These juicy grilled pork chops feature an easy, flavorful spice rub and take less than 30 minutes for the best-grilled pork chops every time.
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Pork chops have long been known as a working man’s meal. They’re economical, lean, healthy, and quick to cook. I love pounding them and lightly frying them when making my Grandma’s classic schnitzel recipe, but typically I prefer to grill pork chops, and this easy Mediterranean marinade is one of my go-tos. I love serving them up with a zesty tomato and caper salad, but when I’m craving something even simpler and more neutral in flavor, this grilled pork chop recipe always fits the bill. Unfortunately, pork chops have a reputation of coming to the dinner table dry and withery as shoe leather. No thanks! Today is the day to banish that belief because tough, dried-out pork chops will be expelled from your vocabulary. Whether bone-in or boneless, these pork chops turn out tender, juicy, and a little smoky.
Why You’ll Love It
- These grilled pork chops don’t need a marinade or a brine, so they go from package to grill to dinner in under 30 minutes
- This easy recipe makes perfectly smoky, tender, juicy grilled pork chops every time
- Cooking the pork chops for the right duration according to their thickness is crucial, and I advise you on the cooking times per thickness, to ensure your pork chops are always juicy and never dry!
Grilled Pork Chops Ingredients List
- Boneless pork chops—I use 6-ounce chops
- Olive oil or canola oil—for brushing the pork chops
- Dry rub pork seasoning—(I prefer making this homemade spice blend)
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make These Grilled Pork Chops
- Prep the grill. Clean the grill grates for cooking over medium-high heat or about 350°F to 450°F.
- Season the pork chops. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and brush both sides evenly with olive oil. Generously season the pork chops with the dry rub, patting into the meat on both sides. Rest for 5-10 minutes as the grill heats. Sprinkle the pork chop seasoning on lightly oiled pork chops, making sure to coat both sides well.
- Let them rest. Allow the rub to rest and work its way into the chops as the grill pre-heats so the flavor seeps into the pork chops before searing on the grill and sealing in flavor (I like to give them 5-10 minutes).
- Grill the pork chops. Grill the pork chops over direct heat, with the lid closed, cooking until they are well-marked, for 8-12 minutes total, and turning them once. For juicy pork chops, the chops should still be barely pink in the middle and should register 140°F on a meat thermometer.
- Rest, cut, and serve. Rest the chops for 5 minutes for the juices to set into the meat before cutting, and serving.
How Long to Grill Pork Chops
Pork chops cook relatively quickly on the grill. Depending on the thickness of the pork chops, the grill time will be anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
What Temperature Pork Should Be Cooked to Eat Safely
For years, cooks have been told to cook pork until well done, resulting in a dried-out piece of meat nobody wants to eat. No more! According to recent changes in the USDA guidelines, it is safe to eat pork cooked medium rare. Cook the pork chops to an internal temperature of 140°F and still barely pink inside, then rest for about 5 minutes for the residual heat will continue to cook and raise the internal temperature.
- For thin-cut, bone-in pork chops about ¼ inch thick, cook over direct medium-high to high heat for a total of 3-5 minutes, with the lid closed, turning once.
- For 1-inch thick boneless pork chops, cook for 8-12 minutes over direct heat turning every 3-4 minutes or until well grill-marked with the lid closed. Add another 5 minutes of resting time for the juices to set in the meat.
Note: If cooked properly, the pork chops will release a bit of juice as they rest, a sign they’re still nice and juicy on the inside.
FAQ
- How do you keep pork chops from drying out on the grill? To prevent your pork chops from drying out on the grill, cook them to an internal temperature of 140°F and still barely pink inside. Then rest them for about 5 minutes for the residual heat will continue to cook and raise the internal temperature.
- Should I oil pork chops before grilling? Yes! You need to oil them so your spice rub will adhere.
What is the Secret to Grilling Pork Chops?
You don’t need much to make juicy pork chops, just good quality chops, oil, and your pork chop seasoning of choice (again, I prefer making this homemade spice blend).
- Choose the right pork chop for grilling. While lean chops are good, too lean—like sirloin chops—are not great for grilling. Instead, choose center-cut rib chops and center-cut loin chops with a bit more fat for flavor and tenderness.
- Fat or thin, both chops win. Thin pork chops are great for grilling because they cook quickly with less time to dry out. Thicker pork chops can be just as tender and just as juicy as thin. Again, it comes down to the cut you choose. For a quick-cooking boneless pork chop, choose pork chops with a thin fat cap that is about 1 inch thick.
- Oil your chops, not the grill. Boneless pork chops don’t have much fat and can stick to the grill if not oiled. We use canola, grape seed, or olive oil.
- Simply season grilled pork chops. Just like any protein, seasoning is the key. Choose your favorite store-bought pork seasoning or make your own, like my dry rub for ribs that are loaded with flavor.
- Make sure your grill grates are HOT. Hot grill grates ensure food doesn’t stick, and with lean pork chops, the sticking factor can be higher. The pork chop grill temp should be between 350° to 450°F.
What to Serve with Grilled Pork Chops
- Dill Cucumber Salad
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Creamy Dilled Red Potato Salad
- The Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Cucumber Basil and Watermelon Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad with Garlic Marinated Tomatoes
- How to Make the Best Grilled Corn on the Cob
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
How to Make THE BEST Grilled Pork Chops
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 4 6-ounce boneless pork chops
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1-2 tablespoons dry rub pork seasoning
Instructions
- Prepare the grill and clean grill grates for cooking over medium-high heat or about 350°F to 450°F.
- Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and brush both sides evenly with oil. Generously season the pork chops with the dry rub, patting into the meat on both sides. Rest for 5-10 minutes as the grill heats.
- Grill the pork chops over direct heat, with the lid closed, until the pork chops are well-marked, for 8-12 minutes total, turning once. For juicy pork chops, the chops should still be barely pink in the middle and should register 140°F on a meat thermometer. Rest the chops for 5 minutes for the juices to set into the meat before cutting, and serve.
Nutrition
More Grilled Recipes You’ll Want to Try Too
- How To Make The Best Grilled Salmon
- How To Make The Best Easy Grilled Corn On The Cob
- The Best Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe
- Grilled Lobster Tails With Smoked Paprika Butter
- Grilled Teriyaki Cauliflower Steaks With Asian Gremolata
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Your grilled pork chops recipe sounds mouth-watering! I appreciate your detailed explanation of cooking techniques to ensure juicy, flavorful pork chops every time.
Great recipe!! Brushing the chops/tenderloins with olive oil also renders better searing, thus helping them stay juicer.
Thank you for the recipe. My very thick chops, from which I bought at Costco, were, at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, too pink for me, and raw at there thickest. I think I’d either leave them for 15 min. at 375, or bump the temp to 400 for 12 min. We sprinkled the chops with some seasoning and herbs du Provence. Outstanding!
Thank you for making my evening a success.
I’m glad it was a success Albert!
Moist and delicious! : )
I do like the recipe but the pictures do not show actually pork chops. They look like tenderloins. I can’t see the bone which is what gives the pork chop flavor. But like I said before still a good eat never the less.
You “can’t see the bone” because the recipe CLEARLY states BONELESS chops!
It even showed up when I searched for “Grilled Pork LOIN Chops”.
Get over your ‘bone thing’ & try something new!
I do like the recipe but the pictures do not show actually pork chops. They look like tenderloins. I can’t see the bone which is what gives the pork chop flavor. But like I said before still a good eat never the less.
It’s not decent behavior to rate a recipe poorly because of your own reading comprehension mistakes.
;)
Juiciest, best pork chops I have ever made!
Love the rub recipe! Please note though, that canola and grapeseed are “seed oils” which are now thought to really increase inflammation and thus decrease our immune system. Olive oil is GREAT and avocado oil is really good, especially for high heat.
Thanks for the info Paul, glad you like the recipe.