Sometimes when I’m shopping, it is extremely hard to find spice mixes that don’t have mysterious ingredients in them. A lot of them say things like “natural flavors” or “spices.” Those could be almost anything!!! Or they have unpronounceable and unrecognizable ingredients listed. I want to know what I’m eating! Especially because I have food allergies!
For this reason, I find myself making a lot more things from scratch so that I can be sure of what’s in them. I happen to love BBQ flavored snacks!!! Mmm!! I’m craving some right now just writing about it, haha!
I decided to try my hand at making a BBQ seasoning blend of my own from scratch. It took some adjusting and trial and error, but in the end, SUCCESS!!!
One thing that is very important with this recipe is that you use SMOKED paprika, and not regular paprika. You just won’t get the same BBQ flavor from the regular one.
This BBQ seasoning would not only make a great rub, but you could also mix it with a little melted butter to turn it into a glaze to smear over your chicken before or during cooking. Sprinkle it over roasted potatoes, chicken, pork, snack mixes or potato chips for a bold hit of flavor in every bite!
I made a really yummy snack mix from gluten free cereal and gluten free pretzels. I tossed the cereal and pretzels with a little melted margarine before sprinkling the BBQ seasoning over them so that the seasoning would stick better.
I seriously could not stop munching on this snack mix once I tried it!!! It was super hard to stop myself from eating all of it in one sitting! SO GOOD!!!
So, here it is! The winning recipe!

- 1 & 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/8 tsp. chili powder
- 3/4 tsp. smoked paprika (use anywhere from 1/2 tsp.- 1 tsp., depending on how spicy you want it.)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
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Mix all ingredients together.
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Use as a seasoning on meat, potatoes, chips, snack mix, or add melted butter to create a BBQ glaze.
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Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Questions or comments? Email me at anne@blessingsinsurprise.com. I look forward to hearing from you! 🙂