Thin pork chops are an idea I learned from from John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger in Gourmet magazine. They suggest you think thin, crispy and flavorful, instead of the usual thick and juicy. For a quick weeknight meal on the grill, thin is good - it cooks quickly, and gets dinner on the table that much faster.
Even though we're going for thin and crispy, be careful to not overcook lean pork loin, or it will dry out. The brinerade gives us a little cushion, but the real trick is to only cook the chops on one side. The pork chops are thin enough to cook through, and they'll be nicely browned on the one side that's always facing the grill.
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Equipment
- A grill. (I use a Weber Summit, which is overkill for this recipe.)
Inspired by: "Doc" Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger: Grill It!
Grilled Thin Pork Chops, Quick Brinerated
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
Grilled Thin Pork Chops, Quick Brinerated. My recipe for thin-cut pork chops, grilled quickly on only one side.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds thin cut pork chops (¼-inch to ½-inch thick, preferably rib chops)
Brinerade
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Brinerate the pork chops: Whisk the brinerade ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Put the pork chops in a large bowl or a baking dish, reserve 2 tablespoons of the brinerade for later, and pour the rest of the brinerade over the chops. Flip the pork chops a few times to evenly cover with the marinade, then let them rest while the grill preheats. (Or, put the chops in the refrigerator and brinerate for up to 4 hours, turning occasionally to coat with the brinerade.)
- Set the grill for direct medium heat (350°F to 400°F): Preheat the grill, then set it for grilling on direct medium heat. For my Weber Summit, I preheat with all burners on high for 10 minutes, brush the grill grates clean, then turn the burners down to medium.
- Cook the chops: Flip the chops one more time in the baking dish to coat with the brinerade, then put them on the grill over direct medium heat. (Keep the lid closed as much as possible while cooking.) Grill the chops until they have good grill marks on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then rotate them 90 degrees (don't flip the chops - just rotate them) and grill until they have a good crosshatch of grill marks on the bottom, about 2 more minutes. At this point, the chops should be cooked through - they'll have gone from pink to white on the side that's been facing up the whole time. Remove them from the grill. (If you have thicker chops, and the top is not cooked through, flip them over and cook them for another minute.)
- Glaze and serve: Remove the chops to a platter and pour the reserved brinerade over the chops. Let rest for five minutes, then serve.
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1-2 pork chops
Variations
- Asian style: the soy sauce is already giving them a little bit of an asian flavor; you can play this up by replacing the balsamic vinegar with seasoned asian rice vinegar, and the olive oil with peanut or sesame oil.
- Barbecued pork chops: When done, brush the chops with barbecue sauce instead of the reserved brinerade.
- Don't forget to gnaw on the bones...it's my favorite part!
What do you think?
Questions? Comments? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
This recipe is part of Quick Grilling Week
Grilled Boneless Pork Loin Chops, Brined and Honey Glazed recipe
Grilled Corn recipe
My other Grilling Recipes
Inspired by:
"Doc" Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger: Grill It!
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Shannon says
Awesome recipe
Denise Clemons says
Planning to try this tonight, but couldn't fit the chops in my 2-cup pyrex measuring cup, perhaps you meant 2-quart?
Mike V says
You're right - I did mean two quart. Try a medium bowl instead?
Jim says
We enjoyed this recipe. So juicy even for 1/2" thick chops. Next time I will add Dijon mustard to the marinade.
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you!
Jim Caufman says
Can't wait to try the dijon style. That or honey mustard maybe?
Thanks....
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!
Zina says
I come back to your post every time I grill thin chops. Thanks for the tips!
Mike V says
You're welcome!
Billca says
I'll try your one-sided grilling technique tonight. The major difference is that I'll be using a charcoal-fired Weber grill and marinading the boneless chops in an Italian salad dressing for about 90 minutes. This has worked well for thicker chops, not it's time to try it on the thinner, boneless chops.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Great! I love it when I get a new grill convert.
Cassie says
First off I am such an amateur griller its not even funny... I wanted to surprise the hubby with dinner and came across this recipe.... All I can say is my husband is more then happy to share the grill now! Thank you!!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it!
Will says
Came across this recipe searching on google. Last time I grilled thin chops they were over cooked. Tried this recipe tonight and the wife and I loved them! A little charred on the one side and plenty of juice inside. Great taste and so simple. Thank you. New subscriber.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
I'm glad it worked for you...enjoy!
Woodsytattooman says
Just wanted to say i made my own marinade from ketchup,honey,steak seasoning,oregano,garlic,A1,and apple cider vinegar and used your grilling method.I used pork loin that i sliced this and soaked in the marinade overnight.They turned out to be the best chops Ive ever grilled:))
quick pork recipes fan says
I think this can be done on a stove top grill as well for those that do not have access to an outdoor grill all year round.
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Bruce - Thank you! I'm glad you'll be back. I can always use regular readers.
Bruce says
nice site. just found it while looking for a rotisserie pineapple site.
great job, i think i'll be vising your blog quite often for recipes
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@A Year on the Grill: Thank you!
A Year on the Grill says
great tips on the cooking technique and a really great recipe
JJ says
Best tender, thin-chops-on-the-grill recipe ever!! Much obliged...
Mike V says
You're welcome!
gonna try these today. will post my thoughts. the brinerate smells good enough to drink.. says
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