Julie Clark
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Pulled Pork Rub
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A smoky, sweet & spicy pulled pork rub that is perfect for smoking pork! Use this homemade spice blend on grilled chicken, pork chops, pork ribs, smoked pork tenderloin or even for slow cooker pulled pork.
Last summer we got a wood pellet smoker and I’ve been undeniably hooked on smoked pulled pork ever since. Last fall we played around, testing different rubs and bbq spices for the outside of the pulled pork. This was the winner as the best pulled pork rub recipe!
Our Best Pork Rub
The best pulled pork rub has to have a good amount of both sweet and spicy. We used dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar to give it a rich, deep & sweet flavor. You can use light brown if that’s all you have on hand.
For spice, add chili powder, cayenne powder and chipotle chili pepper. You can add a little more of one of these spices if you like more spice, but my family found this to be perfect for all 5 of us.
Use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. The dry rub has a rich smoky flavor that will really add to the pulled pork during the smoking process.
Once you have the pulled pork made, whether on the smoker or pork butt in the oven, use leftovers on Hawaiian pulled pork sliders, pulled pork enchiladas or pulled pork mac ‘n cheese. We have pork recipes featured in our cookbook At the Family Table, too!
Enjoy! -Julie
Rub in Spice Mix or Sprinkle Spice Mix?
I’ve heard people debate on whether to rub in a dry spice mix or just simply sprinkle it on. I’ve never done a side-by-side comparison, but I find that I don’t have to rub in the pulled pork rub. The meat is generally a little damp which means the spices “stick” nicely and there is no rubbing needed.
Pulled Pork Rub
A smoky, sweet & spicy pulled pork rub that is perfect for smoking pork! You can also use this homemade spice blend for slow cooker pulled pork and other grilled meats.
Servings 20
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons chipotle chili pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl.
- Store in an airtight container.
- To use, sprinkle a 10 pound pork roast on all sides with ⅓ cup spice rub.
Video
Notes
This recipe makes about 2 cups of spice rub.
The calories shown are based on the recipe being divided 20 ways, with 1 serving being 1/20 of the recipe. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 1450mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1695IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Storing Bulk Homemade Spice Mix
This recipe makes about 2 cups of spice mix. We use ⅓ cup of spice to cover the outside of a 10 pound pork shoulder. That means this pulled pork rub recipe should be enough to cover about 6 large pork roasts.
This homemade spice mix will keep about 1 year if stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container like a mason jar. Always check the pulled pork rub before using it. It shouldn’t be clumpy and it should still have a good aroma.
Side Dishes for Pulled Pork
Ready
Awesome rub, yum
I have now used this recipe twice. It is phenomenal! My son-in-law, who is an accomplished BBQ chef, said my pulled pork was better than his. It was my fist attempt at pulled pork. Now it’s our favorite BBQ meal.
AWESOME! Added this to a butt and fixed the best one I have ever done. REALLY tasty and juicy, thank you!!
Thank you for the wonderful rub recipe! Your barbeque sauce recipe is excellent, too; the best I’ve tried. Now I can throw away those other ones!
I love this rub
This was a perfect rub. I did however substitute the chipotle chili pepper with a habanero powder to give it some more kick. It was a nice touch.
This recipe is perfect!!! I rubbed it on a 7.25 lb. Boneless Boston Butt, put it in the crockpot at 11 o’clock for 8 hours and it was restaurant worthy! I had the some rub left over so I refrigerated it to use the next time. Thank you Lizzy T! I’ve search and used other recipes but this is the best! Sweet, smokey, savory and tender, a family and friends favorite! Delicious!
That is a lot of smoked paprika! I would switch it with the brown sugar in ratio.
Delicious!