Easy Pork Chop Brine
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Easy Pork Chop Brine is made with salt, water, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, rosemary, and garlic. Brined pork chops are perfect for grilling, pan-frying, or baking. This recipe guarantees tender and juicy meat every time!
Why do you brine pork chops?
Pork chops are a lean cut that’s prone to overcooking. Brining is a classic technique for ensuring the meat stays tender, as it enables the chops to absorb more moisture. Therefore, it helps to tenderize the chops and prevent them from drying out during the cooking process.
What ingredients go into pork chop brine?
The basic brine is simply saltwater (1/4 cup salt + 4 cups water), which works perfectly on its own. In this recipe, I’ve taken the brine to the next level by adding some herbs and aromatics:
- Salt and Water – the base for the brine, helping to increase the water stored in the meat to keep it moist. Kosher salt is best.
- Brown Sugar – enhances the natural flavor of pork chops while helping to create a caramelized crust. You can substitute honey or maple syrup.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – acid in the vinegar helps to “break down” proteins, making the meat extra tender.
- Rosemary – adds a fresh herbal note.
- Garlic – it’s best to use fresh garlic.
How to brine pork chops
- Add salt, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar to the water in a large bowl. Whisk until salt and sugar dissolve.
- Add rosemary and garlic to the bowl.
- Pierce the pork chops with a fork on both sides.
- Place them in the brine solution so they’re fully submerged.
- Let sit for 1/2 hour – 2 hours in the refrigerator.
How long should you brine pork chops?
The ideal brine time is between 1/2 hour to 2 hours.
You can leave it overnight, but don’t go past 12 hours or your pork chops could become overly salty.
How to cook brined pork chops
Rinse the brined pork chops before cooking and pat them dry with paper towels. Discard the brine.
Cook them for 5-10 minutes (depending on thickness) on the stove or grill, flipping every minute. Remove from the heat when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 140°F (61°C). Let them rest for 5 minutes, and the temperature will rise several degrees more to 145°F (63°C).
Tips for making pork chop brine recipe
- You can use salt and water only if you plan to add more seasoning after brining.
- Make sure to use kosher salt as table salt is denser than kosher salt.
- Bring the pork chops to room temperature (remove from fridge 15 minutes) before grilling or pan-frying to ensure even cooking.
- Pat dry pork chops before cooking to ensure proper searing.
- This recipe works for both bone-in and boneless pork chops. Brine thicker cuts slightly longer than thin cuts.
Recommended pork chop recipes
You can use the brined pork chops in these recipes for more tender and juicy meat:
Easy Pork Chop Brine {The Secret to Tender Pork Chops}
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salt
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 rosemary sprigs
- 4 pork chops
Instructions
- Add salt, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar to the water in a large bowl. Whisk until salt and sugar dissolve.
- Add rosemary and garlic to the bowl.
- Pierce the pork chops with a fork on both sides.
- Place them in the brine solution to submerge fully. Then cover with plastic wrap.
- Place in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour to 2 hours.
- When you are ready to cook the brined pork chops, remove them from the brine and rinse with cold water.
- Let them sit at for 15 minutes at room temperature before cooking. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Proceed with your favorite cooking method. You can find grilled, pan-fried and baked pork chops recipes below in the notes.
Notes
Please read our nutrition disclaimer.
Sides for Pork Chops
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Pork chops came out so tender and juicy
Second time using this brine and I will forever use this technique. It really helps with the flavouring of the meat and ensures that they stay nice and moist.
I’m a horrible cook, but my family loved how juicy this made the chops along with the easy recipe I found that tasted great.
Hi Peggy, So great to hear! As the saying goes: if you can read, you can cook. Stick with it and you’ll keep improving! Thanks for your comment.
Love this brine — have done it for anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours. When I have not had fresh rosemary, I have used dried rosemary and even dried italian seasoning as a substitute. I am an Iowa girl who thought nothing needed for Iowa Pork and it is great by itself …but this recipe made me a believer in brining.
Hi Min, So honored to have an Iowa girl approve of the brine! Thanks for your review!
This is a good brine solution. I mostly skip the herbs. Do my seasoning after brining. Garlic powder, pepper, maybe some smoked paprika. just a small dusting of flour which i apply with a sieve. fry up in olive oil. very easy.
Hi Jim, Sounds like a great solution and thanks for your feedback. Much appreciated!
Very good flavour and juicy, tender pork chops.
Hi Rosemarie, Thanks for your feedback and glad they turned out nicely!
Amazing! Pork chops were so tender! Thanks
Hi Beth, Thanks for your comment and great to hear!!
Love this recipe ❤️
Thanks Jen and glad you like it!
This is the perfect way to kick up the flavor on pork chops! So tasty!
Hi Ashley, So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for letting me know.