Marinated Pork Chops
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Marinated Pork Chops are tender, juicy, and incredibly flavorful, made with a few simple ingredients and ready in under 60 minutes!
If you love this quick and easy homemade marinade recipe, check out my Marinated Chicken Drumsticks, and Italian Dressing Chicken!
Marinated Pork Chops are quick and easy to make, full of flavor, and perfect for a weeknight. The time to make this recipe includes marinating time. If you’re short on time, you can add your chops to a baking dish and pour the marinade on top, then bake it all together.
If you want the dry rub version of this marinade recipe, check out my Easy Dry Pork Rub!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pork Chops. This recipe is using bone-in pork chops, but you can make this with any pork chop cut you have. If you have really thick pork chops, you may need to increase the cooking time.
Olive Oil. I use extra virgin olive oil, but you can use any oil that has a medium to high smoke point. If you’re planning on grilling your pork chops, then you want to go with a high heat oil like vegetable oil, canola, or avocado oil.
The oil helps spread all of the seasoning on the chop, and also helps the meat hold onto all of the flavor.
Spices. We’re going for a mixture of sweet and spicy with this marinade. So you’re going to need chili powder and cayenne pepper, along with cinnamon, garlic powder, and kosher salt with black pepper.
If you want an easier version, mix olive oil with a few teaspoons of Italian seasoning, honey, and dijon mustard.
Mustard. I use a teaspoon dijon mustard for this recipe, but most mustard flavors that you have will work. You can also use a teaspoon dried mustard.
Sugar. Brown sugar will have a small amount of molasses notes, which will add a deeper flavor to the marinade. You can also use regular granulated sugar, if that’s what you have.
How to Make Marinated Pork Chops
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, spices, sugar, and mustard until combined. Add the pork chops to a large ziplock bag, and pour the marinade over the chops.
- Seal the bag and move the pork chops around until everything is well-coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.Â
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a large baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Place each chop on the baking sheet, leaving room between each one. Discard any leftover pork chop marinade.
- Bake the marinated pork chops for 18-20 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F. This may take more or less time, depending on how thick your pork chops are cut. Rest the chops after cooking for 3-5 minutes, for the perfect juicy and tender pork chops.
Frequently Asked Questions
The absolute minimum time to marinate pork chops is 30 minutes. But ideally, get them in the marinade first thing in the morning, so they will have been marinating for 6-10 hours before cooking. Always refrigerate while marinating.
Never go beyond 24 hours if you’re using any kind of citrus or acid (like vinegar) in your marinade. This will start to break down the protein of the meat, which makes it tender but is too far gone after 24 hours.Â
For pork chops (or any cut of pork), I like to have hints of a barbecue flavor in my marinade. I recommend using a combination of these ingredients. A simple marinade uses an oil base, then additional ingredients to build the flavor or tenderize the meat.
Oil. A good oil is a must. You need a high smoke point, especially if you plan to grill them. Choose canola oil or avocado oil. For baking, olive oil will work.
Sweet. Granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey to balance out the heat from the spice.Â
Heat. A dash of heat like cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, or sriracha.Â
Flavor. From here, you can play around with the flavor profile of your marinade ingredients. Try garlic cloves or garlic powder, fresh herbs, lemon juice or fresh lime juice, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or different types of mustard. You can also add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce (make sure it’s gluten free).
I never rinse a marinade off before cooking, but how much you leave on depends on your cooking method. If you’re going to prepare your chops in a baking dish, you can pour the remaining marinade on top before cooking.
If you’re planning on grilling your chops, just blot any spots with a paper towel to prevent flare ups from the oil dripping.Â
More Pork Chop Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops
- Crispy Oven Fried Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Pork Chops
- Baked Apple Stuffed Pork Chops
Storage
Refrigerate leftover pork chops for 3-4 days in an airtight container. You can read more about the USDA recommendations for pork here.
Freeze leftover pork chops for 2-3 months in an airtight container.
Recipe Variations
- Try grilling the pork chops instead of baking them! Use a paper towel to remove any excess marinade to prevent flare-ups on the grill. Serve with mashed potatoes and barbecue sauce.
- Make these chops on the stovetop over medium heat to medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add a tablespoon of butter and 1-2 cloves garlic to the skillet for some extra delicious flavor. You can also try some fresh herbs, like thyme or rosemary, or lemon zest. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Cook times can vary depending on how thick your chops are.
- If you want spicy pork chops, add additional cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
- I don’t love making this with frozen pork chops, because the marinade won’t stick as well. If you make them in a baking dish, you can pour the marinade on top and bake them in it for the flavor. Add an additional 5-10 minutes of cooking time, or until they are fully done.
Cooking Tips
- You can use this delicious pork marinade with any cut of pork, just change the cooking time depending on what cut you’re using. Try pork tenderloins, pork roast, or pork shoulder.Â
- Don’t save the excess marinade. Once raw pork has been in it, you have to discard anything remaining for food safety.
- I used bone-in pork chops, but boneless pork chops also work really well. Boneless chops can come in different thickness, so adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- I use a ziplock bag for easy cleanup, but I recommend putting a glass container under the bag in the refrigerator just in case anything leaks.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Marinated Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 medium pork chops, bone-in
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Equipment
- 1 Sheet pan
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, spices, sugar, and mustard until combined. Add pork chops and marinade to a large ziplock bag. Seal the bag and move the pork chops around until everything is well-coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the pork chops on the baking sheet, leaving room between each one. Discard any leftover marinade.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F. Rest the chops after cooking for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- The pork chops may take more or less time to cook, depending on how thick they are cut.
- Don’t save the excess marinade. Discard anything remaining for food safety.
- This recipe uses bone-in pork chops, but boneless pork chops also work really well. Boneless chops can come in different thickness, so adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- I use a ziplock bag for easy cleanup, but recommend putting a glass container under the bag in the refrigerator just in case anything leaks.Â
Nutrition
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