Texas Style BBQ Dry Rub. This sweet and spicy dry rub is perfect for all your grilling and BBQ needs!  The sweet brown sugar mingled with the spicy chili powder gives the best of both worlds.  This rub is perfect for chicken, pork, anything you desire!

What is a dry rub?

A dry rub is a mixture of dried spices that is rubbed directly onto meat before cooking. Most BBQ joints in Texas will take their rub recipes to the grave. In Central Texas they will swear by a 50/50 mixture of salt and pepper, also known as "dalmation rub".

This particular recipe is for a sweet rub, meaning it includes sugar. Which adds a wonderful layer of sweetness that complements the meats while they cook low and slow.

This sweet rub is perfect for chicken and pork. This is a rub that I often use when smoking a pork shoulder for pulled pork, or on pork ribs.

What is included in this rub?

  • Light brown sugar: this is where the sweetness comes from
  • Salt: use a coarse salt
  • Ground black pepper: use a thicker, coarse ground pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Smoked Paprika: a smooth smokey flavor and color will be added to the meat.
  • Chili Powder: a good chili powder adds a depth of flavor.
  • Chipotle powder: just a small amount is needed, it adds a wonderful heat to pair with the sweetness of the rub.
  • Mixed spices in a bowl.

How to store this rub:

Store the spice mixture in an airtight container. It is still possible it will slightly harden over time due to the brown sugar, just stir or shake it to loosen up.

For best results use the rub within 2 months.

If making a large batch of rub and expecting to store for a period of time, you can dry out the brown sugar to help prevent lumps. To do this spread the brown sugar out on a large baking sheet. Bake at 250 for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the sugar to ensure it's not toasting or burning. Remove and allow to cool, then break up any clumps.

Or you can leave the brown sugar out on a baking sheet overnight without baking to allow it to dry out on it's own. Doing this removes any moisture and you can add into your rubs and not worry about any clumping.

Wooden spoon scooping up homemade texas style dry rub.

  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

  • Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Stir until fully combined. Make sure all the brown sugar is broken up completely.

  • Store in a sealed container. To use sprinkle and rub onto the meat just before grilling or cooking.

Calories: 66 kcal , Carbohydrates: 16 g , Protein: 1 g , Fat: 1 g , Saturated Fat: 1 g , Sodium: 599 mg , Potassium: 91 mg , Fiber: 1 g , Sugar: 14 g , Vitamin A: 1270 IU , Vitamin C: 1 mg , Calcium: 15 mg , Iron: 1 mg

Recipe originally posted on March 3, 2017. Updated with new images on March 11, 2020. Recipe remains unchanged.