Award Winning Dry Rub For Ribs

This Award Winning Dry Rub for Ribs is a sweet rib rub recipe that is perfect for your oven cooked ribs or for expert pit masters.

Welcome to the ultimate dry rub recipe! This recipe is perfect for ribs, pork chops, pulled pork etc! This is an easy recipe that uses the perfect balance of many spices that you'll find in your spice cabinet! Be ready for so much flavor to hit your taste buds!

Because you can make this ahead of time and store it, this great rib rub makes a great gift for the pit masters in your life! There are no wet ingredients that could make it harder to gift. You can give it out the next day or up to 6 months later!

There are some fun variations listed below. Let me know how you personalize your own dry rub and what type of meat you use in the comments section!

If you are a big ribs fan, check out my Baby Back Ribs and St. Louis Style Spare Ribs recipes as well! They are the best ribs that literally fall off the bone!

A few more homemade seasonings you may want to check out are my Mild Taco Seasoning and Chili Seasoning Substitute.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• This is the best seasoning to throw onto a slab of ribs.
• There are many easy variations to make a unique flavor every time!
• The best part about the recipe is that it uses many of the common spices in your pantry.
• You can throw this on your meat and cook it your favorite way!

Recipe Ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make this Award-Winning Dry Rub for Ribs.

Brown Sugar gives a sweet taste to the ribs.

Garlic Powder brings softer taste than fresh garlic would.

Onion Powder is a common seasoning that is a perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors.

Chili Powder gives a little kick to the spice mix.

Kosher Salt has larger grains than table salt and gives a wonderful coating to the meat.

Smoked Paprika is the secret ingredient that brings a nice smoky flavor to the spice rub without using a smoker.

Black Pepper tops off this homemade dry rub with a hint of spice.

How to Make a Sweet Dry Rub for Ribs

Here are some quick visual instructions for the best rib rub recipe. The full recipe with ingredient measurements is below!

Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl or jar.

Massage the rub to the outside of the meat such as a rack of ribs, beef brisket, grilled chicken, pork shoulder, or other meat.

Make sure to get enough rub on the sides of the ribs and the back of the ribs, as well as on the top side. For the best result allow it to sit on the meat for 15-30 minutes before cooking.

This is a great rib rub recipe for the oven or using a smoker. After cooking the ribs until they are tender, you can add your favorite barbecue sauce to finish them up.

Store any of this leftover championship rib rub recipe in an air tight container.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Slabs of pork ribs take a long time to break down to tenderize the meat. Make sure your ribs are covered tightly so they do not dry out. Check out my Pork Loin Rib recipe to see my cooking process on how to make juicy, fork tender ribs.
• Use this rub for country style ribs too!

Storage and Reheating

• Storage: Store the rub in an airtight container, such as a mason jar for up to 6 months. It can be stored at room temperature.

Additions and Substitutions

• If you are out of brown sugar, you can mix white sugar with molasses or syrup.
• Garlic salt can replace the garlic powder and salt in this recipe.

Variations

Make this award winning dry rub your own by choosing on of the following variations!

• Spicy: Add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to make it a spicy rub.
• Sweet: Increase the brown sugar to ½ cup to make it into a sweet rib rub recipe.
• St. Louis Rib Rub: Add 2 teaspoons of dry mustard powder and ¼ teaspoon of ground coriander.
• Fish: Omit the black pepper and chili powder and add 2 teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning to the mix for the perfect dry rub

Frequently Asked Questions

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Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 145 °F.
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.