Easy BBQ Dry Rub
This sweet and spicy BBQ Dry Rub recipe is easy to make and can go on everything from ribs, to pulled pork, to potato chips!
My parents were born and raised in Memphis, TN, and once we moved away it’s where I went every summer to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It wouldn’t be a trip home to Memphis without some amazing BBQ. Memphis is famous for their dry rub and, while some people may love a thick, sweet sauce, I’ve always loved a rack of ribs coated in a good BBQ Dry Rub.
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Even when I’m making ribs with a homemade BBQ sauce I still start them off with my BBQ dry rub mixture. It is a little sweet, a little spicy, and perfectly flavors a rack of ribs, or a shoulder of pork, every time. I even used this BBQ dry rub recipe on the Jackfruit Sliders I made for Father’s Day.
How do you make a dry rub?
The thing about a BBQ dry rub is that there really is no “right” way to do it. It’s all about the flavors you like. My BBQ Dry Rub recipe uses the ingredients you usually find in a Memphis dry rub, a little chili powder, mustard powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, brown sugar, and some cayenne for a bit of a kick. You can play with the ratios of these spices to make it just the way you like. Sometimes I skip the brown sugar to make it low carb, and sometimes I add a little smoked paprika or use chipotle chili powder for a smokier flavor. If you start with the basics and play with it from there you can’t go wrong.
How do you apply a dry rub to meat?
You can use a dry rub on any meat you like, beef, chicken, pork. If you are applying it to ribs you’ll want to remove the silverskin first (I show you how to do it here) then just rub the BBQ Dry Rub mixture into the meat. If you’re making a whole chicken you can leave the skin on and rub it directly onto the skin. For other pork, beef, and skinless chicken breasts or thighs you just rub it directly into the meat.
Want more BBQ recipes?
- Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
- Memphis BBQ Sausage and Cheese Platter
- Grilled BBQ Bacon Shrimp Skewers
- Chipotle Dry Rub Ribs
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BBQ Dry Rub
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoons Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoons Mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper, optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix together. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
