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My Marinade for Pork Chops is the ultimate secret to flavorful, perfectly tender, juicy pork chops! This is a quick pork chop marinade you can make in minutes using pantry staple ingredients. It's a great choice for marinating pork chops whether you're grilling, pan-searing, or baking them!
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Pork Chop Marinade
I have a handful of staple dinners my family requests over and over again, and among them are all of my pork chop recipes. Over the years, I've perfected the art of perfect pork chops, and found that the ultimate secret to cooking pork chops so they're tender and juicy every time is to use a great pork chop marinade.
My marinade for pork chops is a classic. It blends soy sauce, lemon, mustard, herbs, and oil for a marinade that is tangy, savory, rich, and flavorful. Most importantly, this pork chop marinade is the key to tenderizing pork!
Pork Chop Marinade Ingredients
- Garlic: Fresh cloves of garlic work best in marinade, as the meat can soak up all that juice and oil! You can use a garlic press to make it easy.
- Dijon mustard: I like the depth of Dijon mustard, but you can also use honeycup or stone-ground mustard!
- Soy sauce: You don't want to skip this. Soy sauce adds a ton of umami and savory flavors that bring out the best in pork!
- Rosemary: If you can, use fresh rosemary. It's packed with oils that are full of bright flavor.
- Lemon juice: An essential for marinating! Lemon juice is acidic, which helps tenderize the meat as it rests.
- Olive oil: The rich flavor of olive oil pairs with the high fat content to make for a silky marinade that will coat the meat thickly.
- Salt: Use your favorite salt, but avoid table salt as it can turn metallic and bitter when the pork is cooked.
- Optional: Thyme, onion powder, parsley, black pepper.
Any time I marinate meat, I always use these marinade bags. Marinade bags make it so easy to marinate pork chops and then clean up after.
How to Marinate Pork Chops
- Mince the garlic and rosemary, then add the garlic, rosemary, salt, mustard, soy sauce and lemon juice to a bowl. Whisk the ingredients together, adding only enough olive oil to form a thin paste.
- Place the pork chops in a zip-lock bag, platter, or baking pan, and coat all sides with the marinade. Cover and let rest in the fridge for at least 12 hours, up to one day.
Quick Pork Chop Marinade Tips
- Don't over-marinate pork chops. The lemon juice in this marinade can eventually start breaking down the proteins, so don't let the pork loin chops marinate for over 2 days. This will cause the pork to become mushy.
- You can adjust the flavors as you desire! Add a little brown sugar for sweetness, swap around the herbs, or add a splash of sesame oil and ginger for an Asian twist. Get creative and customize this pork chop marinade to your liking.
- When it's time to get cooking, make sure to use a meat thermometer and pull the pork off the heat as soon as it hits 145°F.
Pork Chops Marinade Substitutions
- Dijon Mustard: You can use your favorite mustard for this pork chop marinade recipe. I like using dijon, honeycup, or stone-ground mustard for the complex flavors.
- Soy Free: To make a soy-free version of this marinade for pork chops, swap the soy sauce out for coconut aminos!
- Gluten-Free: Soy sauce contains trace amounts of gluten, which can be dangerous for loved ones with strong sensitivities. To avoid this risk, swap the soy sauce out for tamari.
- Lemon juice: I like the bright flavor of lemon juice, but it can be swapped out for vinegar, which will work the same. I like balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar for pork chops.
- Rosemary: You can use dried or fresh rosemary, or include a blend of herbs like thyme and parsley.
FAQ
You can marinade all types of pork chops, but I especially recommend it for thick-cut pork chops. Boneless pork chops and bone-in pork chops can both come in thick-cut varieties of at least an inch thick. These chops are perfect for marinating, as they soak up the most flavor and benefit the most from tenderizing.
It is possible to over-marinate pork! While it's safe to sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours, I don't recommend letting it sit for any longer. After two days of marinating, the acids in the marinade can start breaking down the protein of the meat, resulting in mushy pork.
You can absolutely use this marinade for other types of meat! It's just as delicious as a chicken marinade or used on steaks. I've even used it to toss vegetables in before roasting! Seriously- try it on air fryer broccoli.
How Long to Marinate Pork Chops
Pork should be marinated for 8-24 hours, but never over 2 days. To quick marinade pork chops, poke the pork chops with a knife or skewer so it absorbs the marinade more quickly.
You can also easily prep marinated meat for later by placing the pork chops and marinade in a freezer-safe bag, pressing the air out, and placing the meat in the freezer to freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw it, place it in the fridge overnight; it'll marinate as it thaws!
How to Cook Marinated Pork Chops
Once you've marinated the perfect pork chops, it's time to cook them! There are so many ways to cook pork chops, from pan-frying to grilling to sous vide. I've listed all my favorites, with links to reliable recipes and pros and cons!
- Sous Vide Pork Chops: This method will cook pork exactly to temperature, and just takes a quick pan-fry afterwards to brown the crust! It's the most reliable, but takes a sous vide machine.
- Grilled Pork Chops: This is my favorite way to cook marinated pork! The grill perfectly chars the surface of the pork and leaves the inside juice and mouthwatering. Be warned, grilling marinated meat is a messy affair!
- Pan-fried Pork Chops: The most accessible method of cooking pork chops, and likely the one I use the most often! Just keep an eye on the internal temperature of the pork. Make sure to use a cast iron skillet!
And remember the golden rule of cooking pork: always keep an eye on the internal temperature! Check out my Pork Temperature Chart for more details! Want more pork chop recipes to try? See my Smothered Pork Chops Recipe for even more to choose from!
Make-Ahead Pork Marinade
- Make the marinade ahead and place it in a mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, or the freezer for up to three months.
- Marinate the meat ahead by placing the meat in a plastic bag, then pour the marinade in and coat. Squeeze out the air, and place the meat in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
I know you're going to love my quick pork chop marinade recipe! Try marinating pork chops with my pork chop marinade for the perfect make-ahead meal. Mix the marinade early, pour it over the pork, freeze the pork chops, then thaw overnight and cook as needed. You'll enjoy awesome pork chops every time! Enjoy!
Pork Chop Marinade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-4 cloves Garlic - minced
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Rosemary - minced
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
- ½ cup Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and rosemary, then add the garlic, rosemary, salt, mustard, soy sauce and lemon juice to a bowl. Whisk the ingredients together, adding only enough olive oil to form a thin paste.2-4 cloves Garlic,2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard,1 Tablespoon Soy sauce,1 teaspoon Rosemary,2 Tablespoons Lemon juice,½ cup Olive oil,1 teaspoon Salt
- Place the pork chops in a zip-lock bag, platter, or baking pan, and coat all sides with the marinade. Cover and let rest in the fridge for at least 12 hours, up to one day.
Notes
-
- Don't over-marinate. The lemon juice in this marinade can eventually start breaking down the proteins, so don't let the pork loin chops marinate for over 2 days.
-
- You can adjust the flavors as you desire! Add a little brown sugar for sweetness, swap around the herbs, or add a splash of sesame oil and ginger for an Asian twist.
-
- When it's time to get cooking, make sure to use a meat thermometer and pull the pork off the heat as soon as it hits 145°F.
-
- Dijon Mustard: You can use your favorite mustard for this pork chop marinade recipe. I like using dijon, honeycup, or stone-ground mustard for the complex flavors.
-
- Soy Free: To make a soy-free version of this marinade for pork chops, swap the soy sauce out for coconut aminos!
-
- Gluten-Free: Soy sauce contains trace amounts of gluten, which can be dangerous for loved ones with strong sensitivities. To avoid this risk, swap the soy sauce out for tamari.
-
- Lemon juice: I like the bright flavor of lemon juice, but it can be swapped out for vinegar, which will work the same. I like balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar for pork chops.
-
- Rosemary: You can use dried or fresh rosemary, or include a blend of herbs like thyme and parsley.
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