The Best Grilled Pork Chops Recipe (Thick-Cut & Juicy)
Throw away the applesauce. This authoritative guide to the Best Grilled Pork Chops teaches you how to sear, rest, and serve thick-cut, incredibly juicy meat.
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
15-20 minutes
Serves:
4
Difficulty:
Easy
Pork chops have a terrible reputation, and it is almost entirely our own fault. For decades, we were told to cook pork until it was chalk-white and completely devoid of moisture. The result? A tough, flavorless puck that requires a gallon of applesauce just to swallow.
The USDA revised its guidelines years ago, but people are still overcooking their chops. To execute the best grilled pork chops on the grill, you only need to respect three rules: buy thick bone-in cuts, season aggressively, and pull the meat off the heat at exactly 140°F so carryover cooking brings it safely to 145°F. We are using a two-zone fire to build a beautiful crust over direct heat before letting them finish gently on the cool side.
Essential Tools for the Job
You cannot eyeball a pork chop. If you guess, you lose. Here is the gear you need to get it right.
This is non-negotiable. If you are serious about your steel, stepping up to a premium system like the ThermoWorks RFX wireless probes is the ultimate flex for monitoring ambient and internal temps. But at the bare minimum, you need a lightning-fast digital instant-read thermometer to nail that 140°F pull.
Check Price on AmazonThick bone-in chops are heavy. Cheap, flimsy tongs will bend, causing you to drop your dinner right into the charcoal. You need a set of 12-to-16-inch heavy-gauge stainless steel tongs with a locking mechanism.
Check Price on AmazonWhen you pull these chops at 140°F and let them rest, they are going to leak a serious amount of juice. If you put them on a flat plate, that liquid will spill over the edges and ruin your bark. A heavy wooden board with a deep juice trough captures the liquid so you can pour it right back over the meat when serving.
Check Price on Amazon- 4 - Bone-In Pork Chops: Do not buy thin chops. They must be at least 1.5 inches thick. Center-cut rib chops are the premium choice here.
- Binder - 1 tbsp of olive oil or yellow mustard. (Don't worry, you won't taste the mustard).
- The Seasoning - 3-4 tbsp of a high-quality foundation rub. You want something heavily balanced with salt, coarse black pepper, and garlic to build a solid bark. If you want a sweeter profile, hit it with a secondary BBQ rub that has brown sugar or paprika right before it goes on the indirect heat.
- 2 tbsp - unsalted butter for resting.
Prep and Bind:
Step 1
Pat the pork chops completely dry with a paper towel. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear. Apply a very light coat of your binder (oil or mustard) to all sides of the chop.
The Seasoning:
Step 2
Apply your foundation rub heavily. Because these are thick cuts of meat, they can handle a lot of seasoning. Do not forget to season the edges and the fat cap. Let the chops sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes while you fire up the grill.
Establish the Two-Zone Fire:
Step 3
Set up your grill for two-zone cooking. You want one side blazing hot for direct searing, and the other side completely off (or set to low on a pellet grill/gas grill) for indirect ambient heat.
The Sear:
Step 4
Place the pork chops directly over the hottest part of the fire. Sear them for about 2 to 3 minutes per side until you develop a deep, mahogany crust. Do not walk away. If the fat cap causes a flare-up, move the chop temporarily. Use your tongs to stand the chops up on their sides to render and crisp the fat cap.
The Gentle Finish:
Step 5
Once the crust is built, move the chops to the cool (indirect) side of the grill. Close the lid. This is where the actual cooking happens without drying out the exterior.
The Pull and Rest:
Step 6
Start checking internal temperatures after 5 minutes. You are looking for exactly 140°F in the thickest part of the chop, away from the bone. The second it hits 140°F, pull them off the grill. Top each chop with a small pat of butter and tent them loosely with foil. Let them rest for 10 minutes. The internal temp will rise to a safe, juicy 145°F while they rest.
