This easy homemade brown sugar rub for pork tastes amazing on pork chops, ribs, pork tenderloins or chicken. It’s the best dry rub to have on hand if using the smoker, oven, air fryer, or grill!

Recipe Video:
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
- This dry rub recipe is super easy to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand! It's full of flavor and creates a delicious caramelized glaze when cooked.
- Makes a great seasoning for weeknight dinners or BBQ's and other get-togethers.
- Make a batch of this seasoning ahead of time and it's good for up to 6 months.
- Can be used on any type of pork or chicken. I love using this rub to make Air Fryer Thin Boneless Pork Chops, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, or Air Fry Chicken Tenderloins.
Q&A:
You can use cooking oil, water, or mustard to make sure that the dry rub sticks to pork chops.
When stored properly in a sealed container, this homemade rub can last for six months.
You can use either light or dark brown sugar for meat rub. I always use light brown sugar because I always have that on hand.
Equipment Needed:
- Bowl
- Stirring Spoon
Ingredients:
- Brown Sugar - I used light brown sugar.
- Salt-I use sea salt.
- Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
Instructions:
1. Add ingredients to a bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.
Recipe Variations And Substitutions:
- Regular paprika can be used if you don’t have smoked paprika.
- No sugar - Omit the brown sugar if desired but you’ll miss out on the delicious glaze the brown sugar creates.
- Spicy - Make it spicy by adding ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Storage:
- Store rub in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- Store in a cool dry place.
Pro Tips:
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled. Make a big batch of this rub so you have it ready. I love having a batch to this rub ready for me to use for dinner or cookouts.
- This rub can be customized to fit your taste. Add more brown sugar to make it sweeter. Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to make it spicy. Add more or less salt to fit your taste.
Simple Brown Sugar Rub For Pork
Equipment
- Bowl
- Stirring Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.
Notes
- Air Fryer Thin Boneless Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders
- Store rub in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- Store in a cool dry place.
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled. Make a big batch of this rub so you have it ready. I love having a batch to this rub ready for me to use for dinner or cookouts.
- This rub can be customized to fit your taste. Add more brown sugar to make it sweeter. Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to make it spicy. Add more or less salt to fit your taste.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate. For accurate nutritional information you should refer to the nutritional labels on the packages of the specific ingredients that you used.
Questions and Comments