These Buttermilk Brined Pork Chops are the most tender and delicious pork chops you’ll ever make!
This has been a popular recipe here on RecipeGirl for a long time. From one of our RecipeGirl readers: “Just made these buttermilk brined pork chops tonight….marinated all day in the buttermilk marinade. Best grilled chops we have ever had. A keeper! Thank you!”
Ingredients needed:
- buttermilk
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- sugar
- lemon zest
- fresh rosemary
- fresh sage
- pork chops
The full, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
This is a very easy recipe to make, but it’s best if you start the brining process the night before (or at least the morning of the day you want to grill them).
Preheat your grill. (Or heat a large nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat and spray with nonstick spray). Add the pork chops; grill 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until they reach your desired degree of doneness. Timing all depends on how thick your pork chops are.
What does brining do for pork chops?
A brine is a bath of salty, flavorful liquid. In the case of this pork chop recipe, the brine consists of buttermilk combined with salt, a little sugar and spices. The salt in the brine helps to season the pork, and it changes the structure of its proteins, allowing them to absorb and hold on to more moisture. Brined pork chops turn out super tender and moist, and they will be less chewy than non-brined pork chops.
These buttermilk brined pork chops will turn out so juicy and lovely. They’re likely going to become a repeat-recipe for you. Enjoy!
The Best Pork Chop Recipes:
- Hoisin and Honey Glazed Pork Chops
- Chili Rubbed Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
- Pork Chops with Glazed Apricots
- Pan Seared Pork Chops with Pear Mostarda
- Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Buttermilk Brined Pork Chops
Ingredients
BRINE:
- ¾ cup reduced fat buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
OTHER INGREDIENTS:
- Four 4-ounce (about ½-inch thick) bone-in center-cut pork chops
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
BRINE THE CHOPS:
- Combine all brine ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; shake well to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Add the pork chops; seal and refrigerate overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
GRILL THE CHOPS:
- Remove the pork chops from the bag; discard the brine. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with pepper.
- Preheat your grill. (Or heat a large nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat and spray with nonstick spray). Add the pork chops; grill 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
Notes
- The WW Personal Points for this recipe take in to consideration that all the brining liquid will not be absorbed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is a keeper. They were awesome 👌
Yummy. So much flavor comes through! I added about a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a couple cloves of chopped garlic and some fresh thyme. I will absolutely keep this recipe in the rotation. Thank you!!
we made this for our Christmas dinner, well the second one :), my husband let them marinade in the buttermilk mix for a little over 24 hrs. He did try to grill them, but it was so COLD and the wind was blowing just the right way that the grill would not heat over 200, so we put them in the oven to cook.
These were GREAT!! so moist and flavorful. I can see myself making these again , in the VERY near future.
Thanks for sharing
Just made these tonite….marinated all day in the buttermilk marinade. Best grilled chops we have ever had. A keeper! Thank you.
mmmm Love the way that pork looks! I bet it taste really good with the buttermilk soak!