The Best Dry Rub: For Pork or Chicken

Finding the Best Dry Rub has been so difficult! Over the years we’ve experimented with various dry rub recipes to find the perfect one for our family, and now we’re excited to share it with you! This rub is ideal for adding layers of flavor to any pork or chicken dish! Try my Slow Cooker Pork Roast Recipe with this flavorful rub for a truly unforgettable pulled pork!

Today, I’m sharing how you can create the perfect dry rub, customized to your taste, that will take your dishes to the next level. These rubs are simple to make, versatile, and can be tailored to match your family’s favorite flavors. Plus, they store well, so you’ll always have a flavorful boost ready to go!

The ingredients are simple and easy, most you’ll have in your spice cabinet.

What Is a Dry Rub?

A dry rub is a blend of spices, brown sugar, and salt that adds both flavor and texture to meat. When applied before grilling, it creates a tasty crust, locking in moisture and enhancing the meat’s natural flavors. It also works well as a marinade!

Basic Ingredients for the Best Dry Rub

1. Sugar: Brown sugar adds a sweet caramelization when cooked. This is especially great for pork, as it helps develop a beautiful crust.
2. Salt: Salt is essential for flavor enhancement. Coarse Kosher salt or sea salt works best.
3. Spices: This is where you can get creative. Paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika, are popular choices for adding depth and warmth.
4. Heat: Adding in cayenne pepper gives the dry rub a little kick.

Elevate Your Pork and Chicken

This versatile dry rub can take any pork or chicken recipe to the next level, adding a perfect balance of sweetness, smokiness, and a little heat. Whether you’re grilling, roasting, or marinating, this is one recipe you’ll turn to time and again. It’s become a family favorite, and I’m sure it will be for you too!

It adds a balanced sweetness from the brown sugar, a smoky depth from the paprika, and just the right amount of spice with cumin and cayenne. It’s fantastic on pork ribs, chicken thighs, or even a smoked pork shoulder.

Store dry rub in an airtight container and label. I like to use mason jars for this recipe!

Other Tips and Tricks

You can adjust this any way you’d like! If you don’t like smoked paprika substitute with plain paprika. If you prefer more spice add in a touch more cayenne or omit it all together if you don’t like any heat. If too sweet, adjust the amount of brown sugar you use.

This rub works great on anything chicken or pork. We not only use it as a dry rub, but also as a marinade! If marinating chicken, pork chops, chicken wings, etc use 1/4c oil, 1/4 c water, 1/4 c dry rub and combine. Add the marinade into a gallon sized ziplock baggie with 2-3 lbs meat and let sit for an hour in the fridge, rotating once halfway through.  

Final Thoughts

For us this is the Best Dry Rub, we won’t ever use store bought again! There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of using a homemade rub on your favorite cuts of meat. It’s easy to make, customizable, and the flavor boost it provides is unmatched. So, next time you’re firing up the grill, ditch the store-bought seasoning and try making your own rub. You’ll impress your family and guests with the flavor, and it’s another fun way to get creative in the kitchen!

Try my Slow Cooker Pork Roast Recipe with this flavorful dry rub for truly unforgettable pulled pork!