These juicy grilled pork chops are full of flavor and take very little effort to make. Marinate the pork in a delicious homemade marinade for a few hours and then fire up your grill. Set aside chicken and steaks and have a pork chop night!
GRILLED PORK CHOPS
Okay, it’s time to give chicken, steaks, and burgers a break and get some pork chops. I bet it’s been a while since you had some nice, juicy pork and you’re not the only one. For some reason, pork is not as popular as the other meats at the market and that’s just sad. Pork is a great meat because it’s lean, tender, juicy, and it’s great at taking on the flavor of seasoning and marinades.
The only reason I can think of people not choosing pork is for the fear of overcooking. It is true that pork will dry out when overcooked but so would the chicken breast. Pork, chicken breasts, and turkey breasts are all lean meats and lean meat has a tendency to be dry when overcooked. Since there is not much fat to give it moisture, once all the moisture inside cooks out, that’s it.
There are a few tricks you can do to make sure your pork doesn’t dry out. Marinating pork chops instead of simply seasoning before grilling it, will give it a little more moisture. Another important thing to remember is to follow the thermometer and not the time while cooking. Time is always approximated but temperature will tell you exactly when pork is done.
GRILLING QUESTIONS
How to set up the grill?
You will need a hot side to sear the chops and a warm side of the grill to finish cooking them. For charcoal grill, prepare two temperature zones by spreading lit charcoal on one half of the grill and leave the other side without any. With a gas grill, light half of the burners on one side and set them to medium-high and leave the other side off or set them very low.
How long should I marinade pork chops?
You can keep them in a marinade as little as 2 hours or as long as 12 hours. I don’t recommend marinating meats for much longer than 12 hours but a couple extra hours won’t hurt it much.
How long does it take to grill pork chops?
Approximate time for 1-inch pork chops would be 14-18 minutes but it always depends on exact size. Thicker pork chops will take longer and thicker bone-in pork chops will take even longer. The best way to tell if the pork is done is to check the internal temperature.
When are pork chops done?
Pork should be cooked to 145° internal temperature. Insert a meat thermometer through the side towards the middle of the biggest chop to check its temperature. Take them off the grill and make sure to let them rest for about 5 minutes before cutting. Resting the meat is important to let all the condensed juices spread back evenly.
WHAT IS IN THE MARINADE
This pork marinade is a very simple combination of oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and ground mustard. You can combine it all right in the bag, mix it, and add pork to it.
HOW TO MAKE IT
Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a zip top bag and give it a gentle shake to mix. Place pork chops into it and try to get them in one layer so they are not on top of each other. Get the air out of the bag and seal all the way. Lay the bag on it’s side inside a baking pan or a large dish and refrigerate for as little as 2 hours or as long as 12 hours. (If you can remember, turn the bag onto the other side about half way through marinating.)
Take pork out of the refrigerator and then set up the grill.
Prepare the grill to have two temperature zones and preheat it for about 10 minutes. Take pork chops out of the bag and let the excess marinade drip off before placing them on the grill. Sear pork chops for 3-4 minutes on each side and then move them over to the cooler side to finish cooking.
Insert a meat thermometer through the side towards the middle of the biggest chop to check its temperature. Internal temperature should be 145°. Take them off the grill when done and let them rest for about 5 minutes before cutting.
SOME MORE TASTY GRILLED MEATS
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Grilled Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops at least 1-inch thick
- little more salt to sprinkle before grilling
Pork Marinade:
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp ground mustard
Instructions
Marinating:
- Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a zip top bag and give it a gentle shake to mix.
- Place pork chops into it and try to get them in one layer so they are not on top of each other. Get the air out of the bag and seal all the way.
- Lay the bag on it’s side inside a baking pan or a large dish and refrigerate for as little as 2 hours or as long as 12 hours. (If you can remember, turn the bag onto the other side about half way through marinating.)
Grilling:
- Take pork out of the refrigerator and then set up the grill.
- Prepare the grill to have two temperature zones and preheat it for about 10 minutes. Take pork chops out of the bag and let the excess marinade drip off before placing them on the grill.
- Place them on the grill and sprinkle a little more salt over the top of each one. Sear pork chops for 3-4 minutes on each side and then move them over to the cooler side to finish cooking.
- Insert a meat thermometer through the side towards the middle of the biggest chop to check its temperature. Internal temperature should be 145°. Take them off the grill when done and let them rest for about 5 minutes before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
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