How to Brine Pork Chops
on Jul 20, 2022, Updated Apr 03, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Brining pork chops results in extra juicy meat, and prevents the chops from drying out no matter how you cook them.
If you can make time to brine your pork chops for a couple of hours, you will be rewarded with totally juicy and tender pork chops. Brining keeps the meat moist, so the pork chops are much less likely to dry out when you cook them. And brining adds flavor. This pork chop brine recipe is super simple; just a combo of water, salt, and sugar. You can add other ingredients to the brine if you want to infuse the pork chops with other flavors.
Even if you just brine your pork chops for 30 to 60 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, you’ll see a difference in the flavor and tenderness of the meat. Try brining your pork chops before using them in recipes like Pan-Fried Pork Chops, One Skillet Creamy Mustard Pork Chops, Pork Chops with Applesauce, or sautéed Pork Chops with Apples.
You can use this same method for chicken thighs and breasts as well! Again, even a short brine has benefits in terms of moistness, tenderness, and flavor.
Table of Contents
How to Brine Pork Chops: Brining pork chops is quick and easy, and results in extra juicy and flavorful meat, and prevents the chops from drying out no matter how you cook them.
Tweet This
What Is Brining?
Brining is a marinating method that involves letting the meat sit in a salt bath, which allows it to retain more moisture as it cooks. This results in juicier and more flavorful meat. It works particularly well on lean white meats like, chicken, turkey, and pork. Brining also seasons the meat through and through and gives the meat a firm but moist texture. Start with quality pork purchased from a quality purveyor!
Interestingly when you weigh a pork chop after cooking that has been brined, you’ll see it weighs more than a non-brined pork chop. This means more moisture stayed in the meat!
What Does Brining Do?
Brining actually causes a change in the structure or proteins in the meat. The salt causes the protein strands to become “denatured” or unwound. As the protein strands unwind, they trap moisture, resulting in juicier meat.
Pork Chop Brine Ingredients
The brine for pork chops is very simple and requires just a few pantry staples. But, you can add more aromatics like herbs and citrus to give your chops extra flavor.
- Water – The liquid will be infused with salt and a bit of sugar.
- Kosher salt – Adds flavor and encourages the meat to retain more moisture.
- Sugar – White or brown sugar adds a bit of extra flavor and caramelization to the pork chop.
- Garlic, citrus zest, peppercorns, and herbs – All optional ingredients that add to the flavor of your pork chops.
- Ice – Helps cool down the brine quickly so you can add the pork chops right away without the risk of bacteria forming.
- Pork chops – This recipe produces enough brine for 2 to 4 thick (1- to 1 1/4-inch) pork chops. You can double or triple the amount of brine as needed if you are making more pork chops. This brine is also great for a tenderloin or small pork loin.
How to Brine Pork Chops
- Combine the brine ingredients: Make a simple brine by combining 2 cups water with 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup sugar (white granulated or brown sugar) in a medium-large pot.
- Boil and add flavoring ingredients: Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. You can also add ingredients like a few garlic cloves, some strips of citrus zest (orange and lemon work well), a tablespoon of black peppercorns, and some springs of fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme to the mix.
- Cool and add pork chops: Add 4 cups of ice and stir until the ice has melted and the liquid is cold. Transfer the brine to a sturdy zipper top bag or sealable container. Add the pork chops, and make sure they are covered with the liquid.
- Let rest then cook: Transfer the container to the fridge and refrigerate for 2 to 18 hours. Remove the pork chops from the brine, discard the liquid, and pat the pork chops completely dry with paper towels or a clean dishtowel. Cook or grill as desired.
Brining Tips
- Make sure the sugar and salt are totally dissolved before adding the ice to the brine base.
- Make sure the brine is completely cold before you add the meat.
- Make sure the chops are completely submerged in the liquid.
- Do not leave the pork chops in the brine for more than the recommended time. This will cause them to change in texture, and the result might be mushy meat.
- Do not let pork or any meat sit at room temperature for more than 30 minutes, which could allow bacteria to form.
Also, see How to Brine a Turkey Breast.
FAQs
The short answer is yes if you have the time. Even a short soak in brine gives pork chops a boost of moistness and flavor. Two hours is the recommended minimum bring time for pork chops, though you can bring them for up to 18 hours, which will enhance the flavor and moistness even further. Longer than that, and the texture may become mushy as the proteins break down. If you want to brine your pork for 30 to 60 minutes, you will still see an improvement in flavor and tenderness. If you are bringing for longer than 30 minutes, make sure to refrigerate the pork.
You do not need to rinse the pork chops after brining them. I do recommend patting them completely dry with paper towels before cooking them, as wet pork chops will not brown or caramelize nearly as well as dry pork chops.
The sugar adds flavor and can enhance the caramelization or browning as the meat cooks. You can dial up or down the amount of sugar as you like. Take into consideration how the pork chops will be cooked and what they will be served with, and determine whether or not a bit of added sweetness will enhance the dish.
More Pork Chop Recipes
- Grilled Soy-Ginger Pork Chops
- Spanish Pork Chops
- One Skillet Creamy Mustard Pork Chops
- Grilled Pork Tacos with Salsa Ranchera
- Korean Pork Chops
- Pan Seared Pork Chops with Marsala and Mushroom Cream Sauce
- Garlicky Pork Chops and Broccoli
- Pork Chops with Apples
- Pork Chops with Salsa Verde and Broccoli Rabe
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
How to Brine Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup white or brown sugar
Optional Add-Ins: (Pick and Choose or Combine)
- 3 garlic cloves, 4 orange or lemon zest strips, 1 tablespoon peppercorns, 4 or 5 sprigs fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme
- 4 cups ice
- 2 to 4 1-inch thick pork chops
Instructions
- Combine the water with the kosher salt and in a medium-large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. You can also add the optional add-in ingredients: garlic cloves, strips of citrus zest, black peppercorns, and fresh herbs.
- Add 4 cups of ice and stir until the ice has melted and the liquid is cool. Transfer the brine to a sturdy zipper-top bag or sealable container. Add the pork chops, and turn to coat with the brine.
- Transfer the container to the fridge and refrigerate for 2 to 18 hours. Remove the pork chops from the brine, discard the brine, and pat the pork chops completely dry with paper towels or a clean dishtowel. Cook or grill as desired.
Notes
- Make sure the sugar and salt are totally dissolved before adding the ice to the brine base.
- Make sure the brine is completely cold before you add the meat.
- Make sure the chops are completely submerged in the liquid.
- Do not leave the pork chops in the brine for more than the recommended time. This will cause them to change in texture, and the result might be mushy meat.
- Do not let pork or any meat sit out sit at room temperature for more than 30 minutes, as this could allow bacteria to form.
