: 9
-

Big Al's K.C. Bar-B-Q Sauce

- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Total: 35 mins
- Servings: 48
- Yield: 6 cups of sauce
- Number of ingredients: 16
-

Ed's Favorite Beer Can Chicken Rub

- Prep: 10 mins
- Total: 10 mins
- Servings: 48
- Yield: 1 cup
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

Sarah's Boozy BBQ Sauce

- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Total: 20 mins
- Servings: 30
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

You may also like: 50 most popular chain restaurants in America

Smoked Brisket Rub

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 16
- Yield: 1 cup
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

Jerk Marinade Seasoning Rub

- Prep: 15 mins
- Total: 15 mins
- Servings: 2
- Yield: 4 ounces jerk seasoning
- Number of ingredients: 14
-

Everything Pork Dry Rub

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 1 cup
- Number of ingredients: 11
-

Brown Sugar BBQ Rub

- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 2 /3 cup
- Number of ingredients: 10
-

Best Ever Carne Asada Marinade

- Prep: 15 mins
- Total: 15 mins
- Servings: 20
- Yield: 20 servings
- Number of ingredients: 14
-

You may also like: Cheers to change: Nonalcoholic drinks inspire a new dining revolution

Trending Now