Lean and Mean Dry Rub for Pulled Pork Recipe

Made from just a handful of ingredients, this rub packs layers of flavor.

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director

Daniel is the editorial director of Serious Eats, where he leads the site's editorial strategy and oversees everything from recipe development to articles on food science, cooking techniques, and more. He's a former food editor at Food & Wine and has cooked in New York City restaurants.

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Updated April 16, 2025
20190618-barbecue-smoked-pork-shoulder-pulled-pork-sandwiches-vicky-wasik-6
Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Brown sugar adds warm sweetness to balance out the heat of black pepper.
  • Salt is omitted from this barbecue rub to allow for dry-brining, though you can add salt to taste if you like.
  • A relatively short list of ingredients keeps this recipe simple and manageable.

This dry rub keeps things simple, with a heavy dose of black pepper and just a few additional spices for depth, like fruity sweet paprika, citrusy coriander seeds, and aromatic onion and garlic powders.

This recipe does not include salt, since we prefer to dry-brine the meat separately with plenty of salt, but feel free to add a half cup kosher salt, or salt to taste. This recipe makes enough for one Boston butt pork shoulder.

July 2019

Recipe Details

Lean and Mean Dry Rub for Pulled Pork Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Active 5 mins
Total 5 mins
Makes 1 cup
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup whole black peppercorns (1 3/4 ounces; 50 g), coarsely ground

  • 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (2 1/2 ounces; 70 g)

  • 2 tablespoons (15 g) sweet paprika

  • 2 tablespoons (6 g) whole coriander seeds, ground

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until thoroughly combined. (You may need to use your fingers to break up small clumps of brown sugar; we recommend wearing a glove if you do this.) Use immediately as needed, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Special Equipment

Spice grinder

Make-Ahead and Storage

The dry rub can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
431 Calories
5g Fat
106g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 431
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 42mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 106g 39%
Dietary Fiber 21g 76%
Total Sugars 61g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 360mg 28%
Iron 10mg 54%
Potassium 1223mg 26%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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