Pork Chop Marinades – four different, delicious pork chop marinade recipes you will love! Smokey Maple, Balsamic Apricot and more!
The Best Pork Chop Marinade Recipes
Pork chops are such a great option for busy weeknights because you can let them marinate all day and then quickly cook them in the evening for dinner. The different flavor profiles of these FOUR different marinades ensure that your dinner is never boring! Whether you cook them on the grill, stove top, or in the oven you have to try all the different flavors packed into these marinade recipes!
See Also: try our Pork Chop Brine
How To Cook Pork Chops
No matter how you cook these marinaded pork chops they will be delicious and packed with flavor. Our favorite ways to cook them are:
How Long Should Pork Chops Marinate?
We recommend letting them marinate for at least 30 minutes but 2-4 hours in the fridge would be ideal.
Can You Marinate Pork Chops Too Long?
Yes, any acid in the marinade will start to breakdown the protein in your meat which tenderizes the pork chops. It is recommended to not let meat marinate for longer than 1 day.
Freezing Marinated Pork Chops
This is a great way to store your pork chops before cooking! Simply place your raw pork chops in a freezer-safe bag, pour in the marinade of your choice, and then keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to make them simply pull them out and let them defrost. The marinating will happen while they defrost before cooking!
Doubling The Marinade
If you want, you can make a double batch of your marinade and use the extra to make a sauce. Simply combine your extra marinade ingredients in a small sauce pan, let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Remove and let cool (it will thicken more as it cools). Note: this probably isn’t necessary for the Balsamic Apricot since it is already pretty thick – simply warm that one up before using as a sauce!
How To Easily Make 4 Different Pork Chop Marinades
Decide on one of these four flavorful marinades, measure out your ingredients, mix them together in a bowl, and then add them to a shallow pan or large plastic bag with your uncooked pork chops. Then let the marinade get to work! Place the marinated pork chops in the fridge for a few hours before cooking.
Honey Garlic Pork Chop Marinade:
Honey, garlic and a little soy sauce come together to create a sweeter marinade option!
Smokey Maple Pork Chop Marinade:
A delicious combination of maple syrup, liquid smoke, balsamic vinegar and a few other delicious ingredients!
Balsamic Apricot Pork Chop Marinade:
Apricot preserve and balsamic vinegar are the stars here and the combination is insane!
All-Purpose Pork Chop Marinade:
Our go-to pork chop marinade that never disappoints!
How to Cook Pork Chops After Marinating
Smoked: we love smoking our pork chops at 225 degrees F. for approximately an hour and then right before they are fully cooked – sear on both sides (on a grill or cast iron skillet) – find our Smoked Pork Chop recipe here!
Grilled: grilling pork chops on high heat for 10-13 minutes – check out our Grilled Pork Chop recipe here!
Baked: place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F. for approximately 15 minutes – check out our Baked Pork Chop recipe here!
Pan-Fried: sear in a cast iron skillet and then keep cooking (at a lower heat) for about 13 minutes – check out our Cast Iron Pork Chops (Pan Fried) recipe here!
Other Recipes You Might Like
Smoked Pork Shoulder
Pork Belly Ramen
Best Steak Marinade
Cilantro Lime Marinade
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Pork Chop Marinade
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 marinade 1x
- Category: Marinade
- Method: Counter Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Pork Chop Marinade – four easy and delicious pork chop marinade recipes you are going to LOVE!
Ingredients
Smokey Maple:
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, minced
- pinch of kosher salt
All-Purpose:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Balsamic Apricot:
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup apricot preserve
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Honey Garlic:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1–2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or coconut aminos or tamari)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, minced
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a small bowl; whisk or stir to combine.
- Place about 4 pork chops in a glass container or silicone storage bag. Pour marinade over top. Ensure pork chops are fully coated and let sit in marinade for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook pork chops on the grill, in a cast iron or any way you want!
Notes
- 4 Pork Chops: each marinade is perfect for about (4) 1 inch thick pork chops.
- Grilled: see our post on How to Grill Pork Chops to learn how to get the most flavor out of your marinade when grilling!
- Sauce: if you want you can make a double batch of your marinade and use the extra to make a sauce. Simply combine your marinade ingredients in a small sauce pan, let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Remove and let cool (it will thicken more as it cools). Note: this probably isn’t necessary for the Balsamic Apricot since it is already pretty thick – simply warm that one up before using as a sauce!
- Paleo: smokey maple + honey garlic are paleo (use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce). The all-purpose and balsamic apricot are not paleo (although the all-purpose one could be pretty easily with some small changes).
- Gluten-Free: use coconut aminos or tamari instead of soy sauce.
Brittany nosbush says
The Smokey maple is amazing! We have used these marinades over and over again!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Brittany!
James says
Just made the smoky maple marinade for my pork chops, and it was seriously one of the best pork marinades I’ve ever made! I ended up adding in smoked paprika and a little cayenne to give it some mild heat and seasoned my chops with black pepper and applewood smoked salt. I also turned the marinade into a glaze which wasn’t overly sweet and complemented the pork perfectly. Definitely a recipe I’ll use again!
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed that one, James! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review – I appreciate it!
Becca Riley says
My 19 year old son tried the Honey Garlic marinade. We all liked it, but next time I think he will make extra to make a sauce. That’s probably because we tend to like BIG flavors. We will try all of the other marinades too. Thank you!
Erin says
So glad you all enjoyed it! I love making extra for the sauce too!!