The BEST Pork Chop Marinade

The BEST Pork Chop Marinade is a quick and easy marinade made with pantry staples! It will make your pork chops extra juicy, full of flavor and delicious. This pork marinade works great if you are grilling outside or if you are inside using a grill pan!

This post is sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. All text and opinions are my own.

This quick and easy Pork Chop Marinade is going to quickly become your new go-to pork marinade for all your grilling. So easy to make with pantry staples and it makes your pork chops tender and full of flavor.

There’s nothing like firing up the grill on a summer evening and throwing some pork chops on it along with my favorite Grilled Asparagus and Grilled Baked Potatoes!

It is an entire meal all prepared on the grill with minimal clean up in the kitchen. This is something I can get behind!

Why You’ll Love this Easy Pork Chop Marinade!

• It only takes 5 minutes to mix up!
• Tenderizes your pork chop so you’ll pull a juicy, delicious pork chop off the grill that will have your mouth watering.
• Infuses your pork with so much flavor! No dry, tough, flavorless pork for you!

You know what else I can get behind? Supporting my favorite farmers! Especially my friends over in Iowa that produce amazing pork.

That’s why I’m excited to share with you a little about the Iowa Pork Producers today!

First of all, did you know that one-third of all the pork raised in the U.S. comes from Iowa? That’s amazing! Plus, most of the pork raised on those farms in Iowa is eaten right here in the United States.

Every time you pick up pork from a grocery store across the United States, you are supporting family farms in Iowa. Now that right there is awesome!

Family farms are the key to pork production across Iowa.

Ingredients for Pork Chop Marinade

• Brown Sugar – Adds just a touch of sweetness, plus it helps to caramelize the pork chops when you cook them.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Prevents the pork from sticking to the grill plus helps transfer the flavors to the pork while it marinades.
• Soy Sauce – We like to use reduce sodium, but regular works too. This provides flavor and helps tenderize your pork chop.
• Worcestershire Sauce – Adds a depth of flavor!
• Salt & Black Pepper – Adjust to your taste buds, you can even leave the salt out since the soy sauce provides plenty of salt.
• Garlic – Provides so much flavor. Fresh garlic works best.
• Bone-in pork chops – Any thickness works and you can use boneless if you prefer, just adjust your cooking times.

Can I use Boneless Pork Chops?

Yes! We just prefer the bone-in pork chops because they keep the meat extra moist and juicy.

Remember to watch the internal temperature of the pork chops when you grill them. Pull them off at 145 degrees Fahrenheit which is safe to consume according to the USDA and then allow to rest. This helps give you a juicy pork chops no matter if they are bone-in or boneless.

How to Marinate Pork Chops

• Mix Marinade – First, grab a small bowl and whisk all of the ingredients except pork chops together.
• Marinate – Next, grab a resealable zip lock bag or and place the pork chops in it. Pour the marinade you prepared into it. Squeeze as much air out of bag as possible and seal. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

How to Grill Marinated Pork Chops

• Preheat Grill – When you are ready to grill the pork chops preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat. Place pork chops on grill or in pan.
• Grill – Discard remaining marinade. Grill the pork chops over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer inserted in the middle of the meat reaches 145 degrees F. Remove from grill or grill pan.
• Rest – Let pork chops stand for 5 minutes before eating to let juices redistribute. This gets you that super juicy, delicious pork chop!

The Secret Ingredient! Soy Sauce!

Don’t leave out the soy sauce! It’s like a secret ingredient.

It acts as a brine, which injects the pork with tons of flavor and makes it juicy. It’s way better than your basic salt and water brine because it also brings a flavor to your marinade.

No, don’t worry, it won’t make your pork chops take on an Asian flavor!

How Long to Marinate Pork Chops

After a hour the pork chops will already benefit from the marinating. I prefer to let them marinate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours to get the most out of the marinade!

I love throwing my pork chops in the marinade so when I come home they are ready to go and I can have dinner in about ten minutes!

Can you marinate Pork Chops to long?

Yes, any acid in the marinade starts to break down the protein, aka the pork chop, after 1 day, so we recommend not marinading these longer than 24 hours.

What temperature should Pork Chops be cooked too?

Research shows that pork can be consumed safely when cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degree F and followed by a three minute rest time.

This yields a finished product that is pinker in color than home cooks were used to, but no worries it’s totally safe!

We recommend an instant read food thermometer to make sure your meat is safe to consume.

Can You Freeze this Marinade?

Yes! This makes a great freezer meal!

To freeze simply freeze uncooked pork in resealable bag with marinade, making sure the pork chops are coated. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To use, place the pork chops in the refrigerator overnight to completely thaw. Grill as directed.

Double this recipe, freeze half of it and you just made two meals. This is my kind of cooking!

Serving Suggestions

• Grilled Asparagus
• Grilled Baked Potato
• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Imagine biting into a tender, juicy and delicious pork chop with amazing flavor. The perfect easy dinner recipe!

More Pork Chop Recipes!

• Grilled Boneless Pork Chops
• Smoked Pork Chops
• Grilled Pineapple Pork Chops
• Sheet Pan Parmesan Pork Chops