Tangy Citrus Grilled Pork Chops
Boneless pork chops are marinated for just 15 minutes in a sweet and tangy sauce before grilling quickly over an open flame. As they come off the grill, glaze them with the same tangy orange and lime sauce for a lip-smackingly delicious solution to your weeknight dinner dilemma. All in only 26 minutes.
A Delicious Pork Chop Marinade Recipe
They are tender and juicy with a citrus tang, a hint of ginger, and the subtle sweetness of honey. The secret may be in the marinade/glaze duo, but what if I told you that you could have these babies on your dinner table in less than 30 minutes?
These juicy pork chops can be taken from the fridge to the table in less time than it takes to get that takeout.
This pork chops recipe has three main components: the marinade, the grilling, and the glaze. The same ingredients are used in both the marinade and the glaze, so I measure them out at the same time to save time on clean-up. For simplicity, the marinade and glaze are separated in the recipe attached below.
The best pork chops for this recipe are just under one inch thick. This helps ensure that they will absorb the marinade quickly and won’t need special so that they will cook quickly.
To marinate, you could use a zip-top bag, and as you can see, I did that back in 2016 when I took these photos. However, today, I’m going to encourage you to use a resealable, lidded container instead because single-use plastic is so, well, 2016. Normal storage containers or old takeout containers work great for marinating.
Grab your marinating container and a small saucepan for the glaze. Roll your oranges and limes on the cutting board to loosen the pulp and get the juices flowing. You should be able to get 3 – 4 tablespoons of juice from a medium-sized orange and 1 – 2 tablespoons of juice from a medium lime.
Juice the orange into a bowl, then measure 1/2 cup into the marinating container and 3 tablespoons into the saucepan. Next, juice the limes and measure 1 tablespoon into the marinating container and 2 tablespoons into the saucepan.
Add 1/4 cup of honey and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce to the saucepan. Cover the saucepan with its lid and place it on the stovetop for later. Add 2 teaspoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, the grated ginger, and olive oil to the marinating container.
Fresh ginger can be stored in a freezer-safe bag in your freezer. It doesn’t go bad and can be grated while frozen. When you do grate it, it resembles snow, which makes it important to weigh it instead of measure by volume. If you don’t have a scale, make sure to tap your measuring spoon on your work surface to gently compact the ginger as you grate it, which should get you a more accurate measurement.
Stir the marinade to combine, then add the pork chops, turning them to coat the surface evenly and nestling them down as far as you can to cover them in marinade. Marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes or up to 4 hours for a more intense flavor. If you are marinating longer than 30 minutes, do it in the fridge.
Put the glaze on the stovetop and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once the bubbles are steady, drop the heat to medium and let it boil for 3 minutes to reduce by about one-third to one-half. It should coat the back of a spoon, and as it cools, it will thicken further.
After the chops have marinated for five minutes, preheat your grill to medium (about 350ºF), giving it ten minutes to heat up. Once it’s hot, remove the pork chops from the marinade and put them straight on the grill. For one-inch-thick chops, cook for about two to three minutes on each side. For three-quarter-inch chops, they should take closer to 90 seconds to two minutes. Regardless of thickness, the internal temperature should be between 140ºF and 145ºF.
Right before you take them off the grill, baste the top side with the glaze. Flip them over onto a clean plate, then baste the bottom side. Allow them to rest for at least five minutes, during which time the internal temperature should rise to about 145ºF to 150ºF.
Serve these citrus-glazed pork chops with your favorite quick and easy side dishes, and enjoy!
If you like this recipe, please give it a FIVE-STAR rating, leave a comment, and share it on your favorite social channel!
Tangy Citrus Grilled Pork Chops
Ingredients
The marinade:
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 ounce grated ginger (about 1 TBSP)
- 1 pound bone-in pork chops
For the glaze:
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- In a gallon sized zip top bag or other sealable container, combine the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, olive oil, and grated ginger.
- Add in the pork chops, seal completely, and mix to coat the pork chops. Marinate a minimum of 15 minutes, up to 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small saucepan combine the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, and honey.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and boil for 3 minutes, until glaze reduces by almost half and thickens.
- Preheat grill to medium – approximately 350 degrees.
- Remove pork chops from marinade and grill 2 – 3 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches between 135 and 140 degrees.
- Baste both sides of the pork chops with the glaze as you remove them from the grill.
- Allow to rest at least 5 minutes prior to serving.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Check out my Amazon shop to see all of my recommended kitchen tools.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.
I marinated the pork chops overnight. The recipe said up to 4 hours. Is it ok to marinate longer?
It’s not going to cause any food safety issues to marinate overnight as long as they are in a sealed container and placed in the fridge. However, an extended marinate in a citrus based marinade can cause the meat to over tenderize. It’s the same principle behind ceviche, where you cook fish in acid (often lime or lemon juice). The acid can start to break down the meat if it’s left to sit too long. Personally, I don’t think that an overnight marinate is going to be an issue, but I wouldn’t let them go much longer than that. If you find that the texture of the meat is too soft, I would blame the extended marinate and try it again for a shorter time period.
Renee