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GET IT NOWIf you’re looking for an easy way to make your pork chops taste amazing, my pork chop marinade is your ticket. It takes just a few minutes to whip up, and imparts a slight sweet, slightly savory flavor you’re going to love. Not to mention it makes the meat incredibly tender and juicy. I don’t say this lightly, but it really is the best marinade for pork chops. Make it with me and you’ll see!
Why This Is My Best Pork Chop Marinade Recipe
- Super juicy, tender pork with loads of flavor – I’ve marinated pork in various different ways, but this is the best pork chop marinade I’ve ever tried. My recipe has all the components a great marinade needs: oil to lock in flavor and moisture, an acidic ingredient to tenderize, salt (for so many reasons), a burst of umami, and a little something sweet. It will make your pork so tender and has just the right balance of flavors!
- 5 simple pantry staples – Plus salt and pepper. Most of you know I’m a big fan of simplicity, and this one has much fewer ingredients than most recipes.
- Versatile – You can use this easy pork chop marinade for boneless or bone-in pork chops, but I’ve also used it for other proteins, like chicken, steak, or even fish.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my pork chop marinade recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Olive Oil – Adds flavor and locks in moisture. Avocado oil works, too.
- Coconut Aminos – Adds a savory, umami flavor. It’s like soy sauce, but a little sweeter. You can sub soy sauce or another soy sauce substitute, but then I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of honey (or my natural sugar-free honey), or just a splash of Worcestershire sauce, to add a little sweetness.
- Lemon Juice – An acidic ingredient is key in my pork chop marinade, because it tenderizes the meat and balances the flavor. You can substitute apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or red or white wine vinegar for a similar affect.
- Dijon Mustard – This tenderizes a little as well, plus it adds so much flavor. Highly recommend!
- Garlic – Press it instead of mincing if you want to release more flavor and juices (and make a more garlicky punch!). You can take a shortcut with jarred garlic, too.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Use It
To mix up the pork chop marinade, simply whisk all the ingredients together.
Then, you can place pork chops in a zip lock bag or a bowl, and coat in the marinade. I prefer a zip lock bag because the meat gets more evenly coated that way, plus you can massage it into the pork without any mess.
My Tips For Marinating
- If you modify the ingredients, keep the main components. Remember that a good pork chop marinade needs an oil to lock in moisture, and both salt and an acid to tenderize. Everything else is a matter of flavor!
- Marinate pork chops for at least an hour, but overnight is even better. I find an hour is the bare minimum for the marinade to have an effect, but they’ll be more juicy if you give them more time. Just don’t go over 24 hours, or they’ll turn out mushy.
- If you marinate for longer than 2 hours, place in the fridge. You don’t want it sitting out for longer than that (source).
- You can also freeze pork chops in marinade. Just add everything to a freezer bag, seal, and freeze flat. I’ve done this and love it for meal prep. Just thaw them overnight and cook!
Ways To Cook The Pork Chops
This pork chop marinade works for any cooking method! Here are your main options:
- Bake – My baked pork chops do involve searing before placing in the oven, but you can also just place them in a baking dish and bake for longer.
- Air Fry – My air fryer pork chops are the fastest hands-off way to cook them.
- Pan Fry – For a perfect sear, cook the pork chops in a cast iron pan. So good!
- Grill – If you’re after grill marks, use this marinade for grilled pork chops.
TIP: With any method, I recommend medium-high heat and aiming for an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees F.
A meat thermometer (I love this one) is the most reliable way to know they are done and still juicy. 145 degrees F is the actual target temp, but I prefer to remove them from heat when they reach 140 degrees F, because the temperature rises as they rest. (And I definitely recommend letting them rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking, to lock in the juices!)
More Marinade Recipes
I’m such a big fan of marinating meat – it’s the best way to tenderize and flavor meat at the same time. Try my other marinade recipes:
Pork Chop Marinade (5 Ingredients)
My easy pork chop marinade takes just a few minutes, with 5 simple ingredients. It's the best marinade for juicy pork chops every time!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Pork Chop Marinade:
Pork Chops:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a small bowl, whisk together all the pork chop marinade ingredients.
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Pour the marinade into a large zip lock bag. Add the pork chops, seal the bag, and massage to coat well. (Alternatively, you can marinate in a bowl and cover in plastic wrap.)
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Marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. (Longer than 24 hours will make the meat mushy.)
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Cook pork chops in the oven like this, or see other cooking methods (grill, air fry, or pan sear) in my post above.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 pork chop
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips if you want to customize this marinade, freezing instructions, and ways to cook the pork that will keep it juicy.
- How much pork to use: My pork chop marinade recipe is enough for 2 pounds of pork. Feel free to scale it up or down if you have more or less!
- Note on nutrition info: Only 1/4 of the marinade is included in the nutrition calculation, as a lot is discarded after marinating the pork chops. It does include the pork chops themselves.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Pork Chop Marinade
47 Comments
Lynn
0I was blown away cooking pork chops in the air fryer. This marinade made all the difference Im certain. Has everything required so that was a plus on the budget. Ive always bought bone-in but gave boneless a try and I dont think I will go back. This ole gal can still learn new ways. Thanks!
Wholesome Yum D
0That makes me so happy to hear, Lynn! Love that the marinade worked its magic for you, and I agree—boneless can be such a great option. I love that you’re still finding new favorites in the kitchen!
Erika
0I used almost everything, THANK YOU!! In the nick of time! Bless you and your delicious sweet! Instructed, well I might add, recipe! Husband is and his unexpected buddies raved about my cooking. You rock in my kitchen 5*****! Love You ErikaAnn
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Erika! I’m so glad your husband and his friends enjoyed pork chops with this marinade. Hope you try more of my recipes soon!
Nancy Taylor
0What oven temperature do you suggest?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nancy, I recommend 400 degrees F. Please see my baked pork chops recipe for more detailed steps and tips for the juiciest results.
Melinda
0Sounds good but I don’t know many people who have these ingredients on hand. I know I don’t
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Melinda, Many people I know have these ingredients on hand, but everyone’s pantry looks different. These are common ingredients you can find at any grocery store, but for some of them I order online to get the brands I like (they are linked on the recipe card above). Hope this helps!
PollyEster
0This marinade is awesome! Thank you so much. It never fails to make my boneless pork chops tender and delicious in the air fryer. Easy to make and great results.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you like it! The air fryer is my favorite way to cook them with this marinade, too. Enjoy!
negrateresa
0Delish!!!!
Dorie
0Awesome! This is definitely the best pork chop recipe! My husband hates moist-free pork … no more issues at our table!
Deb
0What are Coconut aminos and is there a substitute for them as I am horribly allergic to coconut.Hopefully there is a substitute as the rest of the marinade sounds good.
Pam
0I think she mentioned soy sauce instead of the coconut. Sounds good to me!
Jacob Fowler
0Soy Sauce in a 1:1 ratio, may want to add some honey to add the sweetness lost from the aminos
Shari C
0This truly is quick and easy marinade. I used this on some thick and lean pork chops and it provided a very nice flavor to pork that doesn’t naturally have a lot of flavor. The only change I’ll make next time is to marinate longer than 4 hours.
Mike
0I think it’s a good recipe, but I couldn’t find the amounts of the five marinade ingredients.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mike, The full amounts are on the recipe card above. I’ve got useful tips in the post, but you can also jump down to the recipe from the top using the jump to recipe button.
Thomas Hardesty
0what temperature and how long?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Thomas, That will depend on how you want to cook the pork chops after marinating. I’ve got multiple options in the post above.
Kathy
0It would be very useful to have sodium grams listed for those of use who have to watch sodium.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kathy, Sodium will vary widely depending on your brands of ingredients. See my nutrition policy for more info.
Faith
0Can’t find temp for cooking chops or length of time to cook.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Faith, That will depend on how you want to cook the pork chops after marinating – bake, pan sear, grill, or air fry. I’ve got multiple options in the post above.
Sheri
0I’m allergic to coconut and soy sauce – nickel allergy. Is there something else I could use as a substitute?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sheri, You could use Worcestershire sauce, but I’d recommend using half the amount, as it’s more intense
Janeen
0I loved the recipe, only marinated one hour, next time I’ll do it all day.
Sorry too many ads and pop-ups, so won’t come back to this site again.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Janeen, Thanks for your feedback. Ads keep the Wholesome Yum website running and allow me to develop recipes that readers like you can access absolutely free. However, you may be interested in Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes an ad-free version of the website, along with other perks.
Suzie
0Can the marinade be made into gravy?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Suzie, I haven’t tried that, sorry. Please let me know how it goes if you do!
Chris Tee
0I only had an hour to marinade but it still came out so flavorful! Definitely keeping this recipe!
MARIA WIGGINS
0This is the best Marinade! It keeps the meat juicy. I also used it on turkey chops. I plan to use it on boneless chicken next. I subsistute the coconut amino because I couldn’t find it so I used low sodium soy sauce instead…..DELICIOUS
Sue
0This marinade is delicious! I used it on bone in pork chops, but I think it would work really well on either lamb or even chicken. I marinated all my chops, then froze two of them to cook later & they were even better! I had to alter the recipe a little as I’m not able to access coconut aminos, so I used regular soy sauce & added a little monkfruit sweetener.
Bloody lovely!
Rachael Hall
0Is there something I can use other then the Coconut spice ? I am allergic to coconut.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rachael, While I prefer coconut aminos, soy sauce or tamari could replace it 1:1.
Rachael Hall
0Thank you, I will post after i try it. It is hard to try new stuff with having allergies to food.
Suzie
0How about soy aminos? As long as it is a natural fermented process it should be ok, yes? I ASSUME Braggs soy aminos are naturally aged and fermented like their ac vinegar.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Suzie, I personally try to avoid soy, but yes, soy aminos would work fine if that fits your lifestyle.
Kristyn
0Pork chops are my favorite meat & this marinade makes them even better!
Natalie
0This marinade adds so much taste!! I am so glad I found it, because I will be using it from now on!
Amy L Huntley
0This marinade was so simple to throw together and the flavor was so tasty! All of my family loved it..Win, Win!
Katie
0This is the best marinade for pork chops! Everyone loves this at mealtime.
Dannii
0My husband loves pork chops, but I never make them. I am definitely going to have to try this.
Beth
0Oh wow! This marinade is absolutely delicious and our pork chops turned out so tasty! Such a great dinner recipe! I will definitely make this again!
Michelle
0Such a delicious and easy recipe! Kept the pork chops juicy. Thank you for sharing!
Pam
0Looks great. I always like to marinade pork chops because they tend to be tough otherwise. This is a wonderful option.
Healing Tomato
0This would be so perfect Mother’s Day dinner! It looks very easy to make and looks like a gourmet chef prepared it. Amazing!