Grilled Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops

👨‍🍳How to Make Apricot Glazed Pork Chops—Step-by-Step

1. Only a few ingredients. My wife likes garlic in the brine. It is not in the recipe, but add ½ teaspoon to the brine if you want to try it.

2. Start with a brine of two cups of cold water and one tablespoon of salt. Add pork chops and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

5. Place over direct heat for five minutes, then flip. Flip again in 5 minutes and brush with glaze. Flip every 5 minutes and brush with glaze until an internal temperature of 140°-145°—about 15-20 minutes.

6. Remove from grill, tent lightly with foil, and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.

⏰How long does it take to grill pork chops

Grilling time is mostly thickness-related. A ¾ inch thick chop may only be about 10 minutes on a grill surface of about 450°. A 1-inch thick chop takes about 12-14 minutes, and a 1 ½ inch may take up to 20 minutes.

I like to cook pork chops to 145°-150°. My wife dislikes pink pork, so I tend to go a little higher to 155°. The FDA recommends a minimum of 145 ° with a 3-minute rest.

A bone-in chop may take a bit longer than a boneless one. Also, the starting temp of the chop and the exact grill temperature will have large effects. As always,

COOK TO THE FINAL INTERNAL TEMPERATURE AND NEVER BY TIME ALONE.

Pork Chop Recipes

While this is a great-tasting recipe, if it is not what you need on the grill, check out Grilled Pork Chops on a Gas Grill. Or fire up the slow cooker for Crock Pot Pork Chops or Crock Pot Apple Pork Chops.

If you prefer the great taste of stovetop or baked chops, check out Pan Seared Oven Roasted Pork Chops, Fried Pork Chops with Gravy, or Breaded Pork Chops. And for those 2-inch or thicker chops, use How to Cook Thick Pork Chops.

Should I brine pork chops?

Brine is used to add moisture to many types of meat. While brining is optional, it is highly recommended for grilled pork chops.

A standard pork brine is 2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of table salt. 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Most will add sugar to the brine at about the same amount as the salt. Other flavors, like garlic, can be added.

Be sure to rinse the meat under running water after the brine. Never add seasoning with more salt if the meat has been brined.

You can skip the brine for speed, but it does add some moisture and avoids that "dry pork" thing that is easy to get. But you can still get moist results if you grill carefully and don't overcook or use too high of a temperature.

Apricot Glaze

The simple apricot glaze combines apricot jam, balsamic vinegar, and some olive oil. All the ingredients must be of good quality, especially the balsamic, since poor quality in the glaze will ruin the meal.

This recipe uses apricot jam, but you can use a different flavor. Jam usually has a lot more sugar than preserves. If you use preserves, add some brown sugar to the glaze.

Serving

Serve with grilled side dishes, like Corn on the Cob, Grilled Potato Slices, Grilled Biscuits, and Grilled Mixed Vegetables.

Storage of leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 3 months.

FAQs

🐖About Pork Chops

Pork chop choices can be a bit confusing. I have listed five types of chops, but only the middle three should be considered "real" chops and will all cook the same. The other two "chops," the shoulder and the sirloin chop, do not cook the same and, to me, should be avoided.

Bone-in or boneless chops are both good. So people think bone-in will be moister and taste better. I don't feel there is a significant difference. But bone-in does take a bit longer to cook.