The Best Dry Rub for Fish and Seafood

Fish and seafood cook quickly, making them particularly good for weeknight meals. Even better? Adding a touch of flavor to fish or seafood with a spice rub.

What’s in this spice mix?

This fish and seafood rub borrows heavily from celery salt, which plays very well with the salty flavor of seafood and fish. It also has a complex blend of garlic, ginger, paprika and dry mustard along with a few hints and notes of earthiness of allspice, nutmeg and black pepper.

What is the Best Salt for Seafood Rub?

I use Diamond Brand kosher salt, which is a light and clean tasting salt with a larger grit. It’s the standard salt you’ll find in professional kitchens and restaurants. If you normally use kosher Morton salt, you will need to adjust the ratios to account for the differences in grit.

If you can’t find Diamond brand salt, reduce the salt to 1 1/2 teaspoons of the brand of salt you have on hand, then try the rub. If the rub tastes flat, increase the salt to taste.

If you find that the rub needs more salt than the 1 tablespoon recommended in the recipe, you can add up to 2 tablespoons of salt to the mixture.

• To learn more about how to substitute Kosher Morton Salt, read this guide on how to substitute Kosher Morton Salt for Diamond Crystal Salt.
• If you want to learn more about salt in general, check out our guide to salt.

Adjust the rub

As with all spice rubs, you can adjust the mix to your own taste:

• Omit the cayenne pepper if you don’t like spicy things.
• Consider adding more pepper or reducing the kosher salt as needed.
• Add additional herbs and spices like dried dill, parsley, thyme, or oregano to make the rub more herbal.
• Add cilantro or lemon zest for a citrus twist.
• Crumble and grind dry bay leaf if you want a grassy pine note.

Use the fresh spices for this rub

Pantry herbs and spices are durable! Spices don’t necessarily go bad, but they do lose potency and flavor. You should definitely use fresher dried herbs and spices for this rub.

Most spices will keep for a good two years in a dark pantry, depending on the type of herb or spice. The best test is to take a pinch of the spice and mash it in the palm of your hand with your fingers. Try it; If the herb or spice smells dusty or doesn’t have a strong smell, it’s not worth storing. Throw it away and get some new stuff.

Pro tip: Use an airtight glass jar to mix the ingredients and save yourself the cleanup!

How long does this rub last and how should I store it?

That depends on how old your herb/spice is! Store this spice rub in an airtight container in a dark pantry, clearly marked with the date. If you used fresh spices, the rub should last a good two years, but hopefully you’ll use it up before then. If your spices aren’t quite as fresh, the rub won’t last as long.

The best seafood for this rub

This rub is excellent for most firm-fleshed fish suitable for grilling, such as salmon, tuna or halibut. It also goes great with shellfish such as shrimp, crab or scallops.

How to use Seafood Rub

Drizzle a little oil over the fish or shellfish, then sprinkle on as much rub as you like. Grill or bake in the oven as usual!

Need some inspiration?

• Use this rub the next time you make Easy Grilled Salmon.
• Grate the shrimp before grilling, then drench them in butter for these Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewers.
• Add a flavor boost to your fish fingers.
• Use this rub before cooking the shrimp for these shrimp quesadillas.
• This Baked Fish with Parmesan Breadcrumbs goes fantastic with this rub.

Three more frictions you should know about

• The best dry rub for steaks
• The best dry rub for ribs
• The best dry rub for chicken