This pork dry rub blends a touch of brown sugar sweetness with flavorful spices for amazingly tasty results! It's perfect whether you're roasting, grilling, pan-searing, or smoking pork! You'll love the way this dry rub combines common ingredients for an extra special touch!
Best Pork Dry Rub Recipe
My tasty dry rub is great on all cuts of pork, including pork chops, ribs, pork tenderloin, and more! You can use the seasoning for all sorts of cooking methods too!
It's a perfect blend to spice up your cast iron pork chops, make some smoked St. Louis pork ribs, or season your baby back ribs! You can slow-cook the pork or sear it to perfection over hot, open flames on the grill!
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🥘 Pork Dry Rub Ingredients
Nothing fancy here! Just some really great herbs and spices to make the flavor of your pork shine! It's practically free to make and uses ingredients that you are likely to already have on hand!
- Brown Sugar - Start with ¼ cup of light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar, cane sugar, or turbinado could also be used for a richer flavor. *Be careful, as the higher molasses content of dark brown sugar could overpower the other seasonings in the rub.
- Paprika - Use about 1 tablespoon of regular or smoked paprika work great here.
- Sage - A ½ a teaspoon of ground sage or rubbed sage.
- Garlic Powder - A teaspoon adds just the right amount of garlic flavor.
- Onion Powder - You will want to adjust this to your liking. I personally use a teaspoon.
- Dry Mustard - Just 1 teaspoon makes a huge difference for this rub.
- Salt & Pepper - For salt, I use pink Himalayan salt. Sea salt or kosher are also great choices. For the black pepper, freshly ground course pepper or ground black pepper can be used.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Pork Dry Rub
This homemade spice blend takes just a few minutes of time, and you're on your way to making a fabulous dinner! You will need your measuring utensils, a small mixing bowl, and a spoon for stirring.
I generally use 1-2 tablespoons of seasoning per pound of pork. You can always add more to taste!
- Gather all ingredients. Measure out ¼ cup (55 grams) of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon (18 grams) each of salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon (3.5 grams) of paprika, 1 teaspoon (3 grams) of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of onion powder, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of dry mustard powder, and ½ teaspoon (0.05 grams) of ground sage.
- Combine the rub ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, mix the ingredients completely (be sure there are no clumps) until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the brown sugar.
- Season or store. Apply the rub to your pork liberally. If you aren't using the entire portion of dry rub at this time, transfer the remaining pork rub to an airtight container for storage.
🥩 Ways To Use Pork Dry Rub
This easy pork dry rub blend is ready to go as-is, or use it as a base and customize it for your own tastes! Try it on some grilled pork rib tips, a slow cooker pork loin, or this juicy pork picnic roast! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Adjust for your taste buds! If you like salty flavors, add more to the rub or omit it and salt after the meat is done. You can't remove salt once it's added, so always start with less and add more to taste!
- After applying the rub to your pork, allow enough time for the rub to infuse the skin of the meat and help create a flavorful bark. At least 1 hour, but longer is better.
- If storing this rub, shake or stir it before use, as it will settle and slightly harden.
🥡 Storing
This rub can be stored in a rust-proof, airtight container or glass spice jar for up to 6 months in a cool, dry environment. You'll want to keep moisture out of this dry rub as it contains brown sugar, which is prone to clumping.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
For the best results, apply the dry rub to pork at least 1 to 24 hours before cooking. If waiting longer than 2 hours, you should refrigerate it uncovered. Allowing the rub to sit on the meat helps the flavors to penetrate and infuse the pork.
Add some heat to your rub by incorporating some cayenne pepper, dried chipotle, chili powder, or crushed red pepper flakes too! Start with a small amount and adjust to taste to make this dry rub your own. Yum!
Dry rubs form a flavorful crust on the surface of the meat, which helps to seal in moisture and create a delicious bark during cooking! They also require less preparation time compared to marinades.
🧂 More DIY Seasoning Blends
- BBQ Chicken Rub - My go-to seasoning for all of my grilled BBQ chicken!
- Beef Stew Seasoning - You need to keep this seasoning on hand for a richly flavorful beef stew!
- Spaghetti Seasoning - A delicious and well-balanced seasoning that is made specifically for spaghetti!
- Italian Seasoning - A DIY recipe for homemade Italian seasoning with no preservatives, unlike store-bought seasonings.
- Pot Roast Seasoning - For a delicious pot roast dinner, you need to try this easy pot roast seasoning!
- Meatloaf Seasoning - I've made plenty of meatloaf, and no seasoning compares to this homemade blend!
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📖 Recipe Card
Pork Dry Rub
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon each, salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dry ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Gather your seasoning and measure them out into a small bowl.
- Mix all of the spices together until fully incorporated into the brown sugar and evenly distributed.
- Apply the rub to your pork, if not using right away store in an air tight container.
Notes
- Adjust for your taste buds! If you like salty flavors, add more to the rub or omit it and salt after the meat is done. You can't remove salt once it's added, so always start with less and add more to taste!
- After applying the rub to your pork, allow enough time for the rub to infuse the skin of the meat and help create a flavorful bark. At least 1 hour, but longer is better.
- If storing this rub, shake or stir it before use, as it will settle and slightly harden.
Vanessa says
Délicieuse recette, simple mais goûteuse. Je l’ai essayée sur des côtelettes de porc sur le BBQ.
À refaire!! Merci
"Delicious recipe, simple but tasty. I tried it on pork chops on the BBQ.
To do again!! THANKS"
Sarah says
I’d have never thought about adding sage, but it made a great tasting pork rub. I’m glad to get this recipe.
Rosetta Link says
rub recipe good for ______lbs meat cook @Temp __________ for _________Hrs???????
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I use 2 tablespoons for a 3-5 pound pork roast. Follow your pork roast instructions for cooking temp and time like this recipe.
Tim Desmond says
Thanks for posting this recipe. I'm preparing it now.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Awesome Tim! We hope you enjoy it!