Best Dry Rub For Ribs
On April 04, 2023 (Updated May 10, 2024)
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This dry rub for ribs will amplify the flavor on any rack of ribs you cook. I’ve packed classic BBQ flavors into my rib rub recipe so you get finger-licking results!
Dry Rub for Ribs
Every rack of ribs needs a good seasoning blend, and this dry rub for ribs is the ULTIMATE seasoning. Trust me on this. This post is consistently our #1 post on the entire Hey Grill Hey site because it is complete and utter perfection.
I’ve been smoking and grilling ribs for years and wanted to create a dry rub for ribs that was versatile enough to use in any rib application. This spice mix is the perfect mix of sweet and savory with some secret ingredients that add punch and pizazz so you can amp up that BBQ flavor, no matter how you’re cooking your ribs. This rib rub is fantastic on its own, you don’t even need sauce!
Rib Rub
Let’s talk about the building blocks of a good rib rub. I think the best rib rubs start with sugar as a base. Pork and sweet were just made to go together. From there, you’ll see recipes with salt and pepper plus a mix of things that are custom to each pitmaster. I like to add in smoked paprika for a boost of wood-fired flavor as well as a gorgeous red color that pops. Onion and garlic are classic flavor enhancers. Ground mustard ends up in almost all of my rubs as a punchy, almost acidic note of brightness.
My secret ingredients in my rib rub are cinnamon and celery salt. The cinnamon adds this lip-smacking quality that people can’t identify when eating it, but it keeps them coming back for more and more. The celery salt is the perfect earthy balance to the sweet brown sugar. Balance is crucial in a good dry rub for ribs!
This rib rub has been so popular on the site, we decided to bottle it up and sell it in the Hey Grill Hey Store. If you want to save yourself some time, snag a bottle of this amazing Hey Grill Hey Rib Rub shipped directly to your door!
Ingredients for Rib Rub
Here’s exactly what you’ll need to snag from the pantry or the store to make this dry rub for ribs:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Once you have all your ingredients assembled, combine them all in a mixing bowl, using a fork to break up any clumps.
Store your rib rub in air-tight glass containers (I buy ones like these online) and they will last at least a month. You may need to shake or mix to break up and brown sugar clumps.
More Dry Rub Recipes
Making your own rubs at home is easy and delicious. Check out some other homemade rubs from Hey Grill Hey below.
Rib Rub Recipe
Follow the recipe, and let’s make some really good food! Hey Grill Hey is here to help you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a BBQ hero. Head on over to Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! for more behind-the-scenes action!
This post was originally published in December 2018. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Best Dry Rub for Ribs
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Make the rub. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Use a fork to crush any clumps of sugar or seasonings.
- Use or store. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Cool trick to this, take 1/4 cup ketchup 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup water then dump the seasoning in and mix well for a kick ass mop.
It moistens to give it a beautiful glaze and the smoke penetrates very well.
How much seasoning do you mix in your mop?
Around 1/4 cup
Love this idea thanks!! I’m so excited making ribs with this rub for tomorrow Season today cook tomorrow 🙂 I’m loving the mop idea!!
Come back and let me know how they turn out!
This is both genius and very generous. Thank you for sharing it.
When I mixed a batch of this up, it smelled like smoked BBQ ribs in the jar. I have tried several dry rub recipes over the years. This one takes the cake, hands down!
What method of smoking did you use? 321 or just smoked until 195?
just wondering have you ever tried a good bourbon instead of water
Tried this recipie today for supper with friends.
Smeared yellow mustard on both sides of ribs for
A base. Rubbed rib rub in. Baked at 230 for two hours.
Took out of oven and smeared barbecue sauce on ribs.
Added 1/2-3/4 cups apple juice to the surrounding
Of the ribs. Wrapped tightly(double foil) and put on
Gas grill for another hour at 250-300.
Delicious.
I love using salt, red pepper, black pepper,sage with Apple Cider Vinegar.
Try it you will love it.
Can I just wrap these ribs once I’ve rub them in tinfoil and bake in the oven at 2:50 for 2 1/2 hours with that be all right do I have to grill them after
That will work.
I don’t understand what the surrounding of the ribs means
Easiest way to smoke these would smoke them bare, spritz or mop every 15 minutes at around 325, 350 degrees, when ribs read around 195 remove and sprinkle your ribs with the rub. This saves around 3 hours and are as good if not better than the traditional methods.
That makes no sense, 300-325 is not smoking temperature.
Would this still be as good if you didn’t have celery salt? I find it hard to find this in our groceries.
I haven’t tried it without, so you will have to let me know how it turns out.
Okay today is day 3 since I put this rub on my ribs. I have a family of 5. Almost 40, me, 35, 14, 4 & 2. All but me are female.
We ALL LOVED THIS RUB. it was easy, quick and still moist after 3 days of reheating. So easy to adjust the spice and not lose the flavor.
I appreciated the notes I read from others. Yellow mustard came in handy.
Thank you heygrillhey. I will be using your recipes again. 10 stars
Swap celery salt for dill. 5 stars!
I did the same. I found it to be better than celery salt, but to each their own! Killer rub!
Can you sub reg alt for kosher salt?
Sure!
Yes, BUT you need to use LESS regular salt. Because of its fine grain it packs more salt (and less air) in per tsp that the coarser-grained kosher salt. So to replace 2 tsp KOSHER use 1 1/3 tsp Regular salt.
I can’t find celery salt, either. I made ribs without that spice and it turned out amazing
You can usually find celery sat in the bulk spice section at the grocery store.
I had a hard time finding celery salt too so I substituted with Old Bay seasoning because the first ingredient listed is celery salt. The rest of the ingredients in Old Bay are in the rub recipe so I added slightly less salt and pepper. They are braising in the oven now before going on the grill later.
Swap for dill, same family (:
I just found celery salt We are trying this rub tonight for my son’s birthday.
I always rub my ribs with yellow mustard for rub to stick better. Do you do that with this rub or would it be too much? Thanks
I always do the same! This is great with a mustard base.
How would using soy sauce instead of mustard be??
Give it a try! Should work fine!
How would this be on steak?
It would be good, or you can try my Steak Rub recipe. https://heygrillhey.com/steak-seasoning/
Just got my green egg today what temp do y’all cook the ribs at and how long? Thanks for the advice.
https://heygrillhey.com/3-2-1-ribs-perfect-fall-off-the-bone-ribs/
Very good
Aamazing rub good quality taste yum,yum
amazing!
I’m going to try this on some ribs tonight.
How lo g do you marinate the ribs before you cook them?
How long do youmarinate
You don’t marinate. You rub, then smoke.
I am going to try this rub tonight in the insta pot,
With putting apple juice and apple vinigermixed withddq sauce then into the pot after 30 min I will put in oven to broil the bbq sauce.
What do you think
Can you also bake theses ribs!
I did mine overnight
Don’t forget to remove the membrane off the back of the ribs. Common mistake a lot of people make. Smoke for 3, wrap for 2, char for 1
Leave the membrane on. So what if the rub doesn’t penetrate the back of the rib? The crisped up membrane is delicious and it helps keep the meat from drying out.
What do you wrap the ribs up in
Aluminum foil or butcher paper! Foil is best if you have a braising step in your recipe.
Take off the membrane. It is not what the big pro recommend. And for Joe to say that the membrane is delicious, well, as a commercial chef for 15 yrs, that is not at all true. It is best to remove the membrane. Just do NOT OVER salt the ribs or salt them over night. add salt 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. Thank you.
Use a paper towel to grab on to that membrane. It makes it so much easier.
I was taught to remove the membrane and that’s the only way for me..i actually bought a membrane grabber by Myron Mixon and i actually prefer using paper towel to grab and pull????????????
Butcher paper is the best foil makes it to much like a pot roast texture
When I put them in foil. I put melted butter and brown sugar in the foil and then put them back on the grill for 2 hours.
Always remove the membrane for most tenderness
Yes 3-2-1 on smoker 225deg.
can you do the ribs with this rub on a pellet grill. What would you recommend for time, temp etc. Any special tricks.
You sure can! Just follow the method here on your pellet grill: https://heygrillhey.com/3-2-1-ribs-perfect-fall-off-the-bone-ribs/
Can I put the ribs in a foil pan and cover with foil to braise?
You can, but I don’t recommend it.
Use the 3 2 1 method on pellet grill… 3 hours at 225 deg. Directly on grill… Then wrap in foil go another 2 hours 225 deg then remove from foil and put bbq sauce on and put back directly on grill for 1 hour at 225 deg.
I let mine marinate overnight with the rub then cook on low temp like 250 for 4-6 hours. If smoking you do not need to marinate just rub and smoke. I substitute McCormick’s crushed chipotle peppers for the cayenne.
Can’t wait to try your recipe.