The Best Dry Rub for Ribs doesn’t need to take a lot of time or effort. This rub pulls together in a flash to make your ribs lip-smacking whether you plan to grill, smoke, or place them in the Instant Pot.
After various experiments, we got the perfect blend of spices to give you the ultimate fall-off-the-bone BBQ ribs you’ve been craving!
We tried it on grilled St. Louis style ribs, smoked St. Louis style ribs, and smoked baby back ribs. They all turned out fantastic!
Even so, this rib rub recipe is quite versatile and easily customizable which means you can use it on other types of meat. Keep reading for variation suggestions and other uses!
🍽️ Why This Works
Simple | This is one of those great recipes where simple really is the name of the game.
Takes 5 Minutes | This tasty rub mixes up in just about five minutes from start to finish for a seasoning mix that is simply out of this world.
You Know the Ingredients | When you create your own rubs from scratch, you know exactly what goes into it. There are no extra additives or preservatives.
🧂 Ingredients
📝 Ingredient Notes
Salt & Black Pepper | Basic ingredients will do just fine but feel free to use Kosher salt or any other type of salt here.
Brown Sugar | You can use either light or dark brown sugar. The dark version will always taste more like molasses which leads to a richer flavor. Use what you have and don’t overthink it.
Onion and Garlic Powder | Make sure not to use onion or garlic salt. You really want the powder here.
Paprika | Sweet or smoked Paprika are excellent choices if you want to deviate from the traditional version. Again, use what you have on hand. The smoked version will add a bit more smoky flavor and the sweet will be toned down.
Red Pepper Flakes | This adds just a touch of heat to the rub.
Chipotle Red Pepper | This is a mild spicy chili powder with a little bit of smokiness in the background notes.
Cumin | We love a touch of cumin in this dry rub. It’s one of those secret ingredients that add so much depth of flavor. Feel free to omit or replace it with another spice if you want.
Dry Mustard | For those that don’t love mustard, you don’t taste this and it is used in most dry rubs and a lot of salads.
⏲️ Equipment and Tools
Bowl | Use a bowl big enough to hold all of the ingredients and give yourself room to stir.
Whisk or Spoon | Pull out something that you can use to stir the spices with.
Jar | You only need this if you are going to make it and store it for later.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Measure out all of the ingredients and pour into a bowl. Stir well to combine. Make sure there are no clumps of brown sugar left in the bowl.
Step Two: Massage each rack of ribs before putting them on the grill or smoker or let them marinate in the fridge overnight. Leftover rub can be stored in a jar with a sealed lid for up to one year.
Note: In order to get your dry rub to stick to the ribs, use a binding agent like plain yellow mustard. You won’t taste the mustard when the grilling is done, but it will help all of the dry rub to stay on the meat.
❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks
This makes almost two cups of rub. If you can make a couple of batches all at once, you will have enough left over to be ready to grill at a moment’s notice. Simply pull from the cabinet and apply the rub.
This makes an incredible gift for friends and family who are grillers and smokers. They will absolutely love it.
Make sure that the brown sugar is not hard. If it is not fresh, those clumps won’t come out no matter how much you keep stirring it.
🧑🍳 Storage
Store the rub in a jar for up to one year. Make sure it has a tight lid to keep the humidity out.
🍱Meal Prep
The rub is a meal prep item. Make batches of this ahead of time so you can be ready for the summer grilling season.
🌶️Additions and Substitutions
There are a few ways to make this rub a little different each time.
Spicier | Add cayenne pepper and more red pepper flakes and use a mortar to press the red pepper flakes to maximize the flavor that is coming out.
Sweeter | Opt for the sweet paprika, omit the red pepper flakes, and add dark brown sugar.
Earthy | Add in celery seeds.
I love recipes that are easy to customize and would love to hear from you on what ingredients you add to make it unique! Drop a comment below.
🍖Other Ways To Use This Rub
This rub beautifully complements pork ribs and beef ribs but it works just as well for other meat cuts.
Try it for smoked Tomahawk pork chops, grilled pork shoulder, or this delicious smoked pork roast for raving reviews!
🥄More Dry Rub Recipes
The best rib rub recipe will be different for everyone and it makes perfect sense to try various combinations until you find the one that works for you.
A simple bourbon smoked peppercorn rub will complement any meat! This homemade Java rub adds a mild coffee flavor to your ribs for a fun twist.
We also love this easy chuck roast dry rub for which you probably already have the ingredients!
All Purpose Rub is just that. A rub that you can make ahead and use for just about anything. Pulled Pork Rub has the brown sugar base with cumin and chili powder but lacks the red pepper flakes.
Note: Looking for a dry rub for chicken or turkey? I’m sure you’ll love this Yucatan dry rub, a citrusy lemon pepper dry rub, or the all-purpose dry rub for grilling which works on pretty much anything!
🍽️Serving Suggestions
We love to serve ribs with a big ol’ bowl of potato salad, grilled sweet potatoes, grilled peach salad, grilled baby potatoes, or smoked deviled eggs. Here are some more excellent BBQ sides for your backyard cookout!
It’s also a wonderful idea to add a glaze or BBQ sauce to your ribs. Try a sweet whiskey BBQ glaze, a smoked pumpkin BBQ sauce, this sweet and spicy honey Sriracha sauce, or a tangy cherry bourbon BBQ sauce.
❓ Recipe FAQ
No, use this rub on anything you want to including chicken, beef, seafood, lamb or burgers.
Try to prep these 15-20 minutes before grilling or smoking. The longer you allow the rub to stay on the ribs, the better the exterior bark (the pretty dark outer layer we all want!) will be.
The dry rub has only dry ingredients to it. The wet rub includes a liquid ingredient that can be vinegar, beer, bourbon, or something else.
A dry rub may require a binding agent like we used on the Smoked Bologna and Smoked Hot Dogs.
Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
The Best Dry Rub for Ribs
Ingredients
- ¾ Brown Sugar packed
- 2 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Pepper
- 2 tbsp Paprika
- 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- 1 tsp Chipotle Red Pepper
- 1 tbsp Ground Mustard
Instructions
- Combine all the spices together in a bowl and stir.
- Place in an airtight container to store for up to 12 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Jason’s been firing up the grill for over 30 years after graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy. His love of finely-grilled steak and chicken led him to buy his first Weber grill to put on his apartment patio in 1992. Each military move led to a new grill (a mixture of gas and charcoal) until he fell in love with the Big Green Egg in 2008. Since then, he has added another 4 grills to the collection. Yes, he has a problem. Jason loves smoking in the ceramic BGE with exotic woods including olive wood from Egypt and hard to find varieties such as sassafras and orange wood. Jason takes the term “foodie” to a whole new level, jumping at the chance to take food tours and cooking classes during foreign travels. These have provided inspiration to incorporate new ideas into recipes when he gets back home. He has been featured in Fox News, Parade, Yahoo News, Kansas City Living and more. After retiring from the military and moving to southwest Florida, he has focused grilling and smoking locally sourced meats and fish (read: he likes to catch his own fish!)
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