This easy brown sugar salmon dry rub takes salmon fillets from delicious to spectacular! It has a subtle flavor that complements and enhances the natural flavor of salmon but doesn't overpower it. It adds that final touch that makes a salmon meal special.
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Salmon rub ingredients:
This salmon rub has a subtle sweetness from brown sugar and a little bit of heat from crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper. Garlic powder, oregano and salt add a nice savory background flavor.
Ingredient notes & substitutions:
- You can use either light or dark brown sugar for this salmon rub. (The only difference between light and dark brown sugar is the amount of molasses. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses than light brown sugar and yields a slightly deeper flavor in this spice rub.)
How to make it:
Add all ingredients to a small jar, put on the lid and shake until well combined.
How to store salmon rub:
You can make the rub in advance and store in an airtight container in the kitchen cabinet until you're ready to use it.
How to use it:
Step 1. Brush the flesh of salmon fillets with a mild olive oil, then rub the flesh with the dry rub.
Step 2. Transfer the fillets to a lightly oiled baking sheet (skin-side down) and place in the fridge while you prepare the broiler:
Place an oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler element and pre-heat the broiler for 10 minutes.
Broil the fillets until cooked (8 to 10 minutes).
How much dry rub to use:
Use about 1 ½ tablespoons of dry rub for 2 salmon fillets (with each fillet weighing between 3 and 4 ounces).
How long should the dry rub sit on the salmon?
10 minutes is the perfect amount of time for this dry rub to sit on the raw salmon. (Don't let it sit much longer because that can cause the meat to become dry during the cooking process.)
More delicious seasoning blends for seafood:
- Lemon Dill Seasoning Recipe24 Hours 10 Minutes
- Shrimp Seasoning24 Hours 5 Minutes
- Ahi Tuna Rub5 Minutes
- Cod Spice Rub5 Minutes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating or comment! Thanks!
Full Printable Recipe
Salmon Dry Rub
Equipment:
- measuring spoons
- small glass jar with lid
Ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions:
- Add all dry rub ingredients to a small jar, put on the lid and shake very well until all ingredients are well combined.
Notes:
- Brush the flesh of 2 salmon fillets with a mild olive oil.
- Rub the fillets with the dry rub.
- Set the fillets directly on a lightly oiled baking sheet (skin-side down), then transfer to the fridge.
- Prepare the broiler: Place an oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler element and pre-heat the broiler for 10 minutes.
- Broil the fillets until cooked (8 to 10 minutes). The fillets are cooked when the flesh separates easily with a fork.
Nutrition Information (Estimated):
Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.
Bern
We caught some King Salmon (also called Chinook) in Lake Ontario, and I made this rub to season the salmon pieces before grilling them. I used much less garlic powder because we don't like a strong garlic flavor. The salmon was very tasty, the sweetness from the brown sugar was nice, and the little heat from the red pepper flakes was just enough. I'll definitely use this rub again. We removed the skin so I put the rub on both sides of each fillet.
Nicole B.
Wow, fresh caught salmon sounds amazing! I'm so happy to hear that you liked the dry rub! Thanks so much for coming back and sharing your review, it's much appreciated!