How To Grill Thick Cut Pork Chops
1 Prepare and marinate the pork chops. Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Then brush them with avocado oil or olive oil lightly. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
2 Prepare the grill. Heat up your gas grill to a temperature between 350-450 degrees F. Somewhere around 400F seems to work best, though the grill may fluctuate. Make sure the heat is stable before adding the pork chops.
3 Grill the pork chops. Because you greased the pork chops, there is no need to brush the grill grates with oil. Add seasoned pork chops to the hot grill over direct heat, then brush a generous amount of BBQ sauce on one side. Let them cook for 6 minutes, then flip over and brush the other side with BBQ sauce. Cook for another 6 minutes.
4 Tent & Serve. Remove from the grill and add a piece of foil on top. Let the pork chops rest for 5-8 minutes before slicing and serving. Top with additional BBQ sauce if desired.
Step : Bring Pork To Room Temperature
If the pork chops were only brined at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then you dont need to worry about this step because the pork chops will come to room temperature while brining. If the pork chops have been refrigerated in the brine, then you need to let the pork chops rest for 30 minutes after you season them to bring them to room temperature.
You should never grill pork chops straight out of the refrigerator. The meat needs to rest at room temperature before cooking in order for it to cook evenly otherwise you are left with an overcooked exterior and cold interior. Bringing the pork chops to room temperature also relaxes the cold muscle fibers so they release natural moisture which is then reabsorbed into the muscle for juicier results .
Tips For Making Grilled Pork Chops
Pork chops are pretty straightforward to cook on the grill, but I have a few tips for you that will help ensure your chops come off the grill perfectly cooked and totally juicy.
- Utilize two-zone grilling. Use two-zone heat on your grill to achieve juicy, perfectly cooked pork chops with that slightly charred grilled flavor.
- Make sure that the pepper is freshly cracked. When mixing up your grilled pork chop rub, try using freshly cracked black pepper for a brighter flavor.
- Dont poke the meat! Dont stab your pork chop with a fork or cut into them while they are still cooking. Youll lose a lot of the juices out of the meat.
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How To Cook Pork Chops In The Oven
With no brining or marinating needed, youll be thanking me later while licking your plates clean after eating these baked pork chops.
First thing to do is to move oven shelf to about 8-inches/20cm from the top heat element before preheating. This gets you ready for broiling later. Then, youre going to mix up your bbq sauce marinade. We use Masterfoods Bbq sauce, but you can use Hunts Original or Sweet Baby Rays.
Season your chops with seasoning salt, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. If you dont have any of those, substitute with regular salt or sea salt and regular pepper.
Seasoning pork chops first creates the first layer of flavour.
Slather some of the sauce ALL OVER your chops, including the sides. Use only two-thirds of the sauce to give you plenty to baste with later. Bake for 15 minutes in your hot, preheated oven. Then flip your chops baste with the remaining marinade and broil/grill for just over 7 minutes to start the caramelization process.
Flip once more, baste with those delicious pan juices and broil for a couple more minutes until chops are cooked through and deliciously caramelised all over. This is important step if you want golden baked pork chops. The other alternative will give you no colour or crispy edges.
Garlic Honey And Pork: A Perfect Flavor Match
To round out your delicious grilled pork chop dinner, we recommend adding our Quinoa Kale Salad with Blueberries and Feta . Or, serve them alongside your favorite vegetable plus rice or baked or mashed potatoes.
Pork chops are a lean, low sodium, highly-quality protein source, which makes them a great option for fueling your body right. Pork is also a great match for many popular flavors. Pair any of the following herbs, seasonings, and ingredients with pork for a delicious meal any time.
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Ingredients To Make Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Heres what you need to make this flavorful grilled honey garlic pork chops recipe.
What you need to make the pork chops and marinade:
- Boneless pork loin chops about 6-8 ounce each and ¾ -1 inch thickness. May substitute bone-in.
- Apple cider vinegar may substitute lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- Honey for a different flavor you could substitute maple syrup
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Coconut aminos may substitute soy sauce or tamari
- Garlic cloves pressed or minced or may substitute 1 teaspoon garlicpowder
- Dijon mustard
- Fine saltand pepper
What you need to make the Honey Mustard Sauce:
This sauce is out of this world! Heres what you need to make it quickly while the pork chops are grilling:
- Mayonnaise
- Pinch of fine salt and pepper
How To Make Grilled Boneless Pork Chops
- Preheat grill Fire up your grill to 350 degrees F. Make sure its clean too!
- Prep Pork Chops Rub olive oil onto pork chops. Then rub the ranch dressing mix all over them. Let pork chops rest for 15 minutes.
- Grill Place pork chops on grill and grill 6-8 minutes per side or until the reach an internal temp of 145 degrees F.
- Let Rest Remove pork chops from grill and cover with foil. Let rest 5-10 minutes which will help them get SUPER juicy and tender!
When I bit into this pork chop I thought I had died and gone to heaven. They were so juicy and tender. Those two things I feel are needed in a pork chop. They are obvious, but yet, hard to achieve. Pork is tricky and can get dried out so easily.
Make sure you read my tips below on how I achieved that perfectly juicy and tender pork chop!
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What Does A Brine Do
Brining is the process of submerging meat in a water and salt solution. It not only adds flavor to the meat but it helps the meat retain water, which makes for a more juicy, flavorful end result.
Brining also tenderizes the meat, so on top of the most juicy pork chops youve ever eaten, theyre going to be super tender too. You can add tons of flavors to a brine, depending on what type of meat youre brining. This is the brine recipe that we used for these pork chops:
- Water
- Garlic Cloves
Simple Seasoning Rub For Grilled Pork Chops
Well make a simple BBQ dry rub for our pork chops, which is made from ingredients you likely already have in the pantry:
- Brown sugar
- Ground mustard
- Salt & pepper
These ingredients all work together to create a sweet and savory flavor. The brown sugar will caramelize to form the most amazing char/crust on the pork chops. One bite and youll be smiling from ear to ear.
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How To Make Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Here are the quick steps it takes to get these grilled pork chops cooking away:
- Make the marinade: In a small bowl or mason jar with a lid, combine the vinegar, honey, oil, coconut aminos, garlic, Dijon, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake to combine well to make the honey garlic sauce.
- Place the pork chops in a large zip-top bag, glass container or dish. Pour over the dressing and turn pork chops to coat. Marinade in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours for best flavor.
- Grill the pork chops: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Once heated, remove the pork chops from the marinate and place pork chops on the grill. Grill pork chops, covered, for 8-12 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F with a meat thermometer. Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Mix the sauce: While the pork chops are cooking, prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, coconut aminos, garlic powder, and thyme in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
How Long Do Pork Chops Take On The Grill
When preparing an outdoor grill for pork chops, youll need to heat it for two levels of heat. The chops get seared over high heat to get those gorgeous grill marks for about three minutes per side, then moved over to medium heat to finish cooking, which will take anywhere from four to seven minutes depending on the thickness of the chops. This creates a nice crust on the outside and juicy meat inside. And remember to keep the grill covered the whole time so that heat doesnt escape.
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Q& a For Grilled Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Here are answers to some common questions about this pork chop recipe:
- How do I pick the best pork chops? Look for pork chops that are pinkish-red in color. If you prefer lean, choose chops that have less marbling.
- Can I make this recipe on the stovetop? Absolutely. Honey Garlic Pork Chops can be made in a pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Follow the direction as written in the recipe below, except change the cooking method from grill to stovetop. For a nice sear, turn up the heat just a bit and make sure the pan is nice and hot before adding the pork chops. Turn down the heat after the pork chops have seared to prevent burning.
Grilled Pork Chop Recipes Faqs
Should you season pork chops before grilling?
Pork chops can be seasoned right before cooking, or you can use a dry brine to enhance the flavor. To dry brine the pork chops, salt them thoroughly, then place them on a wire rack and leave them in the fridge for 4-12 hours. When seasoning after dry brining, do not add more salt.
How do you keep pork from drying out on the grill?
So long as you do not overcook the pork chops, they will not dry out when grilling by following this recipe. At around the 15 minute mark, check your pork chops with a meat thermometer. If they are at the 145 mark for internal temperature, they are ready to take off the grill.
How long can I keep seasoned pork chops in the fridge?
Fresh, uncooked pork chops last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you want to season them beforehand, I recommend seasoning them for 4-12 hours before cooking them, using only salt, and no more than that. This is called a dry brine. Add the remaining seasoning when ready to cook.
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Can You Cook This On A Stove Top
Why, yes you can. It won’t have the same char and grilled smoky flavor but still the same great flavor. If you plan to pan-fry the pork chops, lightly dust the pork chops with corn starch first. The thin layer of corn starch will absorb excess moisture to prevent hot oil splatter when frying. It also provides a nice crispy crust. Pan frying will take less time than grilling, about four minutes a side.
Grilled Pork Chops Recipes Tips
- One way to really enhance the flavor of your pork chops is to dry brine them. You can achieve this by salting them thoroughly, placing them on a wire rack uncovered, and leaving them in the fridge for 4-12 hours. Skip the salt right before grilling, if you choose to do it this way.
- This recipe works for pork chops of all sizes. Just make sure not to overcook them or they will dry out. A 145-degree internal temperature is the sweet spot for juicy, medium-rare pork chops. This means the internal temperature is more important than worrying about how long theyve been cooking.
- High heat for a gas grill means you should have those knobs turned up as high as they will go. For a charcoal grill, try to reach about 500 degrees, minimum.
If you love easy pork chop recipes, this is my absolute favorite pork chop recipe. Try it, you will see why it is a family favorite.
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Step : Brine Pork Chops
- Make brine: mix warm water with salt in a gallon-size freezer bag until the kosher salt is dissolved. Whisk in vinegar, brown sugar and ice, followed by pork.
- Brine pork: add the pork chops to the brine make sure all of the pork chops are completely submerged in the brine. If necessary, top the brine off with some water. It can be helpful to place the freezer bag in a narrow bowl of liquid measuring glass to push the brine up over the chops. Brine pork chops for 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- Rinse pork: thoroughly rinse pork chops otherwise they will be too salty. Pat very dry.
The Difference Between Barbecue And Grilling
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Pork Chop Nutrition Highlights
Is pork healthy? Thats a question that many people have. The answer is, yes. Pork can be part of a healthful eating plan, and it comes with all kinds of nutritional benefits. Here are a few:
- Pork is an excellent source of high-quality protein which supports muscle growth and maintenance.
- Pork is rich in several different vitamins and minerals including thiamine, selenium, zinc, vitamin B12 and B6, niacin, phosphorus, and iron.
- This protein is lean and low in sodium, making it a heart healthy option.
Pork Chop Marinade Ingredients:
This super simple combination of ingredients is delicious on steak, so I thought, why not try it on pork chops turns out its equally as delicious!
- Dry Sherry great for adding flavor in meat, you can substitute with chicken or beef broth if desired
- Soy Sauce adds the sodium needed to tenderize the pork chops
- Oil I prefer olive oil, but vegetable oil would work as well
- Brown Sugar you can also substitute with honey
- Minced Ginger fresh is best, but you can use powder if thats all you have
- Garlic again, fresh is better, but powdered would work in a pinch
- Pepper kick it up a notch by adding in red pepper
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The Best Cut Of Meat For Grilled Pork Chops
Pork chops are a loin cut perpendicularly to the spine of the pig and usually contain a rib or part of a vertebra. There are four major sections where pork chops come from: shoulder chops , rib chops , loin chops , and boneless chops .
Shoulder chops have a lot of fat, connective tissue, and tough gristle, so the meat does best when it’s tenderized or braised in slow, moist heat over a long period of time. By contrast, rib chops, loin chops, and boneless chops are naturally lean and tender, so they are best suited for quick-cooking over high heat — making them perfect for grilling!
Classic Vietnamese Sweet & Savory Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chop
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Video Recipe: Classic Vietnamese Sweet & Savory Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chop Recipe
Sn Nng S is Vietnamese grilled lemongrass pork chop. Its packed full of flavors with the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
This recipe starts with bone-in pork chops marinated in a sweet and savory mixture of lemongrass, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, honey, garlic, and black pepper. Place them on a hot grill until lightly charred and caramelized. Then brush with scallion oil for a beautiful finish and amazing aroma.
If you don’t have a BBQ grill or don’t feel like cooking outside, no worries. You can also make this on the stovetop. Instructions are included below. It’s the same great flavor, minus the smokiness.
Classic Vietnamese grilled lemongrass pork chop served with steamed rice, tomatoes, cucumbers and fried egg
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