This pork chop marinade is a blend of garlic, herbs, olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar and Dijon mustard. It produces perfect marinated pork chops every time, and you can use your pork marinade for baked, broiled, grilled or sauteed pork.
Pork chops are a welcome addition to any dinner menu, and this marinated version is a family favorite. Serve your pork chops with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli for a complete meal that everyone will love.
Pork chops naturally have a mild flavor which makes them the perfect meat to soak up a marinade. This pork chop marinade produces the best pork chops I’ve ever had – tender, juicy and full of flavor. You can bake, broil or grill your marinated pork chops for restaurant quality results that will earn you rave reviews.
How do you make a pork chop marinade?
This marinade is a combination of savory and sweet flavors and includes ingredients you probably already have in the house. The base of the marinade is olive oil, which is flavored with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic and Italian seasoning.
How long do you marinate pork chops?
Pork chops should be marinated for at least one hour. I recommend marinating your pork chops for a longer period of time for the best flavor, I try to let my pork marinate for at least 6-8 hours.
Tips for pork chop marinade
- This marinade can be made up to 3 days before you plan to use it. Simply store the marinade in the fridge until you’re ready to add your pork.
- You can really use any cut of pork for this marinade such as bone in pork chops, boneless pork chops, pork loin or pork tenderloin.
- This marinade contains sugar which adds great flavor, but can easily burn on the grill. Make sure your grill is not too hot before you add your meat!
Pork chop marinade variations
While this recipe is delicious as-is, you can add other ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
- Spicy: Add crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
- Herb Lover’s: Add 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs such as thyme, green onions, rosemary or parsley. Scrape off the large pieces of herbs before you cook your pork.
- Asian: Use a blend of olive oil, toasted sesame oil, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic.
- Mexican: Use a blend of olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder and onion powder.
How do you cook pork chops?
My favorite way to cook marinated pork chops is on the grill. If the weather isn’t nice enough for outdoor grilling, I use an indoor grill pan on the stove. If you prefer, you can bake or saute your pork chops.
WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD PORK BE COOKED TO?
Pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. The easiest way to gauge if your pork is done is to insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the pork – be sure that the thermometer is not touching the bone! Once you’ve reached the correct temperature, remove the pork from the heat and let it rest for 3 minutes before you slice it.
Once you try this pork chop marinade, you’ll find yourself using it on a regular basis! My family requests marinated pork chops all the time and I’m always happy to oblige.
More great pork chop recipes
Pork Chop Marinade
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a large bowl or resealable gallon sized bag.
- If using a bowl, whisk to combine the ingredients. If using a bag, seal the bag and shake to combine the ingredients.
- Add 2-3 pounds of pork chops, then marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 12 hours.
- Proceed with cooking method of your choice.
Melissa T says
The title does not lie!! My husband and I both felt these were indeed the best chops we ever had including those that we have eaten at reputable restaurants!
I totally appreciated the cooking tips as I often start off with my grill too high. I followed the instructions and used my Thermopop instant read thermometer and they were perfectly tasty and juicy, even the next day when reheated for lunch.
Thank you!
Sandra Miller says
Definitely the best pork chops we ever had!
I left out the Dijon mustard by accident but it was still the best. Tender, juicy at every bite. 10 🌟
Judith Schorling says
I was looking for a marinade for pork chops and this was the first one that came up. I am so glad that I found this one!! It’s amazing!! The only difference in mine was that I didn’t have balsamic vinegar so I used malt vinegar.I marinated it for 4 hours and grilled them. My family loved them!! Definitely a new favorite. I had the one leftover chop for lunch the next day and it was still so juicy and tender. Thank you!! I’m writing this down in my recipe book!
Frank says
Followed the recipe exactly, except I used 1 Tablespoon of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic (because that’s what I had at hand). I let them marinade for about 12 hours and then grilled them. Chops came out nice and juicy; the marinade did a great job of brining them. Flavor was savory but not overpowering. I ended up overcooking the chops slightly because I used a thermometer (I should have just trusted my instincts!). Even so, they were still not dried out at all, thanks to the marinade. The next day, when eaten cold, they were still nice and moist! Overall, a great marinade and brine! Thank you!!
Debbie says
I’ve used this now on pork and lamb and its wonderful on both!
Maria Vidoli says
Perfection!
christin bradney says
hi
what is the delicious looking pasta underneath the pork chops?
thankyou,
christine bradney
Sara says
It’s this boxed mix with corn, bell peppers and parsley mixed in! https://www.neareast.com/products/roasted_garlic_olive_oil_couscous
M E Pepper says
One of the best, if not the best pork marinade I’ve ever used…and I’ve used many. Very flavorful, even with only about 4.5 hours of marinating, this is now my ‘go-to’!.
Jessica Formicola says
I’m always looking for new pork chop recipes, and this marinade looks perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
This marinade is perfection! Great tip to let it rest for a few minutes before enjoying… it really makes such a difference!
Emily says
Great recipe. I’m always looking for easy weeknight meals to feel my family, so these pork chops were perfect. Thanks for sharing it.
SHANIKA says
This marinade looks and sounds amazing! I’m so loving all the flavors in this, including the lemon, Worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard! YUM!
Lisa says
I’m always looking for a great pork marinade to switch it up from time to time. This was amazing! Definitely adding this recipe to my dinner mix. 🙂
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This looks incredibly delicious! This couldn’t look any more perfect!
Catalina says
I love pork chops so I will love this recipe! Looks amazing!
Melanie Bauer says
Looks incredibly delicious! Those flavors are amazing, Looking forward to trying this!
Cindy Gordon says
If it’s one thing you know how to tackle, it’s a good pork chop. Sounds delicious as always!
Chrissie Baker says
Can’t wait to use it!! And YES! Marinades are wonderful in imparting flavor and moisture to the meat. We like juicy pork chops!
Brandy O'Neill says
This marinade is right up my alley! Definitely using this for next time!
Steph says
I love a good homemade marinade! Definitely putting this on next week’s menu to try out!