Only 3 ingredients, this coffee spice rub is super delicious on steak, chicken, salmon, scallops, shrimp and even tofu! It’s Healthy Kitchen Hacks Wednesday – the day we share our favorite time-saving kitchen tricks and cooking shortcuts to help you make healthy and delicious meals.
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Now…onto today’s featured Healthy Kitchen Hack:
3 Ingredient Coffee Spice Rub
Coffee lovers, this is for you! This coffee spice rub is so easy to make – with ingredients in your pantry – and it gives a super flavor upgrade to practically any protein you are cooking up.
I’ve tried it on:
Chicken Thighs – Rub spice mix over thighs. Saute in a pan coated with oil for about 6-7 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Salmon – Rub spice mix over top and place skin side up on a hot pan coated with cooking spray. Cook for about 5 minutes and then flip. Coat another 5 minutes or so (depending on thickness) until fish flakes easily and is cooked through.
Scallops (my favorite!) – Gently rub spice mix over scallops. Melt a pat of butter in pan over medium heat and then cook scallops about 2 minutes per side.
Shrimp -Place peeled shrimp in a bag with rub and toss until coated. Saute in a pan coated in oil for about 5 – 6 minutes, stirring often.
Tofu – Press extra-firm tofu for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut into 2-inch pieces and rub with spice mix over both sides. Place on a foil lined pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip. Cook for another 20 minutes.
Print3-Ingredient Coffee Spice Rub

Only 3 ingredients, this coffee spice rub is super delicious on steak, chicken, salmon, scallops, shrimp and even tofu!
- Yield: For 2 pounds of meat, chicken, salmon, seafood or tofu 1x
Ingredients
For 2 pounds of protein:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely ground coffee
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together well. If cooking one pound of chicken, scallops, salmon, tofu, etc., use HALF of the batch.
- Store the remaining spice rub in a sealed container in our spice drawer for up to 2 months.
This coffee spice rub would also be delicious on steak, ham, pork, duck – the list goes on. You can double the batch and keep the extra in a sealed container in your spice door for up to a month.
Have you ever used ground coffee or espresso your cooking?