Easy Grilled Lemon Pepper Pork Chop Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to grilling pork chops? ›

For the most tender pork chops, marinate the pork (or let them sit with the rub) for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Let the Meat Come to Room Temperature Prior to Grilling. If you throw the meat on the grill cold, by the time the inside comes to temperature, the outside will be overcooked.

Marinating pork chops before grilling helps to tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor. Here's a simple and flavorful marinade recipe that you can use for your pork chops.

Brine the pork chops prior to grilling to help them retain moisture. These grilled pork chops are brined in pickle juice, which makes them extra tender and juicy. The vinegar in pickle juice helps break down the proteins prior to cooking, so they don't become tough.

Ingredients for Bone-In Pork Chops on the Grill

We prefer bone-in pork chops because the bone adds flavor and moisture to the finished pork chop. Olive Oil – to keep the chops from sticking, you'll need about 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Sea Salt – we're keeping the seasoning really simple here.

Tender Grilled Pork Chops

Mix olive oil, soy sauce and steak seasoning together in a small bowl. Add the pork chops to a large ziploc bag or flat dish and pour the marinade ingredients over the top. Refrigerate and marinade for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

It's not necessary to poke holes in the pork chops before marinating. The marinade will penetrate the meat and infuse it with flavor without the need for puncturing the surface.

Thin pork chops typically take 8 minutes to cook (4 minutes of searing on each side). Thick pork chops typically take about 20 minutes to grill to perfection - 8 minutes of searing over direct heat, plus 12 minutes of finishing over indirect heat.

Overcooked Pork Chops Are Tough

When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing. This is partly due to carry-over cooking.

Why do you rinse pork chops before cooking? ›

We call this cross-contamination. While washing meat and poultry to remove dirt, slime, fat or blood may have been appropriate decades ago when many slaughtered and prepared their own food, the modern food safety system doesn't require it.

Mix milk with first amount of salt (2 teaspoons) and allow pork chops to soak in this mixture for as long as you'd like, about an hour to maybe four works well. Overnight soaking will result in too much moisture & your breading will fall off. Remove pork chops from brine, and set aside.

Let your chops sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before you begin to cook them. If the meat is too cold, the outside will overcook while the inside comes to the right temperature. Giving the pork a little time to warm up will ensure a nice crust on the outside, with a tender center.

Thick pork chops are grilled over high heat to develop flavor before moving to low heat to cook them gently—that's how you keep them from drying out.

Try a Marinade or Brine. A marinade or brine can introduce more moisture or lots of flavor into your meat before you cook it. A marinade is a sauce that introduces extra flavor to your pork, depending on the aromatics or herbs you choose to include. A brine pulls more moisture into the meat, which keeps your pork juicy ...

A longer brine will bring more moisture into the pork, but a quick brine will still be helpful if you're in a rush to get dinner started. A thick pork chop (1 ½” to 2”) can brine for longer, but avoid brining for more than 8 hours to prevent toughness. After brining, rinse pork chops and pat dry to remove excess salt.

If you're cooking chops that are an inch thick or thicker, close the lid if you're using a gas grill to help maintain the grilling temperature. You can grill the chops uncovered on a charcoal grill regardless of thickness. Flip the pork when it releases from the grate easily. If it's sticking, it's not ready.