An easy recipe for the best dry rub for ribs! All you need is 6 ingredients, and you can use it on just about any animal protein for grilling, smoking, and/or roasting. This refined sugar-free dry rub is paleo friendly.
If you enjoy eating and cooking animal protein, you are going to LOVE this dry rub recipe. It is the best way to impart flavor on just about any animal protein for just about any cooking method.
Think: beef or pork ribs, tri-tip, pork roast, whole body chicken or chicken pieces, whole body turkey, even seafood!
Also think: grilling, smoking, roasting, Instant Pot-ing, pan searing, broiling, etc.
I made this homemade dry rub specifically for smoked pork ribs, but I have used a rendition of it for whole body smoked chicken and tri-tip several times.
Let’s get after it!
Rib Rub Ingredients:
Sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, black pepper, and sea salt (or kosher salt).
This combination of ingredients yields just the right savory and sweet flavor profile with a hint of spice.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Replace coconut sugar with brown sugar or white sugar.
- Omit the chipotle chili powder if you don’t have any on hand and/or prefer your food mild. The chipotle chili powder adds some heat, but does not make the ribs particularly spicy. Cayenne pepper works here too.
- Add your favorite seasonings to the rub – consider ground cumin, ground msutard, coriander, lemon pepper, dried sage, etc.
- Double or triple the recipe to have extra spice blends on hand.
- Smoked paprika works in place of sweet paprika if you prefer it.
How to Make The Best Dry Rub For Ribs:
Add all ingredients for the dry rub to a small jar. Secure the lid and shake well until spices are well-combined to make your spice rub. You can stir the ingredients in a small bowl too.
Use dry rub for grilling, roasting, or smoking pork ribs, Tri-Tip, pork shoulder, whole body chicken or chicken pieces, pork chops, etc. I love it on spare ribs and baby back ribs.
This rub makes enough for 2 large roasts (tri-tip, pork shoulder, etc), 1 large turkey, lots and lots of chicken, or 1 4 to 5-lb rack of pork ribs.
Now that we have the dry rub situation nailed down, let’s discuss how to put it to use on smoked pork ribs.
How to Make Smoked Pork Ribs:
Procure a large rack of ribs – this recipe works for 4 to 5 pounds of ribs. Remove the ribs from their packaging and pat off any excess moisture with a paper towel.
Peel membrane from back side of ribs and trim any excess fat. Season both sides of the ribs with the dry rub and place them on a rimmed sheet pan.
Turn on your smoker and set the temperature to 180℉ and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. Allow the ribs to sit with the seasoning as the smoker preheats.
Place dry rub ribs on the grill and smoke for 4 to 5 hours.
If you are adding your favorite BBQ sauce, remove ribs from the grill and place in aluminum foil. Pour ¾ cup of barbecue sauce over the ribs. Double wrap the foil and place ribs back on the grill. If you aren’t adding barbecue sauce, skip to the next step.
Increase grill temperature to 350℉ and place rib foil packet back on the grill. Cover and cook for 45 minutes longer.
Ribs are fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert a meat thermometer into the meaty side of the ribs to check for doneness.
Remove from grill and let rest 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serve with your favorite side dishes, and enjoy!
Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions:
Here are some of my favorite side dishes to eat with ribs:
- Ricotta Pesto Potato Salad
- Kale and Blueberry Salad with Vegan Buttermilk Dressing
- Broccoli Salad with Honey-Toasted Walnuts
- Kale Pesto Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Broccoli
- Pasta Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
Recipe Tips:
- This recipe makes enough rub for a 4 to 5-lb rack of ribs. If you’re making two racks of ribs, double the recipe.
- You can season the ribs overnight in the refrigerator for even more flavor – simply cover the pan in plastic wrap.
And that’s it! The next time you’re smoking or grilling, whip up this easy dry rub to season any meat!
Try this rib rub recipe on my BBQ Ribs or my BBQ Baked Ribs recipe.
Rib Rub for Smoked Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chipotle powder optional
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for the dry rub to a small jar. Secure the lid and shake well until spices are well-combined.
- Use dry rub for grilling, roasting, or smoking pork ribs, Tri-Tip, pork shoulder, whole body chicken or chicken pieces, etc.
