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Stop making boring pork chops. You NEED this pork chop marinade, with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, Dijon, and citrus! It all comes together for the most juicy, tender, flavor-packed pork chop you’ve ever had!
The Secrets to Juicy, Flavor-Packed Pork Chops
- The Secret Ingredient? Orange juice! It isn’t just for flavor; it’s acidity that tenderizes the meat, giving you melt in your mouth juicy pork chops.
- No More Dry Pork Chops: This marinade locks in moisture so every chop turns out tender and flavorful, no matter how you cook it.
- Versatile & Family-Friendly: Not just for pork! Use it on chicken or veggies for easy, delicious dinners everyone will love.
Pork Chop Marinade Ingredients
- Soy sauce as brine: Soy sauce adds savory umami and helps brine the meat. Substitute with tamari (gluten free) or coconut aminos (soy free) if needed.
- Citrus: Citrus juice not only brightens flavor but also tenderizes the meat. Orange juice is preferred, but pineapple or lemon juice works.
- Pork chops: The marinade works for about 4 pork chops. Both bone-in and boneless cuts are great! You can choose your favorite.
How to Make Pork Chop Marinade
It’s so simple, all you need to do is mix a few pantry staples together! You’ll never buy store bought marinade again. Other must try marinades include my steak, chicken, and salmon marinades.
- Combine Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, and black pepper. *Set aside a little marinade before adding raw pork. Then, brush it over the pork chops in the last few minutes of cooking for extra flavor and juiciness.
- Marinate: Pour your marinade into a sealable plastic bag, then add the pork chops and allow them to marinate for at least an hour. *Marinating for a few hours or even overnight will make the pork chops extra tender and flavorful. Cook your pork chops with your preferred method. You can grill, air fry, or cook them on the stovetop. Discard any used marinade.
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Pork Chop Marinade
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 pork chops
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Pour your marinade into a sealable plastic bag and place 4 pork chops into the bag with the marinade and allow them to marinate for at least an hour.
- Cook your pork chops with your preferred method, you can grill, bake or cook them on the stovetop.
- Discard any used marinade.
Video
Notes
Storing Unused Marinade
Unused pork chop marinade can be stored in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If the marinade has already been used on raw meat, discard it; don’t reuse it.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My Favorite Pork Chop Recipes
Pork chops were a staple dinner growing up, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t love them. They’ve always had a reputation for being boring or dry. Oh, how I wish I had these recipes back then!
If I don’t have soy sauce, is there a alternate I can use?
Linda, you can use beef or chicken broth, or liquid aminos. It won’t have the same flavor but will be similar. If you use a broth in place of the soy sauce I would add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce as well. Let me know how it turns out.
Can I substitute OJ with lemon juice instead?
I think that would work. Lemon juice will be more tart and less sweet than OJ so maybe add an additional teaspoon or so of brown sugar. But in theory you can swap out the citrus juice. The flavor will be different as well but I think that would be good. Let me know how it turns out!
Outstanding on the Weber charcoal grill!!!
Can the marinade leftover after cooking the chops in the oven be used to put over rice?
I don’t recommend using the leftover marinade because it has been in contact with raw meat and can contain bacteria. But, if you make some extra and set some aside, you could try using that instead! Let me know how it turns out!
I can bake the pork chops and what’s the temperature
You can bake the pork chops in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops. But keep an eye on them, only bake until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the chops, so you don’t over cook them.
An the chops be left in the marinade for a few hours and then frozen to use as a make ahead meal?
I haven’t tried that before!
Has anyone tried this on pork tenderloins?
Can they be cooked in the air fryer?
Yes! Here is a recipe: Juicy Air Fryer Pork Chops
Can you use the pork chop marinade on pork tenderloins
Yes, that will work fine!
this is a nice marinade, thank you, I’ve been buying pre-marinated pork chops that are good but I need a change, and this marinade is much different