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Pork is leaner than ever these days, which makes it more likely to dry out on the grill. Thankfully, that’s easy to avoid with this simple brined pork chop recipe. The brine comes together in minutes with pantry staples and works its magic on the meat in just 1 hour. It really is a game-changer for grilled pork chops.
Right before grilling, we rub each chop with a homemade, sweet and smoky seasoning blend to add some classic BBQ flavor to our pork. It’s an optional step though and you can get creative with different flavor profiles (think Tex Mex with cumin and chili powder, or Italian with extra garlic and oregano). You can also keep it simple with a brush of olive oil and a sprinkling of black pepper.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
PORK CHOPS: For grilling, we always look for bone-in pork chops. The bone acts as insulation, helping the meat cook more evenly and stay moist. Here are the two cuts we recommend:
- RIB CHOPS: These are our top pick for grilled pork chops. Look for 3/4 to 1-inch thick chops with nice marbling. Resist the urge to trim the fat as it adds flavor and keeps the meat juicy.
- CENTER-CUT LOIN CHOPS: Center-cut loin chops are the next best choice. They’re somewhat leaner, but still tender and tasty when brined.
BRINE: Here’s the ingredient ratio for making the brine. You’ll want to make 1 cup of brine per pork chop.
Kosher salt: 1 tablespoon per 1 cup of water
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons per 1 cup of water
Garlic (optional): 1/2 clove per 1 cup of water
BBQ SEASONING: We use our homemade BBQ spice rub with brown sugar and spices to add flavor to our pork chops. If you’re short on time, just rub the chops with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
Overview
How to Make Juicy Grilled, Brined Pork Chops
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
Make a quick brine with water, salt, and sugar. Heat half the water to dissolve everything, then cool it down with the remaining water. Add a crushed whole clove of garlic if you want – it’s optional.
Let the pork chops soak in this mixture for at least 1 hour, up to 2, in the fridge. This is an easy step that pays off in tender, juicy chops.
Remove the chops from the brine, pat them dry (no need to rinse), and season with homemade BBQ rub, or coat them with olive oil, pepper, and a light pinch of salt (go easy since the brine adds salt already).
Preheat the grill to medium-high, oil the grates, add the chops and grill for 5 to 6 minutes total. Check their internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer and pull them off the grill when they reach 135 to 140°F (for medium). Don’t overcook!
Let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving. Resting helps the juices redistribute so every bite is as juicy and tender.
More Ways to Use This Easy Brine
This simple brine is fantastic for grilling chicken and other lean proteins that benefit from a moisture boost. During grilling season, we make up a few quarts (sans garlic) and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.
We use it to make perfectly grilled boneless chicken breasts and for our Grilled Turkey Tenderloin Salad, a light, fresh main dish salad with garlic croutons and a creamy avocado dressing.
Juicy Brined and Grilled Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork rib chops, 3/4 to 1-inch thick – see notes
- 2-1/2 to 3 tablespoons BBQ Spice Rub, see notes for substitutions
For the brine:
- 4 cups water, divided
- 4 tablespoons kosher salt, (1/4 cup)
- 8 tablespoons granulated sugar, (1/2 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic (optional), peeled and lightly crushed
Instructions
Brine the pork chops:
- Make the brine by combining 2 cups of water with the salt and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups of cold water along with the garlic (if using) and refrigerate to cool at least to room temperature. If you can, make the brine ahead of time and chill it.
- Arrange the pork chops in a container large enough to fit them in a single layer without too much extra space, and pour the brine over the top. Move the chops around a little to ensure the brine touches all surfaces.
- You can also brine your chops in a zip-top freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible, and seal it tightly.
- Refrigerate the chops for at least 1 hour (up to 2 hours), turning them once midway through the brining time.
- As the end of the brining time approaches, preheat your gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F).
Season the pork chops:
- Remove the chops from the brine and pat them dry on both sides with paper towels. Discard the brine.
- Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of BBQ Spice Rub on each side of the chops and rub it into the meat with your fingertips or the back of a spoon (see recipe notes for substitutions).
Grill the chops:
- Using tongs and a paper towel dipped in cooking oil, carefully oil the grill grates and add your pork chops.
- Grill them for 4 minutes on the first side, turn them, and continue grilling for 2 minutes longer.
- Check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer and remove the chops from the grill when they reach 135 to 140°F (for medium). Don't overcook!
- Transfer the chops to a platter, tent with foil, and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Supper was a success. The pork chops were quite tender. Remember I said I would be using Splenda instead of sugar. I used 1/4 cup of Splenda instead of 1/2 cup. I find Splenda to be sweeter then sugar. In this brine recipe I would reduce the Splenda even more. Maybe as little as 1 Tbsp. It was an excellent meal.
Hi Linda,
Thank you so much for sharing your modification to the brine solution. This is excellent information for anyone who needs to restrict their intake of sugar.
Plan on trying this brine today on pork chops. I must use Splenda instead of sugar for special diet reasons. It will be interesting to see the results. I’ll post later
This is my first time to brine anything and it turned out great. This is a keeper. Finally a recipe that make the pork chops juicy and not dried out and tough. I had to cook the more than the recipe suggest but they turned out fantastic. Thanks for the pro tips.
Hi Paul,
Glad to hear that you liked the brined pork chops. Thanks for letting us know!
These turned out so well – some of the best pork chops I have ever made. I made the rub without salt since it had already been brained, and they were perfect for us. My whole family decided this recipe is a keeper.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for taking the time to share your comment. So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I have boneless butterfly chops can I use this recipe?
Hi Lori,
The recipe should work just fine with your boneless chops as long as the thickness is comparable (about 3/4” to 1″). I think you could reduce the maximum brining time to 90 minutes, and adjust the grilling time from 4 to 3 minutes on the first side. If your chops are thinner, just cut back the times a little more. Hope this helps!
The removal temp at 135 degrees was spot on. I took a cooking class once and the subject was pork. The teaching chef said ‘if you look at you pork chops and they look perfect to you, you have probably left them on to long. Now with instant reads, it takes the guess work out of the equation. Just change my mind. It will be grilled chops on the 4th now. Thanks.
Thanks for your comment. I agree with the chef about the chops – you have to remember that residual heat!
So happy that you liked them Lillian! The brine is easy and always produces great results.
I left them in the brine overnight and they were the best darn chops I have ever had!! I used a Tupperware container instead of a plastic bag but it was awesome, they were so juicy and some wonderful thick pork chops we got at our local farmer’s market but these are the recipe we used for the chops we bought and this recipe really did them justice!!
Hi Elisabeth,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I’m so glad to hear the brine worked out on your pork chops. It’s pretty versatile too. We’ve used it for grilled pork tenderloin, turkey tenderloins and boneless chicken breasts too (shorter brining time on the boneless meats though).
Never used BRINE until I tried your recipe. I really feel it helps as our lean pork can also be dry when grilled. I followed the recipe and was very pleased. Thank you !
Hi Beth,
Brining really does help to keep grilled pork and chicken moist and tender. I try to keep some on hand in the fridge during grilling season.
Don’t have access to a grill…could broil? Or grill pan?
Hi Susan,
Yes, you can certainly make these in the broiler or grill pan. If you decide to broil, get chops that are on the thicker side and broil them on a rack set over a pan with about 1/4-inch of water in it. Place the oven rack about 5 inches below the broiler too – those steps should help prevent smoking. As far as time is concerned, you may need to cook a little longer than the recipe calls for. It all depends on your broiler. Hope this helps.
This was a super recipe. I used an Applewood Rub instead of the smokey bbq rub. I followed the rest of the recipe with that one exception. The meat was tender with a little kick. I cooked fresh kale and amish macaroni salad. Dinner was great. Enjoy!
Hi Deidre,
The applewood rub sounds great – so glad you enjoyed the chops!