Thanks to Red Gold® Tomatoes for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
The best summer meal! Whether you're entertaining friends for a cookout or just preparing a quick weeknight dinner, these juicy and tender Grilled BBQ Pork Chops always win rave reviews. Season the chops with a simple dry rub, throw them onto a gas or charcoal grill, and baste them with the sweet, zesty and flavorful Red Gold Red Neck Riviera 1776 Original BBQ sauce. Served with pasta salad, cornbread, coleslaw, or mac and cheese, this grilled pork chop recipe is a picnic favorite!
There's nothing better than grilled BBQ pork chops on a warm summer evening. They're quick, easy and versatile -- and with a few simple tips they stay juicy and moist (not dry or tough). A simple bbq dry rub and a bottle of delicious Red Gold Red Neck Riviera 1776 Original BBQ sauce adds so much great flavor to the meat -- with minimal effort. The delicious, family-friendly dinner is ready in less than 20 minutes!
Ingredients for Easy Grilled BBQ Pork Chops
You only need a handful of simple, high-quality ingredients for the best grilled pork chops. Here you'll use both a dry rub and bbq sauce together for great flavor and texture. Applying the dry rub before cooking, and then basting with barbecue sauce during the final few minutes, gives you the best of both worlds -- a crisp, seared exterior that's finished with the sticky, sweet sauce!
The BBQ Sauce
One of the most important components of a great grilled bbq pork chop recipe is the barbecue sauce! You can't beat the convenience of store-bought sauce, and the new Red Gold Redneck Riviera 1776 Original BBQ Sauce truly delivers when it comes to great flavor and quality. Country music star, John Rich, teamed up with my friends at Red Gold® Tomatoes to create this All-American BBQ sauce that's made with a secret blend of spices and REAL ingredients like tomato puree, real sugar, and apple cider vinegar. It tastes like a homemade sauce that's been simmering on your stovetop all afternoon, with just the right amount of zesty kick and sweetness. Not only is this BBQ sauce delicious but a portion of the proceeds go to support Folds of Honor, an organization that provides educational scholarships to the families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the United States armed forces.
I always love to support Red Gold® Tomatoes, which has been a family-owned company for 75 years. Their tomatoes are sustainably grown on over 40 Midwest family farms, are picked when they are absolutely vine-ripe-red (eliminating the need to add artificial flavors, colors or preservatives), and are steam packed fresh to preserve the true tomato flavor. The Red Gold family is passionate about quality, which means that you get the freshest, best-tasting tomatoes on the market -- and therefore the best-tasting BBQ sauce for your grilled pork chops!
The Dry Rub
Before grilling, you'll season the pork chops with a simple bbq dry rub made with brown sugar, smoked paprika, kosher salt, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. This infuses the meat with flavor, and helps to create a crispy, seared exterior on the chops while keeping the insides tender and juicy.
The Best Cut of Meat for Grilled Pork Chops
Pork chops are a loin cut perpendicularly to the spine of the pig and usually contain a rib or part of a vertebra. There are four major sections where pork chops come from: shoulder chops (also called blade chops), rib chops (also called center-cut rib chops), loin chops (also called center-cut loin chops), and boneless chops (also called pork loin filets).
Shoulder chops have a lot of fat, connective tissue, and tough gristle, so the meat does best when it's tenderized or braised in slow, moist heat over a long period of time. By contrast, rib chops, loin chops, and boneless chops are naturally lean and tender, so they are best suited for quick-cooking over high heat -- making them perfect for grilling!
How to Grill BBQ Pork Chops
You only need about 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes on the grill for these juicy, tender pork chops!
- Pat the meat dry, rub each pork chop with olive oil on both sides, and season with the bbq rub.
- Heat coals, a gas grill, or a grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the grates with oil to prevent sticking.
- Grill the chops for about 5-6 minutes per side (for thick boneless chops), or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145° F.
- Baste with Red Gold Redneck Riviera 1776 Original BBQ Sauce during the final 3 minutes.
- Transfer the chops to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side for dipping!
How long should you cook pork chops on the grill?
The total cooking time for your pork chops will depend on the size and thickness of your meat, as well as the temperature of your grill and whether you're using bone-in or boneless chops. Here's a handy chart that provides a closer approximation for your reference:
Pork Chop Grill Time Chart
Grilled BBQ Pork Chops Sides
These versatile grilled pork chops go well with just about any of your favorite picnic sides. Here are a few easy ideas:
- Skillet Cornbread, Honey Cornbread or Corn Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits or Cheese Biscuits
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Ranch Style Beans
- Twice Baked Potatoes or Grilled Potatoes
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Rice Salad with Corn, Bacon and Pimentos
- Fried Corn
- Southern Style Green Beans or Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter
- Creamed Spinach or Spinach Salad with Bacon
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Mac and Cheese or Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
- Easy Potato Salad
- Classic Southern Macaroni Salad, Classic Pasta Salad or Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Soft Dinner Rolls or Crescent Rolls
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Zucchini Fritters or Sauteed Zucchini
- Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Prepare a batch of the bbq dry rub in advance so that the pork chops only require a few minutes of actual hands-on prep before they go on the grill.
- Store leftover grilled pork chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Wrapped tightly, the pork chops will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- How to reheat grilled pork chops: Place the pork chops in a dish and cover with foil. Warm in a 350° F oven for 10-15 minutes, or just until heated through. Be careful not to overcook them, or they will become tough and dry.
- You can grill pork chops from frozen, but you will need to increase the cooking time by about 50 percent. Again, use a meat thermometer to know when the pork is done.
Recipe Variations
- Use homemade bbq rub, pick your favorite store-bought bbq rub, or just season the pork with kosher salt and black pepper.
- For a spicy rub, add cayenne to the seasoning blend.
- This recipe works well with bone-in or boneless pork chops. Just adjust the cooking time according to the size and thickness of your meat (refer to the chart above). Pork chops should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145° F. A juicy pork chop with some pink in the middle has been given the official "okay" by the USDA.
Tips for the Best Grilled BBQ Pork Chops Recipe
- Get the grill nice and hot. Pork chops are a lean meat, so they stay juiciest when cooked quickly over high heat.
- Wait to baste the chops with the barbecue sauce until the final 3-4 minutes of grilling. This will prevent the pork from burning on the grill. Serve additional sauce on the side.
- The total grilling time will vary depending on a number of different factors, such as the temperature of your grill, the temperature of your chops when they go on the grill, and the size and thickness of your meat. As a result, it's always best to use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your pork is done. You're looking for an internal temperature of 145° F.
- Allow the meat to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. The juices will redistribute throughout the meat so that the pork chops stay nice and juicy.
Finally, don't forget to use the store locator to find Red Neck Riviera 1776 Original Barbecue Sauce and other Red Gold® Tomatoes products in your neighborhood!
Grilled BBQ Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 thick-cut boneless pork chops
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons BBQ dry rub seasoning (or substitute with just kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste)
- ½ cup Red Gold Red Neck Riviera 1776 Original Barbecue Sauce, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Pat the meat dry. Rub each chop with olive oil and sprinkle with BBQ rub, to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon of rub on each side of each pork chop).
- Heat coals, gas grill, or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush grates with oil to prevent sticking. Place meat on the grill and cook for about 5-6 minutes per side (for thick boneless chops) or refer to the cooking time chart above for other cuts. The pork is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145° F. Baste with Red Gold Redneck Riviera 1776 Original BBQ Sauce during the final 3 minutes.
- Transfer chops to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with additional sauce on the side.
Notes
- Get the grill nice and hot. Pork chops are a lean meat, so they stay juiciest when cooked quickly over high heat.
- Wait to baste the chops with the barbecue sauce until the final 3-4 minutes of grilling. This will prevent the pork from burning on the grill. Serve additional sauce on the side.
- The total grilling time will vary depending on a number of different factors, such as the temperature of your grill, the temperature of your chops when they go on the grill, and the size and thickness of your meat. As a result, it's always best to use a meat thermometer to know exactly when your pork is done. You're looking for an internal temperature of 145° F.
- Allow the meat to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. The juices will redistribute throughout the meat so that the pork chops stay nice and juicy.
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