Republic Australia Cherry Apple Chicken & Pork Seasoning is a sweet-and-savoury BBQ rub built around cherry and apple flavours, with a salty, garlicky base and plenty of red colour from paprika. Think toffee-apple style sweetness and aroma, but balanced with pepper, garlic, onion and thyme so it still eats like a proper meat seasoning rather than something dessert-like.
Pork is where this blend makes the most sense. Apple is a natural partner for pork, while cherry brings another layer of fruit sweetness and the paprika-heavy red colour suits ribs and pulled pork particularly well. It is also a strong match for chicken, especially wings, thighs and whole birds, where the sweet fruit profile works against browned skin and savoury meat.
Sugar is the second ingredient, so this is a seasoning that can build excellent colour and a sweet crust during BBQ cooking. That same sugar content means it deserves a little care over very high direct heat: give it time to colour rather than letting a heavy coating sit over an aggressive flame.
Flavour Profile
Cherry Apple starts sweet and fruity, with apple flavour and cherry powder giving it the character that separates it from a standard pork rub.
Underneath that sweetness is a more familiar BBQ base:
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Sea salt provides the main seasoning.
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Sugar brings sweetness and helps with browning and crust development.
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MSG / flavour enhancer 621 strengthens the savoury side of the rub.
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Garlic and onion stop the fruit profile from becoming one-dimensional.
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Pepper adds mild warmth rather than chilli heat.
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Paprika gives the rub much of its red colour.
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Thyme adds a light herb note behind the sweeter flavours.
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Cherry powder and apple flavour provide the distinctive fruit character.
The overall result is sweet, savoury and fruit-forward rather than hot or smoky.
Best Used On
| Food |
Why it works |
| Pork ribs |
One of the best fits for this blend. Apple and cherry suit pork naturally, while the sugar and paprika help produce the rich colour you want on smoked ribs. |
| Pulled pork / pork shoulder |
The sweet fruit profile works well with fatty pork, while garlic, onion, salt and MSG provide enough savoury backbone for a long cook.
If pork is your main game, browse our pork rubs and seasonings for more flavours suited to ribs, shoulder and chops.
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| Pork chops |
A good option when you want a sweeter BBQ-style crust rather than a straight salt-and-pepper seasoning. |
| Chicken wings |
The sugar helps with colour while the cherry-apple flavour works well against crispy or smoked chicken skin. |
| Chicken thighs and drumsticks |
Dark chicken meat can handle the sweetness and stronger seasoning without the fruit flavour taking over. |
| Whole chicken |
Particularly useful for roast, smoker or rotisserie chicken when you want a noticeably sweeter red BBQ finish. |
How to Use
Shake the jar before use, then apply an even coating over the surface of the meat.
Because sea salt is the first ingredient, treat Cherry Apple as your seasoning as well as your rub. There is usually no need to heavily salt the meat separately before applying it.
Pork Ribs and Low & Slow BBQ
Cherry Apple is particularly well suited to pork ribs, pork shoulder and pulled pork cooked low and slow.
The sugar helps with bark and colour as the cook progresses, while paprika and paprika oleoresin push the exterior towards a deeper red finish. Cherry and apple flavours also sit naturally with pork, which is why this style of fruit-forward seasoning works especially well on ribs and pulled pork.
Apply an even coat before cooking and give the rub time to set on the surface before it goes into the smoker or BBQ.
Chicken and Wings
Use it on wings, thighs, drumsticks or a whole chicken before roasting, smoking or indirect grilling.
For wings cooked over direct heat, keep a closer eye on the colour. A sugary rub can move from nicely browned to burnt more quickly than a low-sugar seasoning.
For more options for wings, thighs and whole birds, see our chicken rubs and seasonings.
Hot and Fast Cooking
Cherry Apple can be used on pork chops and chicken pieces cooked hot and fast, but avoid excessively heavy applications over intense direct heat.
Sugar is the second ingredient, so prolonged exposure to flame or extremely hot grill bars can scorch the sweet components. Moderate heat or a combination of indirect cooking followed by a controlled finish gives you more room to develop colour without bitterness.
Using Sauce
If you're finishing ribs or chicken with a sweet BBQ sauce, add it later in the cook rather than loading sugary sauce over the rub from the beginning.
Cherry Apple already has a substantial sugar component, so adding another layer of sugar too early can make the exterior darken faster than you want.
Ingredients & Allergens
Ingredients: Seasalt, Sugar, Enhancer 621, Pepper, Garlic, Onion, Food Additive 551, Paprika, Paprika Oleoresin E160c, Thyme, Cherry Powder, Apple Flavour.
May contain traces of: Soy, Milk and Peanuts.
Gluten Free.
Flavour enhancer 621 is monosodium glutamate (MSG). Food additive 551 is silicon dioxide, which is used as an anti-caking agent in dry food products.
Nutrition Information
Servings per pack: 20
Serving size: 13g
| Average Quantity |
Per 13g Serve |
Per 100g |
| Energy |
128kJ |
970kJ |
| Protein |
Less than 1g |
4g |
| Fat, total |
Less than 1g |
3.5g |
| Saturated fat |
Less than 1g |
Less than 1g |
| Carbohydrate, total |
6g |
46g |
| Sugars |
4.9g |
38g |
| Sodium |
1,430mg |
11,000mg |
Product Details
|
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| Brand |
Republic Australia |
| Product |
Cherry Apple Chicken & Pork Seasoning |
| Net Weight |
260g |
| Style |
Sweet and savoury BBQ seasoning |
| Best Suited To |
Pork and chicken |
| Flavour |
Sweet cherry and apple with savoury garlic, onion, pepper and thyme |
| Heat |
No chilli heat |
| Dietary Claim |
Gluten Free |
| Country of Origin |
Made in Australia from at least 59% Australian ingredients |
| Packaging |
Shaker jar |
| Barcode |
9356610003612 |
Storage
Keep the jar tightly closed in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, heat and moisture.
Avoid shaking the seasoning directly over a steaming pan or pot. Moisture getting into the jar can cause the sugar, salt and fine spices to clump.
FAQs
Is Republic Cherry Apple spicy?
No chilli is listed in the ingredients. Pepper provides some mild warmth, but the main profile is sweet, fruity and savoury rather than hot.
Is this better for pork or chicken?
It is specifically made for both, but pork ribs and pulled pork are particularly natural matches because cherry and apple work so well with pork's richer flavour.
Chicken wings, thighs, drumsticks and whole chicken also suit it well, especially when you want a sweet red BBQ-style finish.
Does Cherry Apple contain MSG?
Yes. Flavour enhancer 621 is monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG.
Will it give ribs good colour?
Yes. Sugar, paprika and paprika oleoresin all contribute to the rub's strong red colour and the way the surface darkens during cooking.
Because it contains a reasonable amount of sugar, avoid prolonged exposure to aggressive direct heat.
Can I use it for pulled pork?
Yes. Pulled pork is one of the stronger uses for this blend. The cherry-and-apple sweetness works particularly well with pork shoulder, while the savoury ingredients stop the seasoning from tasting simply sweet.
