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.
Made St. Louis style ribs using this dry rub recipe but did them in the oven. Covered the ribs liberally with rub, covered with aluminum foil, they spent overnight in the fridge. Cooked for 2 hours at 350 in the foil, took out and basted with Sweet Baby Rays, re-wrapped loosely cooked another 45 minutes, opened foil and turned oven to broil for about 7 minutes. Great bark, fall of the bone, melt in your mouth flavor. Thank you for sharing.
Thx for the describing the process. Gonna try your way. I will make a recommendation to you. I stopped using Sweet baby Ray’s BBQ sauce when they switched from sugar to high fructose corn syrup a few years ago. However I recently found Ray’s BBQ sauce made by Sweet baby Ray’s. Doesn’t have the sugar or the fructose syrup. And in my opinion it’s a better product. I recommend giving it a chance. Healthier and taste better.
Awesome. Thanks for the directions. Will do this, however, cook on the BBQ. I know it’s a little different that way but worth a try. Thanks again.
Tried this rub on a brisket. Unbelievably good! The heat from the cayenne and the other spices made the brisket unreal. I can’t go back to salt and pepper anymore.
used the rub for baby backs in my smoker. Everyone was asking me for my “new secret recipe”. This is the best rub I’ve ever used.
Excellent rib rub for baby back ribs. I didn’t have any celert salt so substituted with celery flakes. Also, before putting the rib rub on I rubbed the baby backs with dijon mustard. Don’t know if those two substitute/add ons changed the flavor, but with your rub recipe those were some tender yummielicious ribs that I cooked in an oven bag for 1 hour 30 minutes at 350 . Also took out of oven and opened oven bag carefully to avoid hot steam and added Stubbs Hickory Burbon BBQ sauce and placed back in oven for final 8-10 minutes with oven set to broil. ( only cooked half a rack and froze the other half for another fiesta as it was only me for meal )
Excellent rub! OMG I have tried several in the past and this one is the one and definitely a keeper. Made grilled baby backs after leaving rub on overnight. They are superb ❤️
This recipe is the bomb….seriously good!!!
I love this rib rub I did baby back ribs low and slow with this rub and now my family wants me to smoke ribs all the time this way They said the ribs taste excellent and don’t need any BBQ sauce Thanks for the recipe
Great flavour. Perfect for back ribs.
I made this today, OMG! Best meat in oven we ever had! Thank you much for this recipe! My husband requested that I make it again, tomorrow!
My man is such a picky eater as well as my kids. But they dog this recipe! I use the slow cooker and rub it on my pork boneless ribs. Then, I douse it in sweet baby rays bbq sauce and let it cook on low for about 6 hours. Always comes out delicious!