Sink your teeth into the perfect quick dinner with our grilled pork chops recipe. This simple recipe packs in tender, juicy bites with flame-kissed smoky flavor for simple cookouts or family meals. The trick to amazing flavor is not taking the meat past 145 degrees F, you master that, and everything else is easy.
There’s something about juicy grilled pork chops that are both nostalgic and steakhouse-worthy, satisfying with every bite. When you can get the perfect cook on this timeless pork recipe, keeping the middle tender and juicy, that’s when the magic is right. But the trick to the best grilled pork chops is not cooking the meat past 145 degrees F because, just like pork tenderloin, this lean cut dries out quickly and gets tough. This easy grilled pork chop recipe shows you just how we lock in that amazing flame-kissed flavor from the grill every time.
🍖 The Cut: What are pork Chops?
Pork chops come from high on the back of the pig, where the pork loin comes from. The loin is a naturally lean cut, but you will often see bone-in pork chops with a layer of fat kept on the outside. This adds both to the flavor and to keep moisture locked in when you’re cooking. Unlike pork steaks, the bone is on the outside, like a ribeye steak, making them easy to slice.
When grilling or oven-roasting, we prefer bone-in pork chops. But, know that thicker or double-cut pork chops, may be ideal for smoking to slowly reach the desired internal temp without overcooking. For thinner boneless chops, we love quick-cooking recipes like shake-and-bake pork chops.
For perfect grilled pork chops, look for bone-in chops that are about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. When buying pork chops in bulk packages at your local market, check to see that they are all evenly sized.
Ingredients
This is a great recipe that only requires a few simple ingredients to get amazing juicy pork chops.
- Pork Chop Marinade – You don’t have to marinate pork chops to get great grill marks. But a good marinade can really amp up the flavor.
- Bone-in pork chops – you can pick these up at your local grocery store or use one of our trusted places to buy meat online, like Porter Road, if you’re celebrating a special occasion.
- Compound butter – we love our herb compound butter, chimichurri butter or even our roasted garlic compound butter recipe to slather on top with the chops rest.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to grill pork chops
- Start with locking in extra flavor by marinating the chops. Marinate for 2 hours in the fridge before cooking. Or dry brine with your favorite pork rub for up to 8 hours. If using a store-bought dry brine or rub, we recommend looking for ones with minimal brown sugar so it doesn’t burn.
- When ready to grill, set up your grill for indirect heat. For a gas grill, allow the grill to preheat with all burners set to high. Clean and oil the grill grates. Turn off two of the burners to create a cool zone and a hot zone. You want your grill at medium-high heat, around 400 to 450 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, remove the pork chops from the marinade and pat dry. Discard the remaining marinade. Allow the chops to sit on a clean plate at room temperature for 20 minutes while the grill preheats.
- When ready to grill, place the bone-in pork chops on the hot side of the grill and sear for two to four minutes for great grill marks. Then flip the pork chops and move them to the cooler side of the grill and cover the lid. Allow the chops to cook until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F, about 5 to 7 minutes longer. When grilling pork, it’s particularly important to use a digital meat thermometer to get the most accurate results. Anything over 140F and the chops will dry out quickly.
- Once the chops have reached 140 degrees F, remove them from the grill to a clean cutting board and place a dollop of compound butter over each. Tent with aluminum foil and rest for 5 minutes. As the pork rests, it will continue to cook, a process called carryover cooking, to an internal temperature of 145F.
- Serve the pork chops immediately with a pinch of salt and pepper, a sprinkle of freshly minced parsley, or bastse them with your favorite barbecue sauce, like our homemade keto bbq sauce. Or try something even a little more exciting like red chimichurri or our favorite chimichurri sauce.
What to serve with pork chops
Pork chops are one of those easy dinners that go with all of your favorite side dishes. We love these with something as simple as an Appalachia buttermilk cucumber salad for light freshness and smoked baked beans or even smoked cabbage and rajas con crema with grilled corn on the cob on the side. Alternatively, make this a childhood classic with Dutch oven mac and cheese, an easy veggie like roasted broccoli and of course, apple sauce.
Leftovers and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, we slice off what we’re going to use and sear it quickly. If reheating an entire pork chop, wrap it in foil and reheat it in an oven preheated to 325 for 7 to 10 minutes.
