Keto Rib Rub Recipe

Get the best keto dry rub for ribs and a few different ways to cook them for delicious, fall off the bone low carb ribs. You’ll never do ribs the same again, whether eating a LCHF lifestyle or not, these Keto Ribs are seriously drool worthy!

This post was originally published on August 24, 2018 and has been updated with fresh content and images, though the recipe has remained perfectly the same.

Oh boy, do I ever love ribs! One of the most important part of making excellent, finger lickin’ ribs, is the rub. This Low Carb Rib Rub is seriously SO GOOD! Feed it to your non low-carbers and they will never know these are keto friendly. Seriously! The only ingredient I had to switch out from my original Frickin’ Ridick Rib Rub was the brown sugar, which I replaced with a sugar substitute.

In this recipe you’ll get a Keto Rib Rub that is completely drool worthy, and three different ways to cook your ribs to fall off the bone perfection. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Ingredients

Sweetener – My favourite sweetener for this Keto Rib Rub is Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener. My second choice would be Sukrin Gold; both options are made to mimic brown sugar. If you don’t have access to either, you can replace it with the sweetener you have on hand.

How to Make a Keto Rib Rub

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and mix. That’s it! Now it’s time to cook those ribs. Listed below are oven and slow cooker instructions, however, if you prefer the Instant Pot, check out this Instant Pot Low Carb Ribs recipe.

Slow Cooker

Cut the ribs into sections that will fit well in the slow cooker. Turn them over and slice gashes in the membrane of the back of the racks to allow the rib rub to penetrate better. Cover the front, back and edges of the ribs with the Keto Rib Rub, using the entire batch. No, trust me, it is not too much!

Place the ribs inside the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours. To sauce up these drool worthy ribs, you can either drench the ribs with Low Carb BBQ Sauce an hour before they are ready, or, once they are ready, gently place them on a foil lined baking sheet, smother with sauce and then either broil on low until the sauce has caramelized, or barbecue for five minutes.

Oven Baked

Line a baking sheet with tin foil, spray with cooking oil and heat the oven to 250°. Turn the ribs over and slice gashes in the membrane of the back of the racks to allow the rub to penetrate better.

Massage the entire batch of Keto Rib Rub into the ribs, covering the front, backs and edges. Lay on the baking sheet and bake for 4-5 hours. Smother with your favourite Low Carb Barbecue Sauce and either broil on low until the sauce has caramelized, or barbecue for five minutes.

Expert Tips

• Be sure to remove the membrane from the back side of your ribs before covering with the rub. Depending on the butcher, this is often removed before the ribs are sold. Not sure what the membrane looks like? Check out this video.
• This recipe makes enough for two racks of ribs. It can be divided in half, if you only need enough for one rack, or doubled if you are making enough for a big backyard cookout. Try any leftover rub on chicken wings!
• Homemade rub is an excellent gift idea. I like to make a huge batch during the holidays, pack them into individual jars and then gift them away to family and friends – they are always a huge hit!

FAQ

Can you have BBQ sauce on Keto?

Most barbecue sauces are loaded with sugar, making them high on the NO-NO list.. Luckily, there are Keto friendly sauces you can buy or, better yet, make your own! This Low Carb BBQ Sauce is super easy to make and tastes amazing!

Can you eat dry rub ribs on Keto?

You can most certainly eat ribs made with the dry rub in this recipe because it is keto friendly. If you were looking to get dry rub ribs at a restaurant, you would need to ask if there was any sugar in the dry rub they have used to make their ribs.

How many carbs are in dry rub ribs?

That depends on who is making the dry rub ribs. Because most rib rubs are going to contain at least a little bit of sugar, the carbs would be much higher with restaurant dry ribs than keto dry ribs made at home. In this recipe, the keto ribs come in at only 2.6 g net carbs per 1/2 lb (not including sauce if you use any).

Low carb side dishes to pair with ribs

• Cauliflower Potato Salad
• Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Cheddar & Kale
• Mashed Cauliflower
• Avocado Fries
• Crispy Oven Baked Onion Rings
• Cauliflower Rice

Subscribe to Mama Bear’s monthly newsletter to be kept up to date on the latest and greatest recipes!