Juicy Grilled Pork Chops

This grilled pork chops recipe comes out so juicy and tender on the inside and has gorgeous, charred grill marks on the outside.

In this post, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about grilled pork chops like what cut of meat to use, how to flavor it, and how to grill pork chops perfectly every time. 

Why Make Grilled Pork Chops?

Grilled pork doesn’t have to be dry! This super juicy grilled pork chops recipe packs a ton of delicious flavor and is perfectly cooked every time on the grill. We’ll walk you through everything step-by-step in this “how to grill pork chops” post.

What is a Pork Chop?

Pork chops are sliced cutlets from pork loin. They are a leaner cut of pork with some fat marbling that come pre-portioned. You can either buy pork chops bone-in or boneless. They come in varying thicknesses and are widely available at most U.S. grocery stores.

What kind of pork chops do I need for this recipe?

This grilled pork chops recipe calls for a thicker, bone-in pork chop. We recommend going to your local butcher or the meat counter at your local grocery store and asking for 2 lbs. thick-cut bone-in pork chops.

We used 4 pork chops in this recipe. So each one weighed about 1/2-lb.

How to Flavor Grilled Pork Chops for Grilling

There are two main ways that you can flavor pork chops for grilling –> marinades (which we used in this recipe) or dry rubs.

Marinades: a marinade is like a flavor bath for your pork. It infuses the meat with delicious flavors and leaves your pork extra juicy. In this recipe, we’re using our go-to pork chop marinade (more on that below).

Dry Rubs: dry rubs are a great way to add amazing texture to the outside along with intense flavor. If you’d rather use a dry rub for this recipe, we recommend our Pork Rub. It’s sweet, savory, and a little smokey.

Best Pork Chop Marinade

We absolutely love marinating pork because it really does infuse the entire piece of meat with juicy flavor.

Our go-to grilled pork chop recipe is sweet, and salty and does wonders for flavoring your chops! Here’s what you need:

• Soy sauce: add a richness of salt perfect for breaking down the tendons in yoru pork.
• Brown sugar: sugar helps balance out the saltiness with some sweet.
• Worcestershire sauce: we love Worcestershire sauce in marinades becuase it’s savory and tangy all at the same time.
• Garlic: feel free to use minced garlic or mince your own garlic cloves.
• Lemon juice: a little citrus pulls all of these flavors together.

How to Grill Pork Chops – Step by Step

1. Mix marinade: combine the grilled pork chops marinade in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. Marinate: place pork chops in a gallon-size bag or large dish and pour marinade on top of pork chops. Squish them around making sure every last bit gets coated. Let marinate in fridge for 12-24 hours (or for at least 2-4).
3. Grill over direct heat: grill over direct heat for around 6-8 minutes on each side and until the internal tempereature reaches at least 140ºF (for medium-rare) or 150ºF (for medium-well).
4. Let rest: let pork chops rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the internal temperature to rise 5 more degrees.
5. Enjoy!

Note: check out our grilled pork chops temperature guide below. You’ll see that we’re recommending taking the meat off the grill 5ºF lower than your preferred doneness. As pork rests, it will continue to cook around 5ºF.

What to Serve with Grilled Pork Chops

Looking for some simple grilled sides to pair with your chops? Check out some of our favorite ones below!

How to Store Leftover Grilled Pork Chops

Our biggest tip when storing grilled pork chops is to let them cool completely before refrigerating. So, let it cool, transfer it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.