Memphis Dry Rub Recipe (2024)

4.36 from 14 votes

A classic sweet and spicy Memphis Dry Rub Recipe from Marlowes of Memphis. Bring the great taste of Memphis to your grilled ribs or other BBQ recipes.

The recipe is now right-sized for the home cook and adjustable to your needs, using only pantry ingredients for great taste.

🥣Ingredients

Sugar—white, but I frequently use brown sugar
Paprika
Seasoned salt—Lowery's or similar
Pantry ingredients—garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper
Black Magic seasoning —optional. See discussion in the FAQs.

When to use this rub

Use this rub on ribs like Grilled Baby Back Ribs, Crock Pot Baby Back Ribs, Baked Ribs, or Grilled Boneless Ribs. Or pulled pork like Oven Pulled Pork, Crock Pot Pulled Pork, or Grilled Smoked Pulled Pork.

This rub has been the base recipe for some of my favorite recipes, which will also become some of your favorites. Start with a favorite for many people, The Best Grilled Pork Tenderloin - Memphis Style, and try Grilled Memphis Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs. Serve them both with Memphis Barbecue Sauce - A Wonderful Thing.

⏰How long to leave dry rub on meat?

As little as 30 minutes will infuse many flavors into meat, but up to 24 hours is the maximum. Longer will allow the salt in the rub to change the meat texture.

✔️Tips to get it right every time

• This rub is good enough; you don't need a sauce. If you use a rub, serve BBQ sauce on the side; do not apply it during cooking.
• Dry rubs and the sauce you use should complement each other. I suggest my Memphis sauce listed below or another sweeter sauce like a Kansas City or St. Louis sauce. Not a Carolina vinegar-based sauce.
• This is generally a rub for ribs, but you can use it anywhere that a dry rub is needed.
• There is not much sugar in this rub, so don't pack it on as much as the higher sugar-based rubs.
• I like to use dark brown sugar instead of white sugar.
• There is also a large amount of salt between the seasoning salt and regular salt in the recipe. I usually use half the salt and use coarse salt that cuts it even more.

↕️How to adjust the recipe size

Even though the original recipe was "cut down," I would say it was not really "Cooking For Two" friendly nor home cooking friendly as originally published. The rub was 11 cups, and the Black Magic was 12 cups. So, I cut it down to a more reasonable size.

The recipe is now set to make ½ cup (8 tablespoons) of dry rub, which is the amount for one slab of baby back ribs. I always make double or more and store it for later.

Use the recipe card and adjust the number of tablespoons. Remember 3 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon. 1 cup is 16 tablespoons.

How to store dry rub

Like all spices, dry rub loses flavor over time. But we can minimize it. If stored correctly, you will still have a good flavor for up to 6 months.

1. Store airtight in a glass container.
2. Store in a "right-sized" container that has no more air than needed.
3. Store away from light.
4. A cool area is best, but do not refrigerate or freeze.

❓FAQs

Memphis Dry Rub Recipe

A classic sweet and spicy Memphis Dry Rub Recipe from Marlowes of Memphis. Bring the great taste of Memphis to your grilled ribs or other BBQ recipes.

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Servings #/Adjust if desired 8 tablespoons

Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print. Otherwise step-by-step photos are in the post.

Your Own Private Notes

To adjust the recipe size:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories : 20.6 kcal (1%)Carbohydrates : 4.7 g (2%)Protein : 0.6 g (1%)Fat : 0.3 gSaturated Fat : 0.1 g (1%)Polyunsaturated Fat : 0.2 gMonounsaturated Fat : 0.04 gSodium : 1169.4 mg (49%)Potassium : 71.2 mg (2%)Fiber : 1 g (4%)Sugar : 2.3 g (3%)Vitamin A : 937.4 IU (19%)Vitamin C : 0.2 mgCalcium : 9.8 mg (1%)Iron : 0.6 mg (3%)

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

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