Master the art of grilling the perfect boneless pork chops! This 4-ingredient recipe is a great way to learn how to grill boneless pork chops. Once you’ve perfected the process, make it your own with a signature rub or brine recipe. The sky is the limit!
How to grill boneless pork chops
Grilling pork chops can feel intimidating, they’re known for going from perfectly cooked to overdone in minutes. The good news? You can master grilled pork chops with just a few simple steps.
Step 1: Preheat a two-level grill
It’s important to adequately preheat your grill before cooking. For this recipe in particular it’s essential for creating a nice golden crisp crust on the pork chops while also creating enough convection heat to cook the pork chops through.
So, two-level, what does that mean? It simply means that half of your grill is heated to a higher temperature while the other half is at a lower temperature. This grilled pork chop recipe utilizes the high heat to sear the meat and create a crust while the low heat is used for cooking the meat at a slower rate. Cooking pork at a lower temperature and at a slower rate creates more tender, juicy meat that’s cooked through but not overdone.
Step 2: Season your pork!
Season pork liberally and coat well with a spice rub. Pork really benefits from heavy seasoning as it is somewhat mild in flavor. You can also brine your pork chops before hand for a super juicy chop. But we’re keeping things quick and easy today!
Step 3: Sear
Place seasoned pork chops on the hot side of the grill and sear until starting to brown, about 6 minutes total.
Step 4: Cook over low heat to 145°F
Transfer the pork chops to low heat and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 145-degrees, 6–8 minutes more.
The cook times are important but the temperature is really the indicator you should be looking for. Avoid piercing the meat with a for or knife to check for doneness as this releases those precious juices we want! Instead opt for a thermometer. It’s fast, efficient and most of all accurate.
If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer I highly recommend getting on. I swear by my Thermapen ($99) and I really believe it’s a worthwhile investment. If you’d prefer something a litter cheaper a ThermoPop ($34) is also a great option!
Step 5: Rest
Let your pork hops rest before cutting into them! Transfer them from the grill to a plate, loosely tent with a piece of foil and let rest 5 minutes.
What to serve with grilled boneless pork chops?
So many great things you can serve with pork chops! Here are a few of my favorite side dishes and salads.
- Mexican Coleslaw (pictured above)
- Crispy Fingerling Potatoes
- Roasted Green Beans
- Asian Potato Salad
- Spanish Waldorf Salad (pork and apples are a great pairing!)
- Trapanese Pesto Pasta
- Herbed Farro Salad
- Peach & Burrata Salad
- Kale & Apple Salad
How long to cook boneless pork chops?
I’m a visual learner, so instead of boring you with the ins and outs, here’s a simple chart to help you gauge how long to cook pork chops.
- ¾-inch thick: 8–10 minutes
- 1-inch thick: 10–12 minutes
- 1½-inch thick: 14–16 minutes
Again, time is just part of the equation when grilling pork chops. Temperature is the ultimate gauge of whether you pork chops are cooked through or not. Instant read thermometers are a saving grace when it comes to grilling.
Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make these grilled boneless pork chops!
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Smoky Grilled Boneless Pork Chops
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch/ Dinner
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Description
4 ingredients and a simple grilling process equals the easiest and tastiest grilled boneless pork chops!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 boneless pork chops (8 ounces each)
Instructions
For a gas grill:
Heat grill to high for 10 minutes, then turn half of the burners off completely.
For charcoal:
Fill a chimney with charcoal briquettes. Open the bottom vent of a chimney, fill with charcoal briquettes and light.
Once the top coals are partially covered in ash pour two-thirds of the coals evenly over grill then pour remaining third on one half of the grill to create a two-level fire.
Combine oil, cumin, and paprika. Season pork chops with salt and pepper then rub each side with spice mixture.
Place pork chops over high heat and cook, covered, until both sides begin to brown, 6 minutes. Move pork chops to the cool side of the grill and continue to cook until a thermometer inserted in the center register 145°F, 6–8 minutes more.
Transfer pork chops to a plate, tent, and let rest 5 minutes.
Notes
Equipment you’ll need:
- Gas or charcoal grill
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pork chop
- Calories: 341
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 401mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 50g
- Cholesterol: 151mg
Keywords: Grilled Boneless Pork Chops, Grilled Pork Chops, Grilled Pork Recipe
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