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Home » Recipes » Recipes with Paprika

Dry Rub for Pulled Pork in the Oven (no sugar)

Updated: Mar 27, 2025 · Published: Jun 19, 2022 by Nicole B. · Leave a Comment

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
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This no-sugar pulled pork dry rub adds delicious flavor to oven-roasted pulled pork. It has a bold and complex flavor from Hungarian and smoked paprika, chili powder and black pepper.

Pulled pork rub in a bowl with a spoon.

Ingredients and notes:

Spice rubs for slow-roasting recipes need to be very intense because they can lose some of their initial flavor during the long cook time. That's why I used both smoked paprika and Hungarian paprika in this rub. Together the two types of paprika create a complex and intense flavor that still comes through after slow-roasting.

Chili powder, black pepper, Hungarian paprika, smoked paprika and salt.

How to use it:

Spice-rubbed pork butt on a baking sheet.
  1. Evenly rub a 5-pound pork butt with the spice rub. Set on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for about 1 hour. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, set a wire rack on top, then transfer the meat onto the wire rack.
Baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
  1. Tightly cover the whole baking sheet with aluminum foil and transfer to a 325-degree F. oven. Bake until the meat is tender and can easily be pulled apart with two forks. (About 5 hours for a 5-pound pork butt.)

How spicy is this dry rub?

By itself, this dry rub has a little bit of heat from the pepper, chili and paprika. However, after the long cook time, the spice-rubbed, cooked and pulled pork roast will not actually be spicy.

Full Recipe

Pulled pork rub in a bowl with a spoon.
Author: The Spice Train

Pulled Pork Rub (no sugar)

This no-sugar dry rub for pulled pork in the oven has delicious flavor from black pepper, chili powder and two types of paprika. Makes enough dry rub for a 5-pound pork butt roast.
Print Version (does not include images) Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Course: Dry Rubs and Seasonings
Cuisine: Mexican, World
Calories: 20
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients:
  

  • ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder*
  • 2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons smoked hot paprika

Equipment:

  • measuring spoons
  • mixing bowl
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Method:
 

  1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until well combined.
  2. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark and dry place, such as the kitchen pantry. It will keep for at least 6 months.

Recipe notes:

*Chili powder is a spice blend usually made from ground chili peppers, cumin, oregano, dried garlic and salt. It's widely available in spice shops.
How to use the spice rub:
  1. Evenly rub a 5-pound pork butt with the spice rub. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.
  2. Set a wire rack onto an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, then set the meat on the wire rack.
  3. Tightly cover the entire baking sheet with aluminum foil, then bake at 325 degrees F. The meat is done when it is tender and can easily be pulled apart with two forks (about 5 hours for a 5-pound pork butt).
Did you make this recipe?Please consider leaving a review- THANK YOU!

Nutrition (estimate only):

Calories: 20kcalCarbohydrates: 3.7gProtein: 0.9gFat: 0.9gSaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 911mgPotassium: 131mgFiber: 2.3gSugar: 0.5gCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg

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Hi there!

I'm Nicole and this is my website. Here you'll find flavorful recipes that center around spices.

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