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November 6, 2018

McColgan’s Spicy Dry Rub – Keto Low Carb Recipe

Looking for a spicy keto dry rub that goes with all kinds of meat? Your search is over. This one has been tested on salmon, chicken wings, cod, pork tenderloin and ribs. All. Delicious. This rub is spicy, but won't totally light you on fire. And of course, because we're keto over here this rub has no sugar!

Spicy Keto Dry Rub on SalmonThe Search for a Sugar-Free Keto Dry Rub

Sugar-free rub has been difficult for me to find in the local grocery in the midwest. Just about all the meat dry rub labels I checked in Kroger had sugar on them somewhere and often close to the beginning which means a significant amount of it. There were also several that included other forms of sugar such as corn syrup and brown sugar. Some contained MSG.

None of these common dry rub ingredients are keto friendly or even healthy. You can read more about sugar in disguise here and download our handy list of sugar names here. There are well over 50 names for sugar commonly found on ingredient lists, so it can be hard to keep track!

Quick and Easy Spicy Keto Dry Rub

This recipe is so easy, there is really no need to buy a prepared dry rub! In just about five short minutes you can have a spicy keto dry rub that is versatile and makes a huge batch. Most of the measurements are already taken care of for you since you can easily buy two-ounce spice jars. This recipe is enough 12 or more full racks of ribs. It lasts even longer if you're using it on smaller cuts of meat.

Spicy Keto Dry Rub Uses and Recipe Ideas

Spicy keto dry rub on cod was one of the first ways I tested this recipe. Cod is mild so I knew I'd be able to taste just the spices to see if I'd gotten the blend right.

After testing the rub on cod, I moved on to smoked ribs. Using the spicy dry rub on smoked ribs was a better test. Since the flavor of the meat and the smoke is much stronger than cod, it was important to see if the flavor of the rub would still hold up. It passed with flying colors! I even got a “these are the best ribs I've ever eaten” from my neighbor.

Since then, I've used this on salmon, pork tenderloin, chicken wings (amazing) and chicken thighs.

Another way to use this spicy keto dry rub is in any recipe where you're looking to add some spice. For example, this rub has an awesome flavor combination for our Triple Meat Keto Carnivore Chili. I purposely kept the spice level in the chili recipe pretty minimal so it would appeal to a wider audience. After all, it's easy to add more spice, but you can't take it out once it's in!

Today I added two teaspoons of the spicy keto dry rub to my chili. What a taste sensation…definitely spiced it up and added a nice smokiness as well.

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Spicy Keto Dry Rub on Salmon
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McColgan's Spicy Keto Dry Rub

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 48 servings
Looking for a delicious sugar-free, keto dry rub for your meats? This easy recipe has a delicious flavor and nothing that will wreck your keto efforts.

Ingredients 
 

  • 4 ounces smoked paprika
  • 2 ounces garlic powder
  • 2 ounces onion powder
  • 2 ounces chili powder
  • 2 ounces black pepper
  • 2 ounces ground mustard
  • 2 ounces celery salt
  • 1.5 ounces ground red pepper

Instructions

  • Pour all of the spices into a large bowl.
  • Mix well using a whisk until spices are evenly combined.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Notes

This large batch of dry rub makes enough for about 12 racks of ribs. Unlike many dry rubs, there is no sugar added. For each rack of ribs, this recipe adds about 8 net carbs, which works out to about 2 net carbs per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 29kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 481mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0gCalcium: 25mgIron: 1.1mg

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Author

  • Cheryl McColgan

    Cheryl McColgan is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Heal Nourish Grow, where she has published evidence-based health and nutrition content since 2018.

    With over 30 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and healthy living, and nearly 20 years of professional editorial and journalism experience, she brings both subject-matter depth and trained editorial judgment to everything on the site.

    Cheryl holds a degree in Psychology with a minor in Addictions Studies, completed graduate training in Clinical Psychology, and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and E-RYT Certified Yoga Instructor.
    She is the author of 21 Day Fat Loss Kickstart, Make Keto Easy, Take Diet Breaks and Still Lose Weight, The Grain Free Cookbook for Beginners, and Easy Weeknight Keto.

    Read more about Cheryl and the journey that created Heal Nourish Grow on the about page.
    Cheryl McColgan is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, where she writes about protein, body composition, healthy aging, and evidence-based nutrition, along with the everyday habits that actually make those things work in real life.

    With a background in psychology and graduate training in clinical psychology, plus nearly 20 years of experience in editorial and publishing, Cheryl approaches health from both a research and real-world perspective. She’s also been immersed in fitness and nutrition for more than 25 years, which gives her a practical lens most purely academic content tends to miss.

    Her work today focuses heavily on protein intake (especially for women), muscle retention, metabolic health, and sustainable fat loss, along with topics like sleep, recovery, and wearable health tech. You’ll also find a mix of high-protein, low-carb recipes designed to make hitting those goals easier without overcomplicating things.

    Cheryl’s interest in health and nutrition became more personal after navigating her own autoimmune challenges, which pushed her to dig deeper into how lifestyle, diet, and daily habits impact long-term health. That experience continues to shape how she approaches everything on this site: practical, realistic, and focused on what actually works over time.

    What Cheryl Covers

    Most of the content here falls into a few core areas:

    Protein & Muscle Health: how much you actually need, especially for women and how to use protein to support strength, body composition, and aging
    Fat Loss & Metabolic Health: sustainable approaches that prioritize muscle retention and long-term results
    Healthy Habits & Lifestyle: sleep, movement, strength training, consistency, and the small things that compound over time
    Wearables & Recovery: real-world testing and comparisons of tools like Oura, Whoop and others
    High-Protein & Low-Carb Recipes: simple, realistic meals that support your goals without feeling restrictive
    Travel & Lifestyle: wellness-focused travel, outdoor experiences, and a slightly more elevated take on healthy living

    If you're new, here are a few good places to begin:

    30 Day Healthy Habits Challenge

    Protein Foundations

    High Protein Recipes

    About Cheryl & Heal Nourish Grow

    Coaching and Programs

Cheryl McColgan

Cheryl McColgan

Cheryl McColgan is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Heal Nourish Grow, where she has published evidence-based health and nutrition content since 2018.

With over 30 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and healthy living, and nearly 20 years of professional editorial and journalism experience, she brings both subject-matter depth and trained editorial judgment to everything on the site.

Cheryl holds a degree in Psychology with a minor in Addictions Studies, completed graduate training in Clinical Psychology, and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and E-RYT Certified Yoga Instructor.
She is the author of 21 Day Fat Loss Kickstart, Make Keto Easy, Take Diet Breaks and Still Lose Weight, The Grain Free Cookbook for Beginners, and Easy Weeknight Keto.

Read more about Cheryl and the journey that created Heal Nourish Grow on the about page.
Cheryl McColgan is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, where she writes about protein, body composition, healthy aging, and evidence-based nutrition, along with the everyday habits that actually make those things work in real life.

With a background in psychology and graduate training in clinical psychology, plus nearly 20 years of experience in editorial and publishing, Cheryl approaches health from both a research and real-world perspective. She’s also been immersed in fitness and nutrition for more than 25 years, which gives her a practical lens most purely academic content tends to miss.

Her work today focuses heavily on protein intake (especially for women), muscle retention, metabolic health, and sustainable fat loss, along with topics like sleep, recovery, and wearable health tech. You’ll also find a mix of high-protein, low-carb recipes designed to make hitting those goals easier without overcomplicating things.

Cheryl’s interest in health and nutrition became more personal after navigating her own autoimmune challenges, which pushed her to dig deeper into how lifestyle, diet, and daily habits impact long-term health. That experience continues to shape how she approaches everything on this site: practical, realistic, and focused on what actually works over time.

What Cheryl Covers

Most of the content here falls into a few core areas:

Protein & Muscle Health: how much you actually need, especially for women and how to use protein to support strength, body composition, and aging
Fat Loss & Metabolic Health: sustainable approaches that prioritize muscle retention and long-term results
Healthy Habits & Lifestyle: sleep, movement, strength training, consistency, and the small things that compound over time
Wearables & Recovery: real-world testing and comparisons of tools like Oura, Whoop and others
High-Protein & Low-Carb Recipes: simple, realistic meals that support your goals without feeling restrictive
Travel & Lifestyle: wellness-focused travel, outdoor experiences, and a slightly more elevated take on healthy living

If you're new, here are a few good places to begin:

30 Day Healthy Habits Challenge

Protein Foundations

High Protein Recipes

About Cheryl & Heal Nourish Grow

Coaching and Programs

See all posts by Cheryl

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