The best BBQ Dry Rub recipes will enhance the meats' taste and complement the sauce's flavors. This easy-to-adjust homemade rub recipe has classic BBQ flavors.
This BBQ rub uses the classic 8:3:1:1 ratio of spices, giving you unlimited choices for your customized rub. Easy to adjust to pair with your barbecue sauce with only minor adjustments to the recipe.
Ingredients
Brown sugar
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Spices—chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder
Common substitutes—white pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, thyme, coriander, cumin, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, and mustard powder.
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This recipe is all about ratios of various spices to sugar and salt. So you can quickly produce your own "signature dry rub." It stores well for six months, so make a large batch at the beginning of grill season.
With the brown sugar, it works great for low and slow cooking forming a fantastic bark on the gas grill with grilling baby back ribs but also pork butt on the grill and smoked beef brisket on the grill. I also use it with pork butt in the oven.
This dry rub has been around the food sites, but Alton Brown (Good Eats on the Food Network) has made it more popular. It is an easy homemade rub that uses what you have available and like.
👨🍳How to Make This Dry Rub (8:3:1:1)
- This dry rub recipe is about the ratio of 8:3:1:1 of the ingredients. There are 8 parts of sugar, 3 parts of salt, and 2 parts (the 1:1) of various other spices, with no more than half of this last part being a single seasoning.
- The "8" is brown sugar—usually dark brown sugar, which has more flavor due to more molasses.
- The "3" is salt. But all salt is not equal. Most people will use Morton Kosher salt, but I prefer Diamond Crystal, which has less sodium per teaspoon. Here are the ratios of various salts: 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- That last part (1:1) can be a little tricky. Those "1"s can be divided. The first "1" is usually all chili powder and sometimes smoked paprika. This "1" may be divided using a 50/50 split of chili powder and paprika or bring other spices into this part.
- The second "1" is usually 1 third each of black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. And those thirds may be divided again if desired. This is usually where you would customize to make your "signature rub."
- The other spices used in the last parts of the combination may be almost anything. Common additions are onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, thyme, coriander, cumin, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, and mustard powder.
- The recipe card is set for 1 cup of rub, enough for two racks of ribs.
How to use BBQ dry rub on Ribs?
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs to increase the penetration of the dry rub.
- Use about ½ cup of rub for each rack of ribs, including baby back ribs or St. Louis ribs.
- The rub can just be applied and cooked in about 15 minutes. But a few hours before cooking is suggested. Refrigerate and wrap in plastic wrap if over one hour to prevent drying.
- 24 hours is the maximum time for the rub. The salt may break down the meat and affect the texture.
Other uses for this BBQ dry rub
The perfect rub for Oven Pork Butt, BBQ Boneless Pork Ribs, Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs, and Smoked Brisket. And try it out on Grilled Chicken Breasts or Grilled Pork Chops.
To use on chicken or turkey, decrease the sugar by half.
❄️Storage of dry rub
Like most spices, keep it in a cool, dark place like a panty. Do not freeze or refrigerate since the moisture in the sugar may come out and ruin the rub.
Try not to use a much larger container than needed. It should be airtight, and dark or opaque is preferred.
The time limit is up to 6 months stored in an airtight container, so I make up a larger batch at the start of grill season. BBQ rub is at its absolute best for the first 2-3 months, so don't overdo it.
❓FAQs
One suggestion is if you have a BBQ sauce that you plan to use, the major spice component of that sauce should be in the rub.
Obviously, your taste should drive the flavors you include.
There are many reasons to avoid commercial rubs.
•Freshness
•You will know what is in it.
•They are usually mostly salt and a few preservatives. The spicing seems to be very light. And they are way too expensive for salt.
•They can not be tailored to your needs or taste. You can go heavier on spices you love.
•You get to make your mark on your creation.
Yes. While the rub does not need a base, many people like to coat the meat with yellow mustard. Other liquids used are vinegar if you are doing Carolina-style BBQ.
I will also use a base of a good quality liquid smoke if I'm using it in an oven or crock pot BBQ recipe.
Yes, but the sugar is relatively high for that. You will not be cooking them long enough to form the crusty bark on the other suggested meats.
To use on poultry, cut the sugar in half or eliminate it completely.
📖 Recipe
BBQ Dry Rub for Ribs, Pork, Beef, and More
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Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar - cut in half for chicken and turkey
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt - Diamond Crystal preferred
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Mix well.
- Store in an airtight container.
How to use on ribs
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs to increase the penetration of the dry rub.
- Use about ½ cup of rub for each rack of ribs, including baby back ribs or St. Louis ribs.
- The rub can just be applied and cooked in about 15 minutes. But a few hours before cooking is suggested. Refrigerate and wrap in plastic wrap if over one hour to prevent drying. 24 hours is the maximum time for the rub. The salt may break down the meat and affect the texture.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Excellent as written for pork butt, ribs, and brisket. The recipe card is set for 1 cup, enough for two racks of ribs. Adjust to amount in the serving section of the card.
- To use on chicken or turkey, decrease the sugar by half.
- This dry rub recipe is all about the ratio of 8:3:1:1 of the ingredients. There are 8 parts of sugar, 3 parts of salt, and 2 parts (the 1:1) of various other spices, with no more than half of this last part being a single seasoning.
- The "8" is brown sugar—usually dark brown sugar, which has more flavor due to more molasses.
- The "3" is salt. But all salt is not equal. Most people will use Morton Kosher salt, but I prefer Diamond Crystal which has less sodium per teaspoon. Here are the ratios of various salts: 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- That last part (1:1) can be a little tricky. Those "1"s can be divided. The first "1" is usually all chili powder and sometimes smoked paprika. This "1" may be divided using a 50/50 split of chili powder and paprika or bring other spices into this part.
- The second "1" is usually 1 third each of black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. And those thirds may be divided again if desired. This is usually where you would customize to make your "signature rub."
- The other spices used in the last parts of the combination may be almost anything. Common additions are onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, thyme, coriander, cumin, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, and mustard powder.
- Storage should be in a smaller airtight container in a cool and dark space, but not in a refrigerator or freezer.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally published July 21, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
David Bokanyi says
Thank you for your great information on grilling brisket.
One correction from a physicist. As to your statement "Diamond Crystal which has less sodium," salt is composed of EQUAL parts sodium and chlorine. There is no such thing as less sodium salt. Take away a sodium atom and the remaining chlorine atom is a gas that dissipates. Splitting salt is called electrolysis. Electricity is passed through salt (sodium chloride) to produce the metal sodium and the gas ( at room temperature) chlorine.
I would love to make this post private to just you, but don't see a way to do that.
Never the less, great information on grilling brisket.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi David,
Welcome to the blog, and you are, of course, correct. It should specify by volume. This is due to the crystal's size and shape. Fixed.
Dan
Brent Watkins says
Interesting article. I have a couple questions and you've at least started to answer one of them. In your suggestion, you say that if you have a BBQ sauce that you plan to use, the major spice component of that should be in the rub. This must be part of the 1:1 portion of the rub. How much of that spice component should make up your rub?
If making your own BBQ sauce, how are the ingredients and flavors suppose to relate to each other between the sauce and the rub? The sauce and rub would be for pork for now. I think I saw the rub provides the savory component and the sauce makes up the sweet profile. I'm really interested in how you build a bbq sauce based on what the rub is made up of. Can you give me some insight please?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Brent,
Welcome to the blog.
The sauce and the rub will not match exactly but you want them to complement, not fight. An example would be this rub like I usually make it (in the recipe card) would fight with a Carolina sauce - no chili powder, etc. A sauce that will match fairly closely would be my Memphis BBQ which I linked in the post. The ingredient can be adjusted in either if you want but both have sugar, chili powder, onion, and garlic. A good match generally. Of course, there is ketchup and some vinegar in the sauce and a few other things.
You probably don't want "matchy-matchy" but some common main tastes are important.
Sauces are generally more complicated than this rub. Check the Marlows rub on this site (from Marlows of Memphis). It is more paprika and I would adjust the rib if I was using it with my Memphis sauce. But I don't make that rub much and I tend to use a KC sauce that is more paprika (not homemade) but still with some chili powder so it can go both ways. But the Memphis sauce is a very nice contrast to the Marlow rub.
These are really fine points but fun to adjust a bit and see how it goes.
Hope that helps some.
Dan
Karen says
Excellent rub! I used on grilled chicken drumsticks with the sugar halved, then used on boneless ribs with full sugar. Finished with your Memphis sauce. :)