Perfect Grilled Pork Chops Recipe

The secret to juicy grilled chops is starting out with thick cuts, brining the meat, and cooking the chops over indirect heat.

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Sep. 07, 2018
20160415-grilled-pork-chop-vicky-wasik-4.jpg
Photograph and video: Vicky Wasik

Why This Recipe Works

  • Center-cut, rib chops have enough fat to allow it to stand up to the heat well, along with a nice degree of flavor.
  • Chops about 1 1/2-inches thick allow some insurance in cooking.
  • Dry brining the chops help them retain more juice as they cook.

This recipe was originally published in 2012. It has been updated with new information based on further testing.

Dry, chewy pork chops are a thing of the past—these thick-cut beauties are everything an excellent grilled pork chop should be. By starting out with thick chops it's easier to prevent them from overcooking, while a dry brine keeps them seasoned and juicy. Here we utilize two-zone indirect heat, which allows you to gently finish cooking the chops after getting them browned over high heat.

2:14

How to Grill Pork Chops

Recipe Details

Perfect Grilled Pork Chops Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 90 mins
Serves 4 servings

The secret to juicy grilled chops is starting out with thick cuts, brining the meat, and cooking the chops over indirect heat.

Ingredients

  • 4 (1 1/2-inch-thick) center-cut pork rib chops, about 8 ounces (225g) each

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Sprinkle pork chops all over with salt, place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

  2. Remove pork chops from refrigerator and season heavily with pepper. Lightly season with additional salt if necessary.

  3. Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate. Place pork chops over hot side of grill and cook until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

  4. Move pork chops to cool side of grill, situated with bones facing the fire. Cover and cook until meat registers 135°F (57°C) on an instant-read thermometer when inserted into thickest part of chop. Remove pork from grill, let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.

Special equipment

Grill, Instant-read thermometer, Wire rack

Notes

The best cooking temp for grilled pork chops? That would be 135°F (57°C), which is just at the high end of medium-rare. This allows the final chop to come to a rosy and juicy medium 145°F (63°C) during the mandatory 10-minute rest off the grill.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
446 Calories
24g Fat
0g Carbs
54g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 446
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 30%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 179mg 60%
Sodium 746mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 54g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 54mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 740mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)