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    Home » Recipes » Meat

    Juicy Grilled Pork Chops with Beer

    First Published: June 28, 2021 . Last Modified: April 21, 2024 lisa23 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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    Juicy Grilled Pork Chops are rubbed with BBQ seasoning and basted with beer while cooking for the most flavorful BBQ pork chops you've ever eaten.

    juicy grilled pork chops on a cutting board

    Pork chops are perfect for grilling because they cook fairly quickly and they can stand up to bold seasonings and sauces. These BBQ pork chops are rubbed with a flavorful bbq seasoning and allowed to marinate for several hours so the flavors can penetrate and tenderize the meat. Then, in a slightly unconventional twist, beer is poured over the chops during the cooking process to keep everything moist and juicy.

    Ingredients

    • thick cut bone-in pork chops - Center-cut rib chops or center cut pork loin chops are both good for this recipe.  
    • BBQ seasoning or dry rub - Use your favorite.
    • 1 cup beer - bring the beer to room temperature so that it does not lower the temperature of the barbecue pork chops.
    • BBQ sauce - Use your favorite barbecue sauce or try making this sweet barbecue sauce recipe.

    Pork Chops Internal Temperature

    Did you know pork only needs to be cooked to 145 degrees? The secret to juicy pork chops is not to overcook them. No one likes dry chops so follow my method and you will always have the best grilled pork chops with a perfect sear and just the right amount of pink inside. 

    Many years ago the USDA made an announcement which confirmed that pork only has to be cooked to 145 degrees F followed by a three minute resting period. Goodbye dry pork, hello juicy tender chops! Of course ground pork, like all ground meat still needs to be cooked to 160 degrees F. What did this mean to me? The first thing I did was pulled out a package of one and half inch thick chops from the freezer. It meant we were having a quick weeknight dinner of delicious tender pork chops!

    slight pink inside of a juicy pork chop

    Rub for Pork Chops

    I like a simple BBQ rub for my chops. I usually use this Meat Seasoning with a bit of added red pepper for some extra spice.  It's always nice to make a batch to keep in my pantry. But if you are not up to making your own rub, you can use any simple BBQ seasoning. My advice is to find one that doesn't include a lot of sugar as that could cause the outside of the chops to burn. I especially like this Louisiana seasoning from McCormick because it has a bit of heat.

    If you do prefer a rub with sugar as the first ingredient, just make sure not to coat the chops with too much and they should be fine. You could also use a light seasoning of smoked or seasoned salt.  

    uncooked rub for pork chops

    How to Make Juicy Grilled Pork Chops

    I previously would cook my pork chops to 160 degrees F but with the 145 degrees temperature, there was a noticeable difference. Can you say plump and juicy? I used the rub for pork chops a few hours before I intended to cook. I poured some beer (your favorite beer will do) over them after they had a nice sear then finished them off with a tangy sauce. The insides were slightly pink and the smoky seasoning, beer and barbecue sauce made the pork so flavorful. If you need a quick main course for a BBQ, this is it.

    1. Rub the chops with BBQ seasoning and allow them to marinate in the fridge for 4 to 8 hours.
    2. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Place pork chops on the grill and sear for 1-2 minutes per side. You should have good grill marks on your chops.
    3. Pour the beer over the chops and turn heat down to medium. Grill pork chops for 2-5 minutes.
    4. Baste with BBQ sauce then flip the pork chops and cook for 4-7 minutes on the other side.
    5. Baste with the remaining BBQ sauce then let rest for 3-5 minutes covered with aluminum foil before serving. Make sure the pork reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees using a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. 
    beer pork chops on the grill

    Pork Chop Grilling Tips

    The key to grilling great chops is in the selection of the pork chops themselves.

    1. Choose thicker pork chops. Thin pork chops will be well done before the flavors have come together and will cause them to lose moisture resulting in dry, overcooked chops.
    2. I prefer bone-in chops. I think they are juicier and I like the way they look on the plate. Boneless pork chops are generally more affordable so feel free to use them however you will want to shorten the cooking time.
    3. Always marinate for at least 30 minutes with a rub for pork chops or seasoning blend before cooking to enhance the moisture.
    4. Let the chops come to room temperature before cooking. This will help you to maintain even cooking for super juicy pork chips.
    5. For best results, I like to coat my charcoal or gas grill grate with a little bit of olive oil before heating it. This will make sure that the chops do not stick. 

    Side Dishes to Serve with Beer Pork Chops

    Of course, you might want to serve some nice cold beers with these chops (if you are over 21!) but here are some side dishes that go well too.

    • Mini Parmesan Truffle Hasselback Potatoes
    • Baked Tomato Slices with Parmesan
    • Simple Caprese Salad
    • Braised Collards with Turkey Bacon
    • Warm Brussels Sprout Slaw
    • Air Fryer Baked Potatoes with Seasoned Sour Cream
    • Greek Quinoa Salad

    Here are more of my favorite side dishes to go with pork chops.

    More Pork Chop Recipes

    • Panko Pork Chops with Parmesan
    • Skillet Pork Chops Caprese
    • Pork Chops Italiano

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    If you like this Grilled Pork Chop recipe, please leave a 5-star rating.

    RECIPE

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    5 from 10 votes

    Juicy Grilled BBQ Pork Chops with Beer

    Pork chops marinated and cooked with beer are perfect for grilling.
    Course: Dinner Entree
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 386kcal

    Ingredients

    • 4 thick cut pork chops bone-in preferred
    • 1 tablespoon of your favorite BBQ seasoning or rub
    • 1 cup beer brought to room temperature
    • ½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

    Instructions

    • Rub the pork chops with your favorite seasoning 4 to 8 hours before cooking.  Keep the chops refrigerated until half hour before cooking.
    • Preheat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Sear chops about 1 to 2 minutes on each side with lid closed. Make sure they have nice sear marks.
    • Turn grill heat down to medium. Pour beer over the chops.
    • Cook the chops for 3 to 5 minutes on one side then baste with half the barbecue sauce.
    • Flip over chops and cook for 4 to 7 more minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees when placed in center of chop.
    • Baste with remaining barbecue sauce.
    • Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil.
    • Let the chops rest for 3 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

    Notes

    Tips:
    1. I prefer to use thicker bone-in center cut chops for this recipe. Thin boneless pork chops tend to dry out quickly when cooked on a grill. 
    2. Let the chops come to room temperature before cooking. This will help you to maintain even cooking for super juicy pork chips.
    3. For best results, I like to coat my charcoal or gas grill grate with a little bit of olive oil before heating it. This will make sure that the chops do not stick. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 706mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 188IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg

    Thanks for stopping by! Subscribe to Jersey Girl Cooks if you would like more recipes and cooking tips sent to your email. You can also order my Super Easy Cookbook for Beginners and follow me on social media - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifurla

      May 26, 2011 at 12:37 pm

      OMG, my husband would leave me for this dish! So lovely.

      Reply
    2. That Girl

      May 26, 2011 at 3:10 pm

      I'm awful at checking temperature on pork to begin with. I usually go based on touch and color!

      Reply
    3. The Food Hunter

      May 26, 2011 at 3:48 pm

      Those do look like some juicy chops!

      Reply
    4. Karen Harris

      May 26, 2011 at 6:31 pm

      Gosh Lisa, how long has it been since we commented on each other's blogs? It was such a pleasure to see your comment. Your pork chops look fantastic. Like you I am thrilled that we no longer have to cook pork to oblivion. Oh happy day.

      Reply
    5. adventuresfromcloud8

      May 28, 2011 at 8:48 am

      I never thought I would be excited by an announcement by the USDA, but I am!! Yay! Can't wait to try these!

      Reply
    6. claudia lamascolo

      May 29, 2011 at 8:14 pm

      I am speechless ... this is just WOW~

      Reply
    7. Ciao Chow Linda

      May 30, 2011 at 7:21 pm

      Those are grilled to perfection. I never take the temperature of meat - I just use the finger test.

      Reply
    8. Leslie

      May 30, 2011 at 9:21 pm

      I suppose I was always living on the edge by slightly undercooking my pork!! LOL
      Yummy chops!

      Reply
    9. Dan

      May 31, 2011 at 9:13 am

      You're lucky you didn't try the lower temperature earlier. I hear the FDA makes surprise house calls 😉

      Look excellent, by the way. I've got to get myself an electric meat thermometer eventually.

      Reply
    10. Lauren at Keep It Sweet

      May 31, 2011 at 10:08 am

      I was also happy to hear about the temparature change! These pork chops look fabulous.

      Reply
    11. Allie

      May 31, 2011 at 1:13 pm

      You know I don't even really like pork all that much except for bacon but when I got the email about this I was excited! Maybe the reason I haven't liked pork chops is because they were always dry!!! And now they will be juicy and delicious. That's my theory at least 🙂

      Reply
    12. Aggie

      June 01, 2011 at 2:28 pm

      This looks great Lisa! Your photos are making me hungry 🙂

      Reply
    13. Kristina Vanni

      June 12, 2011 at 7:27 pm

      Ah, I just stumbled upon this post now! I write for the Pork Board http://porkknifeandspoon.com/
      and was the one hosting the Twitter party! Thanks so much for giving us a shout out and for spreading the word about 145!

      Reply
    14. Lima Ekram

      July 23, 2021 at 6:10 pm

      5 stars
      These pork chops sound delicious - am trying this weekend!

      Reply
    15. Sharon

      July 23, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      5 stars
      I love the beer added to this, it adds a whole new layer of flavor to this dish.

      Reply
    16. Nathan

      July 23, 2021 at 8:45 pm

      5 stars
      It blew my mind when I looked at the ingredients list and saw there were only 4 of them! Beer and BBQ sauce: is there a better combo? Can't wait to give these pork chops a try!

      Reply
    17. Beth

      July 23, 2021 at 11:11 pm

      5 stars
      These are so juicy and have become a family favorite! I love grilling in the summertime especially for big BBQ weekends! I can’t wait to share this recipe with my family at the next BBQ!

      Reply
    18. Alejandra

      July 23, 2021 at 11:51 pm

      5 stars
      These look like such a great BBQ recipe! Perfect for the next summer day!

      Reply
    19. Jess

      July 30, 2021 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      Incredibly juicy and full of flavor!!

      Reply
    20. Andrea

      July 30, 2021 at 1:17 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! A perfectly grilled pork chop that looks super flavorful and fantastic!

      Reply
    21. Elizabeth

      July 30, 2021 at 1:20 pm

      5 stars
      Now these are some delicious pork chops! So juicy and just perfect for summer!

      Reply
    22. Irina

      July 30, 2021 at 1:30 pm

      5 stars
      These pork chops are the best! Once I saw the first picture on the post (it is mouthwatering!!!), I could not stand but to run to the kitchen to make it ASAP! It is DELICIOUS!

      Reply
    23. Tara

      July 30, 2021 at 2:39 pm

      5 stars
      So perfect for grilling season! These grilled pork chops look absolutely incredible. Love all that flavor and how easily they come together!

      Reply

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