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Home / Holiday Recipes / BBQ & Grilling / The Best Pork Chop Marinade

The Best Pork Chop Marinade

1 hr 5 mins
| 31 Comments |
4.88 from 33 votes
Jump to Recipe 06/09/20 | Updated: 01/05/21 | by Nora
photo collage of pork chop marinade with text overlay

This is the best easy pork chop marinade recipe! It’s great for pork chops on the grill, but you can make them on the stove in a grill pan, too. Simple ingredients, pantry staples, and only 5 minutes of prep time!

ziploc bag with marinated pork chops

I love a good summer backyard BBQ, and pork chops are one of my favorite cuts to use. I pretty much always marinate them to add more flavor, so I thought I’d share my favorite recipe.

The great thing about marinades is that they are so quick and easy to pull together, but can make such a huge difference to the flavor and texture of your grilled meat!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

photo of ingredients for pork chop marinade with labels
Ingredients for pork chop marinade: Pork chops, fresh herbs, olive oil, soy sauce, honey, garlic, mustard, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt & pepper.

Ingredient notes

  • Pork: I recommend using bone-in chops because they stay juicier on the grill, but if you only have boneless you can use those, too. Just make sure you don’t overcook them.
  • Sweetener: A little bit of sugar helps balance the flavor of the marinade, but feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
  • Parsley: You can use 1 teaspoon dried parsley in place of the fresh.
  • Garlic: You can use ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder in place of the fresh.

Step by step photos

measuring jug with pork chop marinade
First, make the marinade.
pouring marinade over pork chops
Then, pour the marinade over pork chops in a freezer bag.

ziploc bag with marinated pork chops
Let the pork chops marinate in the fridge.

Recipe tips

  • You can double the recipe, just make sure to use a large enough freezer bag to hold all the chops and all the marinade.
  • If you want to go plastic-free, you may use a glass or stainless steel container with a lid. Or even a ceramic baking dish works, if you can cover it well. Make sure the marinade entirely covers the pork chops. You may need to make more marinade to cover them. Then put on the lid and place in the fridge as directed in the recipe.
  • Adding the fresh sprigs of herbs to the bag isn’t crucial, so if you don’t keep fresh herbs on hand don’t worry about them. They do add some extra flavor we really enjoy, but the marinade works well without them, too.

Pork chop marinade FAQs

How long can you marinate pork chops?

I recommend to go for at least 1 hour, ideally 6-8 hours. You can leave pork in marinade in the fridge for around 3 days in a clean, covered container or freezer bag. Source: USDA Knowledge Article

Why do my pork chops come out tough?

Pork chops are a lean cut, so they are easy to overcook. Overcooking them can lead to dry, tough meat. It’s also important to rest the pork chops for around 5 minutes before slicing into them after cooking. That way, the juices can redistribute, which contributes to a more tender chop.

How can you tell if pork chops are done?

According to new USDA guidelines, it’s ok if pork is a little bit pink in the middle. To make sure meat is safe to eat, I always recommend using a food thermometer at the thickest part of the chops. The internal temperature should reach at least 145°F with a rest time of 3 minutes after cooking. Source: Safe Minimum Cooking Temperature Charts

grilled pork chops

More marinades

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  • lemon garlic chicken marinade for the freezer
    Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken Marinade

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable Recipe Card
ziploc bag with marinated pork chops
Save Recipe Saved!

Pork Chop Marinade

This is the best easy pork chop marinade recipe! It's great for pork chops on the grill, but you can make them on the stove in a grill pan, too. Simple ingredients, pantry staples, and only 5 minutes of prep time!
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
4.88 from 33 votes
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 5 mins
1 hr
Total 1 hr 5 mins
Servings 4 servings
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
 

For the marinade

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey OR maple OR brown sugar OR low carb sweetener
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the meat

  • 4 bone-in pork chops

Instructions
 

  • Combine ingredients for marinade in a measuring jug. Whisk well.
  • Place pork chops in freezer bag and pour marinade on top. Close bag well, then slightly massage marinade into pork chops.
  • Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.
  • Remove the pork chops from the bag, discarding marinade and bag. Cook the pork chops on the grill or in a grill pan on the stove.
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Notes

Ingredient notes

  • Pork: I recommend using bone-in chops because they stay juicier on the grill, but if you only have boneless you can use those, too. Just make sure you don’t overcook them.
  • Sweetener: A little bit of sugar helps balance the flavor of the marinade, but feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
  • Parsley: You can use 1 teaspoon dried parsley in place of the fresh.
  • Garlic: You can use ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder in place of the fresh.

Recipe tips

  • You can double the recipe, just make sure to use a large enough freezer bag to hold all the chops and all the marinade.
  • If you want to go plastic-free, you may use a glass or stainless steel container with a lid. Or even a ceramic baking dish works, if you can cover it well. Make sure the marinade entirely covers the pork chops. You may need to make more marinade to cover them. Then put on the lid and place in the fridge as directed in the recipe.
  • Adding the fresh sprigs of herbs to the bag isn’t crucial, so if you don’t keep fresh herbs on hand don’t worry about them. They do add some extra flavor we really enjoy, but the marinade works well without them, too.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 31gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 1173mgPotassium: 562mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 84IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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Comments

  1. Motty Franks says

    August 21, 2022 at 1:57 am

    5 stars
    I love this marinade! Thank you for sharing! For added flavor… Right before grilling I heavily added: salt/pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder and maple garlic seasoning! It added lots of great flavor! I threw some hickory wood on the charcoal for a smoked flavor! Best pork chops I’ve ever made!!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      August 21, 2022 at 12:38 pm

      Thanks for sharing your spice suggestions! Love it, and glad you enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply
  2. angie says

    July 13, 2022 at 12:52 am

    4 stars
    This was so good. Porkchops were flavorful and very tender. Will be using this recipe again

    Reply
    • Nora says

      July 23, 2022 at 11:00 am

      I’m so glad, Angie!

      Reply
  3. Leann says

    June 05, 2022 at 12:57 am

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and WOW it was so good. I didn’t change anything about this recipe, I always make new recipes the way they were intended the first time and this one doesn’t need anything changed at all. My husband is not a fan of pork, but he devoured these chops. Anything that can get my husband to eat pork chops is a huge plus in my book, I will be making these again.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      June 14, 2022 at 2:12 pm

      I’m so glad, Leann! Thanks for your great review, I appreciate it.

      Reply
  4. Eve says

    June 02, 2022 at 12:50 am

    Easy and delicious. Halved quantities for 2 chops & this worked well. Used dark maple sugar for the sweetener (and as promised just added flavour depth without being in any way syrupy) and added summer savoury. Marinated 5 hours. Chops were succulent & had great flavour – I will definitely make again!. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      June 04, 2022 at 2:07 pm

      I’m so glad, Eve!

      Reply
  5. Don McTizic says

    May 21, 2022 at 10:53 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious, delicious, delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 22, 2022 at 1:35 pm

      I’m so glad, Don!

      Reply
  6. Tina says

    May 17, 2022 at 1:39 am

    5 stars
    Made grilled pork chops tonight. They were delicious. I used honey mustard instead and used 3 cloves of garlic

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 17, 2022 at 4:11 pm

      That sounds delicious, Tina!

      Reply
  7. Sandra says

    April 06, 2022 at 2:55 am

    5 stars
    I also used lemon juice from real lemons! I forgot to add that part! 😉

    Reply
  8. Sandra says

    April 06, 2022 at 2:53 am

    5 stars
    This marinade was delicious & a hit with the whole family! It made the chops (bone in) super tender. I used organic honey & 1/2 tsp. of sugar along with the rest of the ingredients for 8 chops (x2), but I made 5 chops instead of 8. It was the perfect amount! I let them sit in the fridge for 20 hours! Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      April 08, 2022 at 9:27 pm

      I’m so glad, Sandra!

      Reply
  9. Tracy lichacz says

    April 03, 2022 at 10:36 pm

    Iam making this tonight for supper and going to bake them in the oven .

    Reply
    • Nora says

      April 08, 2022 at 9:29 pm

      I hope the chops turned out well for you, Tracy!

      Reply
  10. Mary Meyer says

    April 02, 2022 at 6:36 am

    5 stars
    The marinade did it for me. Turned plain old pork chops into a delicious meal. Thank you so much. I will be trying this on chicken too!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      April 08, 2022 at 9:32 pm

      I’m so glad, Mary!

      Reply
  11. Lauren says

    March 03, 2022 at 1:14 am

    4 stars
    Absolutely delicious, even my seven year old son loved it! Will definitely make this again. I also used fresh squeezed orange juice and a little orange zest instead of lemon juice. It was perfection ☺️ the fiance also loved it
    Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      March 06, 2022 at 1:34 pm

      That sounds so good with the orange, Lauren!

      Reply
  12. Deanna says

    January 11, 2022 at 6:22 pm

    5 stars
    Best ever is absolutely correct. I have done this recipe many times and the pork chop come out tender and juicy every time. This is now the only recipe we use when making pork chops.
    I use cast iron, brown them first to nice and brown on medium heat and then I reduce the heat and cook about three minutes on each side on medium/low and I let them rest while i finish rice and veg.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      January 12, 2022 at 9:28 am

      I’m so glad, Deanna!

      Reply
  13. Nancy says

    May 23, 2021 at 9:33 pm

    When you cook these on the stove, what is the cooking time? Could they be cooked in the oven..cooking time the usual?

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 24, 2021 at 3:52 pm

      Nancy, the cooking time will depend on your specific pork chop you’re using (bone-in or boneless, how thick they are, which cut you’re using…). I do cook neck chops in the oven and they come out amazing (I brown them in a cast iron skillet first, then cook in the oven for around 15 minutes right in the skillet).

      Reply
    • Ally says

      August 15, 2021 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      The best little marinade for chops I’ve ever used. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Nora says

        September 25, 2021 at 5:47 pm

        I’m so glad, Ally!

        Reply
  14. Linda says

    May 13, 2021 at 1:09 pm

    4 stars
    It was really good. I didn’t have the lemon juice so I substituted for orange juice. The pork chops turned out really tender and juicy

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 13, 2021 at 11:09 pm

      I’m so glad, Linda! And the orange juice sounds like such a great substitute.

      Reply
  15. Lyne says

    April 08, 2021 at 1:06 am

    4 stars
    Wow, just had our pork, my 22 years old son said that might be the best pork shops he ever had. It was delicious and so easy! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      April 08, 2021 at 9:30 am

      I’m so glad, Lyne!

      Reply

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Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings

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Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

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