This pork rub is a sweet and smoky flavored rub for chops, tenderloin, roast, and smoked ham. Make this recipe using just six spices!
Whether you love the flavors of Tex Mex or the deep south, this pork chop rub is what you have been looking for. The touch of cayenne takes it to the next level of amazing.
While this spice blend is intended for pork, it’s also pretty tasty on other foods too. Sprinkle it on french fries, add it to a pound of hamburger, or add it onto a pan with roasted veggies. Once you taste it, you are going to want to use it in all sorts of dishes.
Making homemade seasonings and spice rubs is so much better than anything you can pick up in the store. That’s why I have so many recipes for them here on Kevin is Cooking.
From homemade taco seasoning to all purpose seasoning and sazon to ranch, you can stock your pantry full of essential spice blends that will stay fresh for up to 6 months!
Ingredients in Pork Rub
To view the amounts needed, please see the printable recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
- Brown Sugar – I love the way it tastes when using dark brown sugar. It makes it a rich and dark sweetness that is hard to beat. You could use light brown sugar if that’s all you have.
- Chili Powder – It’s incredible what a little bit of chili powder can do to the mixture. Yum!
- Garlic & Onion Powder – Nothing beats the combination of the two of these ingredients. You can swap the onion powder for garlic flakes too.
- Paprika – Any variety of paprika will work. If you want a stronger smoky flavor, you should use smoked paprika.
- Pepper – I recommend using black pepper and cayenne pepper. It makes the dry rub for pork a little bit spicy.
- Salt – I use kosher salt and love how it turns out. Feel free to add more or less, depending on your preferences.
How To Make Pork Chop Rub
1. Combine ingredients.
Mix all of the spices and seasonings together in a small bowl. Store them in an mason jar or airtight container. Be sure to store the jar in a cool, dry location so the pork seasoning doesn’t clump together.
2. Add to meat.
Sprinkle the mixture on your favorite cuts of meat, or use it specifically as a pork chop rub.
Nothing special is required, just make your recipes according to their instructions. You will be amazed by how incredible it makes the meat taste.
Notes and Tips
- There are many uses! In addition to using this pork seasoning for chops, tenderloins, ribs, or cutlets, it’s also tasty on chicken. Sprinkle it on chicken breasts before grilling for a burst of flavor.
- Homemade pork seasoning makes a fantastic holiday gift! You can add it to a mason jar and give the mixture away as a thoughtful gift! Great for anyone who loves to grill.
- Totally customizable. You can make it spicier by adding in crushed red pepper flakes, or use garlic flakes in place of powder. Play around with the blend until it fits your preferences.
- Long lasting. If you needed another reason to fall in love, I have it for you! You can store it in an airtight container, and it will last around six months. How fantastic is that?
- Use quality meat. For the best results, start with good quality pork products; this is a game-changer. While there are ways to make cheap meat taste great, in most cases, using high quality leads to better results.
- Dry the pork chops before adding the rub. Whenever possible, it’s best to dry whatever meat you are using with a paper towel. This helps the pork seasoning stick to the meat.
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Sweet and Smoky Pork Rub
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp chili seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder (or garlic flakes)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika (See Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Mix together in a small bowl and keep in an airtight container.
- This is my go to for a dry rub on pork chops. It’s balanced with sweet and spicy and doesn’t over power the meat. Perfect to use on pork chops, tenderloin, cutlets or if smoking and grilling pork shoulder.
- For ribs, which are a different cut of pork, I have several other dry rubs.
Notes
- Substitute with Smoked Paprika for a more smokey flavor.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I doubled the recipe and used smoked paprika, amazing flavors with pork. I want to put this on ribs, both pork and beef. I have saved this as my go to rub.
Fantastic! So happy you enjoyed this one and hope you try my other rubs and spice blends Colleen.
I love all your spice blends and rubs. This is my all-time favorite and they are so easy to make. From pork tenderloin to chops, I use this often. Thanks again Kevin!
Thank YOU, Bobbie! I appreciate the review and your kind words.
My go-to for dry rubbing my pork chops every time. Everyone LOVES them when I make them. Thanks for a winner!
Thanks for the kind words and review, Pete!
I’m not sure what I missed, but you mentioned Molasses that i don’t see anywhere else?
The rub recipe doesn’t have molasses in it. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
We love trying new rubs when we BBQ! We BBQ all year long to so we have to have them on hand at all times! Cannot wait to make this one!
We BBQ all year too! It’s almost a must right!