This Homemade Smoky BBQ Seasoning is amazing on so many things from veggies, to pasta, to salads, and of course as a rub on all your favorites on the grill.
Necessity is the mother of invention and always the best motivator when it comes to trying new things. I have a go-to recipe for vegan “pulled pork” using jack fruit that Chris and I absolutely love and that takes about 5 minutes to throw together. It’s definitely a reliable comfort food staple in our house. I have a spice blend that I’ve always used for it, but recently I realized that I was basically out and hadn’t ordered a replacement. As you probably know if you’ve been around here for any length of time, making my own spice blends and seasoning mixes is kind of my thing and I just find it so satisfying, so I thought I might as well try to DIY this one too! So here’s what I came up with for my Homemade Smoky BBQ Seasoning.
Ingredients Needed for the Homemade Smoky BBQ Seasoning
You’ll need:
- Chili powder
- Red pepper flakes
- Dehydrated Onion flakes
- Garlic powder
- Coarse salt
- Smoked paprika
- Cumin
- Sugar
My previous bbq spice seasoning was kind of chunky and coarse, and I liked that, so I used onion flakes, coarse salt, and red pepper flakes to get that texture, but you can definitely substitute regular onion powder, regular black pepper, and regular salt and still get a good flavour in a pinch. The sugar definitely adds something, but feel free to leave it out if you want to make this super healthy.
Process for Making the Smoky BBQ Seasoning
Mix everything together and store it in an airtight container! If you end up using the onion powder instead of the onion flakes, be sugar to give your jar or container a good shake each time before using this seasoning to break everything up. Onion powder tends to get pretty clumpy when it’s left to sit for awhile.
Here’s the full printable recipe! Print it out for your recipe binder or just use it directly from this page on your phone or laptop.

This Homemade Smoky BBQ Seasoning is amazing on so many things from veggies, to pasta, to salads, and of course as a rub on all your favorites on the grill.
- 4 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Red chili pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 1 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp Minced dried onion flakes
- 3/4 tsp Sugar (optional)
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Mix everything together and store in an airtight container!
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