Not every cook needs a twelve-hour brisket rub. Most nights it's eggs, a tray of veg, a few snags or a bowl of chips. This is the everyday shelf: all purpose BBQ seasoning, garlic butter shakers, wing dusts, egg seasonings and veggie blends that live next to the stove and get used daily. Every shaker comes from a maker we rate, from Meat Church and Misty Gully to Spicetub and Kosmos Q.
What's the difference between a BBQ seasoning and a BBQ rub?
A BBQ seasoning is usually a finer, all-round blend you shake on anything, any time, including after cooking. A BBQ rub is built to go on raw meat before a cook and form a crust or bark. Plenty of products do both, but seasonings lean everyday.
If you're after a rub for a brisket, a pork butt or a rack of ribs, head to our full range of BBQ rubs. This page is for the shakers you reach for every day.
Everyday seasonings, sorted
All purpose seasoning
One shaker, every meal. Carolina Smoke's Everything Seasoning, Meat Church's Blanco, Butchers Axe's Basecamp and Hardcore Carnivore's MeatyMite all go on steak, chook, veg and eggs without fuss. Rum and Que's Bull Dust and Intensify are worth a look too.
Garlic butter seasoning
Garlic butter shakers have taken over Aussie barbecues, and for good reason. Toss them through hot veg, dust them on prawns or finish a steak with them. Try Misty Gully's Garlic Butter, Republic's Garlic Butter, Boars Night Out's White Lightning Double Garlic Butter, Rum and Que's Umami Garlic Butter Finishing Seasoning or Pitmastery's Butter Boom. Hardcore Carnivore's Cowboy Butter Mix and Hot Honey Butter Mix bring a different spin.
Wing dusts and chip seasonings
Kosmos Q's Wing Dusts come in Nashville Hot, Buffalo, Lemon Pepper, Salt & Vinegar and Ghost Pepper. They work on wings, chips, popcorn and roast spuds. Tajín's Chilli Lime Seasoning is brilliant on fruit, corn and the rim of a glass. For the classic Aussie hot chip, see our chicken salt range.
Egg and veggie seasonings
Spicetub's Egg Master and Chilli Scrambled Egg sort out breakfast. Misty Gully's Ultimate Veggie and Family Roast are made for the roast tray. See more in our veggie seasonings.
| Job | Seasoning style | From the range |
| Weeknight steak, chook or snags | All purpose | Carolina Smoke Everything Seasoning |
| Veg, prawns, finishing steak | Garlic butter | Misty Gully Garlic Butter |
| Wings, chips, popcorn | Wing dust | Kosmos Q Wing Dusts |
| Breakfast eggs | Egg seasoning | Spicetub Egg Master |
| Fruit, corn, cocktails | Chilli lime | Tajín Chilli Lime Seasoning |
Tips for everyday seasoning
- Shake from about 30 cm up for an even coat.
- Check the label for salt. If a seasoning already contains it, go easy with extra.
- Seasonings with garlic or sugar can scorch over high direct heat, so add them near the end on the grill.
- Every product page shows its Hub Heat rating out of 11, so you can pick your level before you buy.
Want the three-ingredient classic? Our SPG and pepper rubs page covers salt, pepper and garlic blends.
Frequently asked questions
What is all purpose seasoning?
All purpose seasoning is a balanced blend designed to work on almost anything, from steak and chicken to eggs, veg and chips. It usually combines salt with savoury flavours like garlic, onion, pepper or herbs. It's the shaker you grab when you don't want to think too hard about matching flavour to food.
Can I use BBQ seasoning as a rub?
Yes, most BBQ seasonings work as a rub. Shake them over meat before cooking the same way you would a dedicated rub. Seasonings with finer grinds won't build as thick a bark on a long smoke, so for brisket or pork shoulder a purpose-built BBQ rub with coarser texture often gives a better crust.
What is garlic butter seasoning used for?
Garlic butter seasoning adds a buttery, garlicky hit without melting butter separately. Toss it through hot veg or potatoes, sprinkle it on steak as it rests, dust prawns and seafood, or shake it over popcorn. Many cooks also mix it into softened butter to make a quick compound butter for steak or bread.
When should I add seasoning, before or after cooking?
Both work, depending on the seasoning. Salt-based blends often go on before cooking so they can season the meat, while finishing seasonings, wing dusts and garlic butter shakers usually go on at the end. Sugary or garlic-heavy seasonings can burn over high direct heat, so add those later on the grill.
What's a wing dust?
A wing dust is a dry seasoning tossed through wings after they're cooked, instead of saucing them. It sticks to the hot, slightly oily skin and gives a strong surface flavour while keeping the wings crisp. Wing dusts also work well on chips, popcorn and roast potatoes.