A great pork chop marinade that will make your pork extra juicy with a terrific savoury flavour and a gorgeous caramelised crust without overpowering the natural flavour of pork. Even 1 hour of marinating makes a remarkable difference!
Just a great pork chop marinade
You know when something hits the pan and it smells so great than even if it’s the first time you’ve made that recipe, you know it’s going to be a winner? This is one of those. 🙂
Plus, the added bonus is that there is a very good chance that all the ingredients are already in your pantry. Checklist:
soy sauce
brown sugar
mustard
garlic
pepper
Worcestershire Sauce (I never spell that right first go! Thank you auto correct).
Soy sauce is the secret ingredient
“Soy sauce?”, I hear some of you think, dubiously.
YES. Soy sauce. NO it doesn’t make this the least bit Asiany (no matter how I spell it, auto correct does not like that word!). It’s a brine that injects the pork with juiciness and it’s better than the basic salt + water brine because it’s got more flavour to it.
If you’ve never tried a soy sauce based brine for a protein before, I think you’re going to be very pleasantly surprised. Watch the video below the recipe – the end when I press down on the pork chop to show how juicy it is. That’s courtesy of the soy sauce!
I’m sharing this Pork Chop Marinade because I got all excited that I finally got a new BBQ. Living by the ocean means that anything that resides outdoors has a limited life and my current BBQ looks like an abandoned burnt out car.
While it’s terrific seared on the grill, it is of course great pan fried as well which is how I usually make it.
If you’re BBQ-ing, try it this Lemon Potato Salad and a garden salad with French Dressing, and have a browse for more Grilling Ideas.
If it’s winter where you are, try this One Pan BAKED Vegetables and Rice – you’ll love the seasoned rice! – Nagi xx
More great pork chop marinades & rubs
Or use the marinades from these recipes for pork: Lime Chicken, Greek Chicken Gyros, Chicken Shawarma
Try these on the side
My favourite back-pocket marinades
These are the ones I use over and over again, made with pantry staples with lots of sub options!
Watch how to make it
Recipe video for this great Pork Chop Marinade! Don’t miss the end when I show how juicy the chops are…
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A Great Pork Chop Marinade
Ingredients
- 4 bone in pork chops, 2 cm / 4/5″ thick about 280g/9 oz each (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp oil
Marinade:
- 1/3 cup (85 ml) soy sauce (light or all purpose, not dark)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag. Massage to combine.
- Add chops. Massage to coat in the Marinade. Marinate for 1 – 24 hours. (Note 2)
- Take the chops out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
- Brush BBQ grill or drizzle oil in pan, heat on medium high. Add pork and cook for 4 minutes or until the underside is caramelised and the pork releases from the grill, then turn the chops and cook for 3 minutes (Note 2 for thin chops).
- Baste both sides with residual marinade in ziplock bag, then cook the basted side for 30 seconds before serving. The chops should have a great crust
- Transfer chops to a plate, cover loosely with foil. Rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
* Thin chops: 1.25 cm/ 1/2″ thick – 1 hr+
* Thick chops 2 cm / 4/5″ thick – 3 hrs+ COOK TIME for just white (juicy, no pink, reduce by 1 min for hint of blush):
* Thin chops – 3 minutes first side, 2 minutes second side, then 30 seconds on each side for basting.
* Thick chops – 4 minutes first side, 3 minutes second side, then 45 seconds on each side. If your chops are thicker than the Thick Chops, then I’d recommend starting on the stove and finishing in the oven at 180C/350F until the internal temperature is 145F / 63C. 3. Troubleshooting / tips: Once you put the chops on the BBQ, DON’T TOUCH IT! Once it is cooked, it will release naturally from the grills. If it sticks, it’s not ready to turn. If your chops are cooking too quickly and start to burn because of the sugar in the marinade, turn the heat down. Remember, these chops are meant to have a gorgeous chargrilled crust! 4. CRISPY POTATO ROSTI recipe (pictured on the side of the chops) – by reader request, here’s an abbreviated form of the recipe: 2 large brushed (Sebago) potatoes (US: use russet), peeled and grated using a box grater. Grab handfuls and squeeze out excess liquid or do this using a dish towel (clean!). Place in bowl, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tbsp butter + 1 1/2 tbsp oil (I use olive) in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add dollops of potato, spread into pancake shape about 12 cm / 4.5″ wide, 0.75 cm / 1/4″ thick. Press down to compact into rosti, cook for 3 minutes or until deep golden brown. Flip and repeat. Drain on paper towels, repeat with remaining potato, should make 8. Originally posted August 2017, photos replaced in May 2018, some tidying up done in February 2019, no change to recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
This is what a doggie smile looks like!
Fantastic! Grilled the marinated (for 4 hrs) chops outside on gas grill (prepped with some Pam grilling spray), cover on, at 4 1/2 mins first side then 3 mins other side, then checked temp, and did another minute or two total for medium (these were pretty hefty 1” chops). The tangy sweet char was amazing! Hubby said he’d expect this at a fine dining restaurant!
Perfection Phyllis!
Another winner from my favourite blogger! You REALLY have to bring out a cookbook. I’ll be first in line to pre-order and I don’t even buy cookbooks much anymore.
Nice
Wahoo! Thanks so much Sue!
What about dredging thin pork chops? You don’t bother?
I made this last night and the pork was tender and delicious! I grilled thick chops on my hibachi and fried the crispy smash potatoes in cast iron on stove. Because of acid reflux I left out garlic, but it was still amazing. Places like this remind me how lucky I am to have the internet. Thanks!
Oh that sounds divine Mel!!
Made this last night. Super easy to throw together and my family loved it!!
Thank you!
Perfect!!!
First off, LOVE this marinade!! We usually dry rub all our pork for the BBQ but I wanted to try something different today. Second… Aisiany is a bad thing? Us westerners need to take a little lesson on what Umami is because ‘salty’ just doesn’t cut it for a yummy meat dish, if we have to give credit for such wonder to across the sea, so be it!!! On that note, what COULD be added to make it even more ASIAN-Y next time? Ginger? Citrus juice?
I mixed up this marinade for 3 boneless chops yesterday morning and cooked them with my sous vide that evening to 150F for 1.5hrs.
I finished them in a cast iron pan with 1tbsp butter and 2tbsp canola oil 45 seconds per side on med/high heat and a quick edge sear.
I’m not a big pork chop eater because they’re usually so dry when I cook them conventionally.
THESE WERE AMAZING! So juicy and flavorful. Very tasty marinade, not Asiany just as stated in the article.
Can you really cook an inch thick pork steak on the grill for only four minutes on one side and three on the other and it’s done?
Sure can Kathy!
Do you recommend a grill temp? I’m thinking 360-385 Fahrenheit.
Hi Andrew, I usually BBQ mine – but yes if using an oven grill I’d have it on a high heat – N x
I pan sear mine on stove and finish in oven. Yum! Gonna try soy marinade and grill.
Such a good marinade!
Thanks so much Claudia!
Your marinade is the BOMB!!! These ingredients made my pork sing… like if in opera. I will never make pork chops without this marinade. You are my hero!
Thanks so much KL!
Can I sub salt & water in the Great Pork Chop Marinade for the soy sauce, like you suggested in the Great Chicken Marinade? My brother-in-law has a wheat allergy, which soy sauce contains.
There is a gluten free soy sauce called Tamari sauce you could use. Still tastes great.
Yummmmmmo!!! It was easy and delicious!!!
Sure could Barbara!
I marinated 4 frozen chops for 24 hours and grilled them last night. I am not a pork chop fan at all. Now I can be, but ONLY if this recipe is used lol. Thanks for contributing to a delicious meal in the pre-heat of summer.
You’re converted now! 😂 I’m so glad you loved it!
You need your own cooking show! I love your recipes. Thank you, Nagi!
😂 Dozer will been on screen before I will!
Absolutely amazing! Didn’t change a thing from the original recipe and the pork chops were wonderful. Thanks for sharing! It will now be my go-to!
I’m so glad you loved them!
HI. How come the soy sauce has to be light? Don’t normally have it on hand, only dark. What’s the difference? Thanks.
Hi Michael, you can use light or all purpose in this one. Light soy is saltier than dark soy which has been brewed longer and is darker and slightly sweeter.
I already started with dark soy. Is it not going to work?
It will work fine Brooke! Just a slightly stronger soy flavour 🙂 N x
I can’t thank you enough for a weekly menu that my four fussy children aged from 8-18 loved that was delicious, budget friendly and easy for me to accomplish after work.
That’s so great to hear!
This Is the only marinade recipe I use for chops! Works great with pork tenderloin, too!
Wahoo! Thanks so much for letting me know Karin!
These were the best pork chops! In fact, I felt like I was eating steak! I had a full pork loin cut into 1in chops, used the marinade recipe as written (marinaded about 10 hours), grilled as stated (about 8 min total) and wowzer! Perfection!
I thought the exact same thing! It was like eating a nice tender steak! I looked for recipes all day yesterday and decided to try this one and was so happy I did! Have had too many other ones that just didn’t work out!
Woot, thanks for the great feedback Beth!
Oh wow! Yum yum yum even my kids loved them! Weekly dish in our family.
Winning!!! Sounds like you nailed it Vicky!