Best Dry Rub For Ribs
On April 04, 2023
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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
- ½ teaspoon 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.
We made this with a slight substitution. I used ancho chili powder instead of the cayenne, it’s a little more stomach friendly. It was absolutely delicious. I made it a second time with the same substitution, however we added some bourbon molasses seasoning to it as well. Both are amazing. We using these on all meats and it is fantastic. Thank you for sharing.
1st was absolutely amazing… loved and enjoyed by all!! 2nd time……doing them now…. cant wait till im done!
I loved it , especially the little hint of cinnamon. It gave it a warm spicy flay. I see a lot of reviews omitting it and substituting cumin, which Iam not a fan. All a matter of taste.
I love Fire Ball and will certainly try your recipe. Thank you for sharing all your recipes with us! We also love your burnt ends with the chuck roast and we make it a lot. We saw you on Michael Simons, Memphis in May show with your filet burnt ends…looked divine! Always good to see you and keep cooking!
This is the ONLY rub anyone should EVER use for spareribs. The End.
I’ve had this rub saved in what I call my bbq bible. No one gets to see inside. I cooked for a none profit organization that feed hundreds of people from all over the U.S. Every week they would bring me meat to bbq. From brisket to baby back ribs and spare ribs. I used this rub on all the ribs and cooked on my big pit with oak. several people sent word back to me how good the ribs where.I used a similar rub on pork butts for pulled pork and got the same results.I ended up loading up and my wife and I went to one of the sites hit by the hurricane and cooked for a week. They gave us Sunday off so I fired up the pit and cooked Al, day for Monday. That evening I shared the rub recipe with a lady that was a deacon from Ohio.That’s the only person that knows my rib secret.Thanks for sharing your awesome rub. It will be handed down to my grandchildren.
Wow!! I made this rub and man, the reviews from my family was GREAT!! No more store bought rub for me!!! THANK YOU SOOO MYCH!
This is one kick-ass rub! Based on other comments, I decreased the cinnamon to just 1/4 tsp, and as I didn’t have celery salt, I substituted 1/2 tsp of ground coriander. I put the rub on and sealed the rack in oiled foil, then let it sit for two hours before baking 2 1/2 hours in a 325 oven. It rested for about an hour, still wrapped, on a hot sheet pan, and then – perfection. The brown sugar made a crust on the meat, and I spooned any melted rub onto the top before serving. It was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
The rub was great but I would omit the cinnamon which gives it a very distinct flavor that I’m not accustomed to. Ribs were tender and delicious otherwise.
I omitted the cinnamon too, replaced it with Cumin. Delicious!
Best Rub I have ever had. Amazing on its own and also very good with Traeger Texas spicy BBQ sauce. We grilled our ribs after slow cooking in the oven for 3 hours. Perfection.