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–+ servings
two pork chops on a plate with herb butter on top
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Pork Chop Brine Recipe

Perfect pork chop brine made with honey, brown sugar, garlic, and spices for juicy, tender, flavorful pork chops every time. This easy brine recipe keeps pork moist and delicious whether grilling, baking, or pan-searing.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Brine 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 458kcal
Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 New York Pork Chops

Brine

  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 4 tsp diced garlic
  • 2 Tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt or sea salt

Herbed Butter

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
  • 2 Tbsp fresh chives
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup butter softened

Instructions

  • Combine all Brine ingredients and pour over pork in a zip lock plastic bag.
  • Be sure pork is totally immersed.
  • Refrigerate 12- 24 hours. Rotate bag a few times.
  • Rinse pork.
  • Place on heated grill (350 degrees)
  • Grill until meat reaches 145 degrees

Herbed Butter

  • Mix all ingredients together.
  • Refrigerate
  • Place a teaspoon full on each hot chop. Allow to melt over meat.

Notes

  1. Keep it cold. Always brine your pork chops in the refrigerator, never at room temperature, to keep the meat safe while it soaks.
  2. Pat dry before cooking. After removing the pork chops from the brine, pat them dry with paper towels. This helps them get a beautiful golden crust when seared, grilled, or baked.
  3. No extra salt needed. Because the pork absorbs salt from the brine, you usually won’t need to add much additional salt before cooking—just season lightly with any extra spices or herbs.
  4. Works with more than pork chops. This brine is also delicious for pork tenderloin or thicker cuts of pork if you want to use it for other recipes.
  5. Use a non-reactive container. Brine in a glass bowl, food-safe plastic container, or zip-top bag rather than metal to avoid altering the flavor.
  6. Be sure and use a meat thermometer to make sure your cook your pork to the right temperature.  Cutting into the meat while it is cooking to check for doneness lets all those yummy juices out which then causes the meat to dry.
  7. Don't skip the herb butter on top - it gives the pork chop so much additional flavor!

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 1968mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 962IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg