Grilled Soy-Ginger Pork Chops

5 from 2 votes

If you are into teriyaki-like flavors, then this super simple pork chop recipe will be a hit in your house.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Cooling and Marinating Time3

Total Time3 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian, Japanese

Servings: people

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and stir until you can really smell everything and the garlic turns golden, about 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar and crushed red pepper, if using. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer until slightly reduced and syrupy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
Pour the marinade into a container or a zipper-top bag and add the pork chops. Seal the container or the bag and place the chops in the fridge. Refrigerate for 3 to 24 hours.
Preheat the grill to medium.
Remove the pork chops from the marinade. Grill the pork chops for about 4 minutes on each side, until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 140 F on an instant-read thermometer. Allow them to sit for 5 minutes before serving or slicing. Top with the scallions, and serve with the lime wedges for squeezing over the chops.

Because there is salt in this marinade, as well as a bit of sweetness, it kind of acts like a brine, which tenderizes the meat as it marinates. The optimal amount of time is 3 to 12 hours — don’t marinate these for over 24 hours or they might start to change texture.
While the directions are for cooking these pork chops on the grill, you can also broil them. Because there is sugar in the marinade/glaze, you need to keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.
If you are using thick pork chops, don’t crank up the heat of the grill too high, or the pork chops will char on the outside before they are done inside. And if you choose to broil them, don’t place the rack too close to the heat source. Turn them when they start to caramelize.