This super easy Grilled Pork Chop Recipe is quickly marinated in my signature blend and then grilled to juicy perfection.
We love to pair these grill pork chops with my cool and Creamy Corn Salad or Smokey Baked Beans.
Fire up the grill, it’s time to get down to business with these tender pork chops!
Grilled Pork Chop Recipe
Whether you’re firing up the grill, using a George Foreman or cooking indoors with a cast iron grill pan, these juicy pork chops are sure to make you happy!
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 it’s 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 that’s 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
How To Grill Pork Chops
- Start by combining my simple, yet mega flavorful, marinade ingredients in a zip close bag.
- Add in your pork chops and let marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- Heat up your grill or grilling pan and cook until the pork reaches 140 degrees F.
- Cover the pork chops loosely with foil for about 5 to 10 minutes before enjoying.
What Temperature Should Pork Be?
Pork is “the other white meat.” Similar to chicken, there is a safe-to-eat temperature for pork that you should be looking for. Pork needs to be 145 degrees F to be considered safe to eat.
In this recipe I state to cook to 140 degrees and then tent for 5 to 10 minutes. The temperature of the pork will continue to rise to the safe temp once taken off the grill. If you wait to remove it at 145 degrees, it’ll most likely be tough (and possibly dried out) by the time you take a bite.
Bone-in Pork Chops or Boneless – Which To Use?
If I’m grilling, I want those thick cut, bone-in pork chops! You’ll get a delicious sear on the outside creating a tasty caramelized coating and tender, juicy insides.
Look for pork chops that are at least 3/4″ thick for best results. If you’re using smaller cuts, keep an eye on the temperature as they’ll cook real fast.
If you can’t use the grill outside you can still cook these pork chops in an oven safe grill pan or skillet. To prevent burning the pork chops, you’ll do a quick sear and then finish them cooking in the oven.
Side Dish Recipes That Pair Perfectly with Pork:
These are some of my favorite recipes to serve with grilled pork chops!
- Creamy Corn Salad Recipe (pictured above)
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Grilled Pork Chop Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 bone-in pork chops, at least 3/4" thick
Instructions
- Combine the dry sherry, soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and pepper in a zip close bag.
- Add the pork chops to the marinade and let sit for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. Let the pork chops sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes prior to grilling.
- Heat the grill to medium heat then add your marinated pork chops. Discard any leftover marinade. Grill until pork chops reach 140 degrees F, flipping halfway. Remove from grill and cover loosely with foil for 10 minutes. Internal temperature should reach 145 degrees. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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This was delicious! Both the pork chops and the creamy corn salad. The marinade gave the chops a delicious exotic flavor. Will make again
In the last step, it’s confusing when the surface temperature when cooking is 5 degrees less than the internal temperature when cooked and there is no time frame for the grilling process. Refer to below paragraph from the recipe above.
Heat the grill to medium heat then add your marinated pork chops. Discard any leftover marinade. Grill until pork chops reach 140 degrees F, flipping halfway. Remove from grill and cover loosely with foil for 10 minutes. Internal temperature should reach 145 degrees. Enjoy!
Your grill will be much hotter than 140 degrees in order to cook the pork chop to the internal temperature needed. By taking it off the heat and loosely covering it, the temperature of the pork should continue to rise, but not too much. This will allow the juices in the pork to redistribute and keep the pork chops nice and juicy without over cooking.
The best thing you can do is get yourself an instant read thermometer so you know exactly when your pork is ready. I can’t give you an exact time to cook because there are simply too many variables: how big your pork chop is, what was the temperature of it prior to grilling, how hot is your grill, etc. Cooking until it reaches that internal temperature is how you’ll get excellent results.
Can you cook the marinade to make a glaze?
What can you use instead of the sherry?
You can leave it out completely, or just add a little chicken stock to replace.
How long do you cook in the oven if you don’t have a grill?
Here is my Oven Baked Pork Chops Recipe that has all that info for ya! Juicy Oven Baked Pork Chops Recipe
So yummy!
So glad you enjoyed it Angela!
Grilled Pork Chops & Marinade: I loved this. My husband made this last night and used pork steaks instead of chops & it was amazing. We had leftovers tonight on our tossed salad. YUM!!!
Fantastic! Love the idea of throwing the grilled pork on top of a salad! Thanks for the comment Kathryn!