advice on how to avoid burning your rub?

Hey Jamie!

I love your grilling classes on weber nation. It's always a very exciting time in my home when new ones get posted. I did like the old format better where you would take us through putting together the recipe instead of flashing through the ingredients and starting with a finished rub.

Now to my question: How do you stop your rub from burning when grilling chicken. (The rub I use is only about 1/8 sugar.) I tend to crisp up chicken on a medium (or medium-low heat), which allows me to crisp it up without it "instantly-charing" it, but the rub still always turns black making it look unsightly. Any advice?

Hi Pinny,

I appreciate the feedback about the WeberNation online classes. I often wonder about which length of video is just right. Many of the internet video "experts" tell me, "you have to keep each video under 3 minutes or people will click to another site." Apparently the experts haven't talked with you.

As for the burning rub, my first suggestion is to brush a thin layer of oil over the spices after you have seasoned the chicken pieces. That way, they are not so raw and exposed to the direct heat. The oil will protect the spices to a degree. My second suggestion is about the heat. It sounds like you are use nice moderate heat, which is great. Just be sure to move the chicken off that heat before the spices get too dark. Many cooking techniques come down to a matter of time and temperature. One last idea ... you could season the chicken AFTER you have browned it. The flavors would probably not cooking into the skin/meat as well, but that's better than burning, right?

Good luck,
Jamie