Best Pork Rub Recipe (Salt-Free)
This pork rub recipe is a salt-free, smoky spice blend made with a mix of peppers, paprika, garlic, onion, cumin, and thyme. Mix it together in 5 minutes and keep it in the pantry for up to a year to use on ribs, pork tenderloins, pulled pork, and more.
Table of contents
I’m a huge fan of making my own homemade spice blends instead of buying them at the store. Aside from being cheaper to make yourself, you can dial in the seasonings to make them exactly the way you like.
This easy pork rub is one of my favorite blends to keep on hand. It’s made in just 5 minutes using spices you likely already have on hand and can be used on any cut of pork you like. Plus, it stays good for up to a year in the pantry, so you can mix up a big batch once and have it at arm’s reach any time.
Use this as a BBQ rub before smoking a pork shoulder or add it to pork chops before searing them for dinner. It is truly a versatile, delicious spice mix!
What Readers are Saying
“Tasted great. Everyone was licking their fingers off and asking for seconds.” -Timothy
A Note from the Author
2026 update: This recipe was first posted by Joanne, this site’s creator, in 2023 and has been a staple in my own kitchen for years. I’ve since updated the post to include even more tips for making the very best pork rub that’s just perfect for your family’s tastes. Enjoy! -Taylor
Recipe Testing Notes and Tips
Use fresh spices: Spices can lose their potency and flavor as they sit on grocery store shelves or in your pantry. While they don’t go “bad,” they do become less flavorful about 6 months after opening. For the best flavor, use freshly purchased spices. To know that you are getting the very freshest spices, consider purchasing from a small spice store that grinds their spices in-house, rather than at the supermarket.
Store in a glass container: An airtight glass jar or container is my favorite for keeping air and moisture out of spice blends. This ensures that the spice mixture doesn’t cake together. I don’t recommend a zip-top plastic bag, because they tend to puncture easily and can be too breathable, especially if not stored in a cool, dry place.
Ingredient Notes
For the full recipe, including ingredient amounts, scroll down to the printable recipe card below.
After quite a lot of testing, I have dialed in these 8 spices for the perfect blend of flavors that complements any cut of pork:
- Paprika: Smoked or regular (sweet) paprika
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Black pepper: Use freshly ground pepper for the best flavor.
- Ground chipotle pepper: This adds additional smoky flavor and can be found in the spice aisle at most mainstream grocery stores.
- Ground cumin
- Dried thyme: If you don’t have dried thyme, dried oregano can also be used.
Why No Salt?
You might have noticed that salt is not listed in the ingredients for this pork rub. That’s on purpose, not a typo!
I prefer to salt the meat separately from the spice rub, allowing me to appropriately season the pork based on the cut and weight. (I typically use 3/4 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat.)
If you add the salt to the spice blend, then you can’t gauge as accurately how much salt is being added to the meat. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest downsides of pre-packaged spice rubs; they are heavily salted, but you don’t know exactly how much salt is in them.
Making your own dry rub allows you to omit the salt for a more perfectly seasoned cut of meat.
How to Use It
This pork rub can be used on virtually any cut of pork. Here are a few different ways to cook with this simple spice rub.
- Pork ribs – Rub this onto baby back ribs, spare ribs, or country-style ribs before cooking to add extra flavor. Try it with my spare ribs recipe.
- Pork shoulder – I most commonly use this as a pulled pork rub for pork shoulder (aka Boston butt or butt roast). I will occasionally put it on the smoker, but most often make slow cooker pulled pork.
- Pork roast – A boneless center-cut roast will greatly benefit from this rub. Pork tenderloin in particular is so lean and needs extra flavor, especially if making a Roasted Pork Tenderloin.
- Pork chops – Season both sides before frying in the skillet, grilling, or making pan seared pork chops.
- Gift it –Â Mix batches of this spice mix and give it as a holiday or housewarming gift. You can also pair it with some cute measuring spoons or other kitchen tools.
Before adding the rub, make sure to blot the exterior of the meat with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This will help the rub to stick and will ensure the best sear on the meat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in a cool, dry place at room temperature in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 1 year, although you may find that the flavor is strongest within the first 6 months.
I generally don’t add sugar to my seasonings but you absolutely can. Just be mindful that it is more prone to burning during cooking and can cause the mix to clump more easily in the pantry. I recommend starting with 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar for 1 batch of the mix.
This is a great rub for chicken breasts or chicken thighs as well. I find this isn’t as well suited for red meat like beef.
Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below — I’d love to hear how it turned out! Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Pork Rub Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons paprika see notes
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper see notes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well, or place all ingredients in an airtight jar or container and shake to combine.2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Notes
Ingredients
- You can use regular or smoked paprika in this rub. Using smoked paprika will give the pork a smokier flavor, especially if you are not smoking the meat.
- Look for ground chipotle pepper in the spice aisle of most mainstream grocery stores. If you cannot find it, cayenne pepper can be substituted, although it lacks the same smoky depth of flavor as the chipotle pepper.
Scaling
- Use the slider near the top of the recipe box to scale the amounts as desired. Because this rub has a long shelf life, you can easily mix up a big batch to keep in the pantry.
Storage
- When kept in an airtight container at room temperature, away from sunlight and heat, the rub will keep for up to 1 year.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
More Homemade Seasoning Blends
In addition to this homemade pork rub, my cajun seasoning, Sazon seasoning, taco seasoning, and fajita seasoning are blends that I like to keep on hand in my pantry.
I also like to make my own everything bagel seasoning for using on everything from eggs to avocado toast.
And if you’re not a fan of dry rubs, try using my pork tenderloin marinade instead for a delicious, perfectly moist tenderloin.
2 Comments on “Best Pork Rub Recipe (Salt-Free)”
Used this dry rub for a Pork Sirloin that I smoked up for Father’s Day. Tasted great. Everyone was licking their fingers off and the asking for seconds.
Yum! So glad it was a hit