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Home Pork Recipes

Lemon Garlic Marinated Grilled Pork Chops

By:Nagi
Published:8 Jan '18Updated:13 Feb '19
70 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Nothing adds flavour to a pork chop like a good marinade! These Grilled Pork Chops are infused with bright lemon flavours and plenty of garlic.

Terrific to throw on the BBQ – of pan fry them if it’s not grilling season. They brown nicely on the outside and are extra juicy on the inside thanks to the marinade!

Lemon Garlic Marinated Grilled Pork Chops on the barbecue being licked by flames.

Grilled Pork Chops – Marinade

This lemon garlic marinade is SO GOOD with grilled pork chops – though also excellent with chicken and lamb so I’ve have notes for marinating times and cooking directions for those too.

This marinade is a little different to most that I share in that there’s a very high ratio of lemon juice in it. Which means if you leave it for too long, it starts to “cook” the pork – in the same way citrus juices (lemon and lime) is used to “cook” raw fish to make ceviche without going near the stove.

On the plus side, the super marinating strength of lemon juice means that unlike most marinades, you don’t need to leave it overnight for it to work its magic – even 1 hour is long enough!

How long to marinate pork chops?
  • 1 hour minimum – you’ll be surprised how much flavour gets infused in such a short time!
  • 3 hours is ideal;
  • Up to 24 hours is the absolute max – beyond this, the surface texture of the pork turns white which is due to the acid in the lemon juice “cooking” the pork.

Lemon Garlic Marinated Grilled Pork Chops on a white plate with wedges of lemon and garnished with fresh oregano.

Pork Chop Marinade Ingredients

Here are the ingredients required for this simple but highly effective marinade for pork chops:

  • Fresh garlic
  • Dried oregano
  • Lemon juice and zest (zest is where you get the most lemon flavour, the juice is mostly just sour)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

It’s ideal grilled because the high heat will sear the crust beautifully. But it can of course be cooked on the stove as well!

Pork in a Lemon Garlic Marinade for grilled pork chops

How long should you cook pork chops on the grill?

Cooking pork chops on the grill takes 4 minutes on the first side, then 3 minutes on the other side, followed by a 4 minute rest. This is for pork chops that are around 2cm / 4/5″ thick, 280g/9 oz each, bone in.

I cooked half of these Lemon Garlic Marinated Pork Chops on the stove (photo below) and half on the BBQ (see photo at the top). You can see the difference in the crust, simply because I get a higher heat on the BBQ.

I’ve also provided directions for how to bake these pork chops in the oven – the only way you’ll get a nice browning is to use the grill/broiler for a good 5 – 7 minutes to brown the top side only. So the baking time is considerably reduced to cater for this.

Lemon Garlic Marinated Grilled Pork Chops on a white plate with mashed potato on the side.

What these grilled pork chops taste like

While there’s a lot of lemon in the marinade, you don’t get sharp sour flavours once the pork chops are grilled because the sharpness of the lemon is tempered once cooked, leaving you with tasty earthy lemon flavours.

And of course, you can’t miss all that garlic!!! – Nagi xx


Try these on the side

  • Mrs Brodie’s Famous Potato Salad (for mayo free, try this healthier delicious Yogurt Potato Salad Dressing)
  • Lemon Potato Salad – fresh and bright!
  • Coleslaw (also see mayo free, healthier Yogurt Coleslaw Dressing)
  • Big, fat juicy Greek Salad
  • Mexican Red Rice – a fabulous seasoned rice that goes with everything!

And more pork chops recipes

  • Another great pork chop marinade – my go to for all occasions!
  • Sticky Baked Pork Chops – you probably already have everything required for the sauce!
  • French Onion Smothered Pork Chops
  • Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

A pile of Lemon Garlic Marinated Grilled Pork Chops on a plate with fresh lemon wedges.

Marinated Grilled Pork Chops
Watch how to make it

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Nothing adds flavour to a pork chop like a good marinade! Lemon Garlic Marinated Pork Chops - www.recipetineats.com

Lemon Garlic Marinated Grilled Pork Chops

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Main
5 from 23 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe VIDEO above. Nothing infuses pork chops with flavour like a good marinade! This one is ideal for grilling so the high heat sears the crust beautifully. But the pork chops can of course be cooked on the stove, or even bake them! Also use this marinade for the proteins - see notes.

Ingredients

Marinade:

  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano (or other herbs, Note 1)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup (85 ml) lemon juice (1 large or 2 medium lemons)
  • 1/4 cup (65 ml) olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Pork:

  • 4 pork chops bone in , 2cm / 4/5" thick about 280g/9 oz each (Note 2)
  • Oil , for cooking

Instructions

  • Whisk Marinade ingredients in a bowl (or ziplock bag). Add pork. Marinade for 1 hr minimum, 3 hours ideal, 12 hours max (Note 3).
  • Take the pork out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
  • Shake excess marinade off (but don't wipe dry) and cook using preferred method. Pictured in post served with Minted Yoghurt - see notes!

BBQ:

  • Brush grills / plate with oil and heat on high until smoking.
  • Place pork on grills and cook the first side for 4 minutes until it is nicely charred. Turn and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Turn the porks on their side to briefly sear the fat side (see video). Transfer to plate, rest for 3 - 5 minutes then serve.

Stove:

  • Heat skillet with about 1 tbsp oil over high heat. Add pork and cook for 1 minute, then turn DOWN slightly to medium high. Cook for another 3 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Turn the porks on their side to briefly sear the fat side (see video).
  • Transfer to plate, rest for 3 - 5 minutes then serve.

Oven:

  • Preheat oven to 200C / 390F (fan forced / convection) or 220C / 430F (standard oven).
  • Place oven shelf in top 1/3 of oven.
  • Place pork on tray. Bake for 15 minutes, then flick to grill/broiler and grill on high for 5 minutes until the surface is nicely browned.
  • Transfer to plate, rest for 3 - 5 minutes then serve.

Recipe Notes:

1. Herbs: I love the combination of oregano and lemon and loads of garlic, very Greek. Feel free to swap this with other herbs - I'd reduce to 2 tsp for thyme, 1 tsp for rosemary, tarragon, sage, but keep the same amount for mild dried herbs like parsley, basil, chives.
2. Chops - For thinner chops, cook on high heat for less time and wait until the pan is smoking hot. You want to get a nice crust on the chops!
CHICKEN - this is such a great marinade for chicken too! Use either boneless thigh or cut breast in half horizontally to create 2 thin steaks, then marinade for just 30 minutes, no longer than 1 hour otherwise the lemon will start cooking the chicken. Maximum 2 - 3 hours!!
3. The marinading time for this recipe is less than the usual because it has lemon juice in it which can "cook" proteins and cause them to go beyond tenderised to either a weird too-soft texture / toughen up. 3 hours is ideal. 24 hours is the absolute max. 
See Note 2 above for chicken marinade times. I don't recommend using this marinade for fish (it will cook it, turning it into ceviche!). Prawns / shrimp would be 5 - 10 minutes max. Lamb - probably same as pork. Beef can probably handle a bit longer but I'd still do the same time as pork.
4. Minted Yoghurt - optional (because the chops are juicy juicy as they are!!). Yoghurt + finely chopped mint + minced garlic + squeeze of lemon juice + salt and pepper + drizzle of olive oil. Mix, set aside for 20 minutes!
5. Nutrition: Hard to do because all oil and salt in the marinade doesn't get absorbed. So I've done the nutrition using 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, using boneless chops (ie the bone is excluded from the Servings weight shown below), assuming this is cooked on the BBQ.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 204gCalories: 449cal (22%)
Keywords: Grilled pork chops, Marinade for grilled pork chops
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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70 Comments

  1. Terez says

    February 7, 2021 at 8:51 pm

    5 stars
    Another fantastic recipe Naj as always. Great flavour, easy instructions

    Reply
  2. Diane says

    January 18, 2021 at 9:17 pm

    5 stars
    OMG! Poured the pan juices over the meat. Served with rustic bread to dip in the juice.
    Garlicky, lemony deliciousness!!

    Reply
  3. Dominique says

    January 2, 2021 at 8:45 pm

    My fussy toddler LOVES this!! Paired it with your risoni/Greek salad recipe. Thanks so much Nagi for another delicious and healthy meal!

    Reply
    • Diane says

      January 18, 2021 at 9:18 pm

      5 stars
      OMG! Poured the pan juices over the meat. Served with rustic bread to dip in the juice.
      Garlicky, lemony deliciousness!!

      Reply
  4. Magda says

    August 25, 2020 at 8:54 am

    This marinade works with fried chicken too! Gonna try it next time with pork. Thank you

    Reply
  5. Amy says

    August 11, 2020 at 10:55 am

    Hi Nagi,
    Can I use this marinade for pork tenderloin pieces that I will cook as kabob’s on the bbq? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 11, 2020 at 12:22 pm

      Yes 100% Amy!! Enjoy! N x

      Reply
  6. Tammy says

    June 11, 2020 at 9:51 pm

    5 stars
    This was a great recipe but I would have liked a recipe noted for the mint yogurt dip. I made it but wasn’t sure if the ratios were right (still tasted good but I want to be sure I’m making it correctly). Can you post something?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 12, 2020 at 5:11 pm

      Hi Tammy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. You can find a minted yogurt recipe here: https://www.recipetineats.com/oven-baked-tandoori-chicken

      Reply
      • Tammy says

        June 12, 2020 at 9:14 pm

        Thank you soooo much!

        Reply
  7. Denise says

    March 4, 2020 at 2:42 am

    This looks delicious! Can I make the marinade in advance…maybe in the morning and add the pork chops when I get home from work? Thank you

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 4, 2020 at 10:08 am

      Hi Denise, you can marinade max 12 hours – so if you’e within this timeframe it’s safe to marinade in the morning – otherwise you can definitely make the marinade in the morning and chuck the chops in that afternoon ❤️

      Reply
  8. Pauline says

    February 6, 2020 at 1:03 pm

    5 stars
    I made pork thin steaks in this Marinade last night. Oh my stars they were delicious. I only marinated for an hour. They were juicy and tender. I’ll be using this recipe on everything! Thank you. I love your recipes.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 10, 2020 at 8:31 pm

      I’m so glad you loved it Pauline!!!

      Reply
  9. Kayla says

    July 30, 2019 at 11:35 am

    5 stars
    YUM. I marinated the pork chops for an hour and they absorbed so much flavour! I served them with your apple walnut salad recipe plus some Spanish quinoa and grilled mushrooms. Thanks Nagi, I can always turn to your blog for inspiration and the results speak for themselves. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 30, 2019 at 1:03 pm

      The perfect combo, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  10. Kim says

    July 7, 2019 at 11:46 am

    5 stars
    Soooo good! I marinated 1in thick boneless chops for 4hrs or so & these came out so juicy and flavorful! Will definitely be making these again.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 7, 2019 at 6:00 pm

      Thats awesome Kim!

      Reply
  11. Betty says

    June 6, 2019 at 3:35 am

    5 stars
    I could not believe how tender and delicious these pork chops were. I only had time to marinade for 1 1/2 hours. My husband is the grill master and agreed saying let’s have these again soon !! Served with your lemon garlic potato salad, another winner. You never disappoint Nagi ! Hugs to Dozer.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 6, 2019 at 7:26 pm

      Wahoo Betty, great news!

      Reply
  12. Veronica says

    May 26, 2019 at 10:40 am

    I just made these pork chops on the grill. They made a fantastic meal, flavorful and tender.

    Thank you for all the great recipes.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 27, 2019 at 4:27 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them Veronica ❤️

      Reply
  13. Krizten Martin says

    January 5, 2019 at 12:02 pm

    5 stars
    Just made these with your greek potatoes… *swoon*. So so so good! And let me tell you, the potatoes are to die for! I’m buying myself extra treadmill time but so worth it!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 7, 2019 at 9:15 pm

      They are soooo addictive! I’ve eaten more of those potatoes than I’ll ever admit 🙊

      Reply
  14. LJ says

    September 30, 2018 at 9:29 am

    5 stars
    Outstanding! Used recipe as written on pork loin chops and cooked them stove top. Perfect!! Thanks

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 30, 2018 at 11:56 am

      I’m so pleased you enjoyed this LJ! Thank you for letting me know! N x

      Reply
  15. Rebecca says

    May 25, 2018 at 11:35 am

    Made these pork chops last night. Cooked on charcoal grill, took a bit longer to get to proper internal temperature. They were delicious with 1 Hour marinade. Next time I’ll do them longer. I used a mixture of fresh herbs since I have a little garden. About 1/4 C. Mixture of oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary. Highly recommend.

    Reply
  16. Toni says

    May 19, 2018 at 12:08 pm

    This is going into my recipe folder. I didn’t even have to leave the marinade an hour for the chips to be flavorful and juicy. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 21, 2018 at 8:24 pm

      That’s great to hear Toni!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! N x

      Reply
  17. Alexis says

    January 26, 2018 at 11:32 am

    5 stars
    Delicious thanks!! I usually do the marinade with soy sauce but ran out so was looking for something different, and this was perfect.

    Reply
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