If you’re looking for a simple marinade for pork chops on the grill, this combination of honey, lime juice, soy sauce and sriracha can’t be beat. The Southeast Asian influence means it’s the perfect balance of sweet & spicy, plus acidity from the citrus helps tenderize the fatty pork chops.
Pork is such an underappreciated protein on the grill. It’s usually cheaper than steak, but more luxurious than chicken. And because of the naturally occurring fat content (even in boneless chops), they tend to stay juicy even over the hot coals. The trick is finding the right marinade to impart big flavor in a short amount of time—ideally in only the time it takes to light the fire!
When I was in Vietnam, I became obsessed with vermicelli noodle bowls with grilled pork. Though the cut used is more commonly thinly sliced pork shoulder, I looked to Southeast Asia to influence this pork chop marinade since it’s a cuisine that knows how to offset heat with sweet.
To make this pork chop marinade gluten-free, you can use tamari instead of soy sauce. If you don’t have honey, maple syrup or brown sugar works as well. Sriracha is my favorite hot sauce from this region, but you can easily use anything you have on hand (even chili crisp!).
If you want to add more of an authentic spin, make sure to include the fish sauce. I left it as optional since I’m often entertaining people who don’t love fish as much as I do—which is when I’ll reach for this grilled pork chop recipe.
How to make a quick marinade for grilled pork chops:
Finally, the pork chop marinade uses a healthy dose of lime juice. If you’re not serving your pork alongside any pickled garnishes (be my guest!), it helps to have some acid built into the marinade to cut the richness of the chops.
The citrus also helps tenderize the meat in a shorter amount of time. It’s the same approach I use in the this balsamic pork marinade, which could also work on chops!
This quick pork chop marinade is intended to make the most of your time while you heat up the grill, but if you have more than 10 minutes to let the meat hang out (even overnight), you’ll always get the most built-in flavor that way.
Any leftover marinade can be decanted into a saucepan, brought to a simmer, and then poured over the finished pork chops.
One last time saving tip is to use a small food processor (I use this one) to pulse the garlic and ginger. Chopping these aromatics is the only part of the marinade that takes a few minutes.
My favorite garnishes for these grilled pork chops, after they’ve rested and been sliced, are handfuls of torn herbs like mint, cilantro and basil. You can also put some lime wedges and more sriracha on the side. Thinly sliced radishes or cucumbers are lovely as well. And if you really want to bring the Southeast Asian theme home, some roughly chopped peanuts.
If you want to embrace an all of the above approach, definitely serve my peanuty cucumber and avocado salad on the side!
Read on for this quick marinade for pork chops on the grill!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Quick Sweet & Spicy Pork Chop Marinade for Grilling
This recipe makes ¾ cup of marinade which will be enough for 2 to 4 pounds of pork chops. I’ve included instructions on how to use it on boneless pork chops, but bone-in would work too!
To serve some of this quick marinade on the side, simply transfer it to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce for 2 minutes and then pour over the finished grilled pork chops.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce optional
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 to 3 pounds boneless pork chops
Instructions
-
In a medium mixing bowl (or baking dish), whisk together the lime juice, honey, soy sauce, olive oil, fish sauce (if using), sriracha, ginger and garlic.
-
Store the pork chop marinade for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or use immediately as follows.
-
Add the marinade to a baking dish and add the pork chops. Swish around until well-coated. Set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes, or overnight covered in the fridge.
-
Preheat your grill to medium-high. Remove the boneless pork chops from the marinade and season lightly with salt.
-
Place the pork on the grill grates and cook for 3 minutes. Rotate the pork chops 90 degrees to get a crosshatch and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip the pork chops and repeat on the second side for another 4 to 5 minutes rotating once 90 degrees. Remove the pork chops to a cutting board and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.
-
Optional: While the pork is resting, decant the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes (it doesn’t need to thicken), then set aside.
-
Thinly slice the pork and serve alongside lime wedges or sriracha. If using the remaining marinade, pour over the top. Fresh herbs (like mint) also make for a wonderful garnish.