Pork Chop Brine

5 from 1 vote
Jump to RecipeEmail Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Dry, tasteless pork chops no more! If you are looking for a way to get amazing flavor, tender meat, and juicy pork, then use this pork chop brine recipe.

pork chops brining in bag
email me this recipe
Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Growing up, we ate a lot of pork chops. My mom would either make grilled pork chops or roast them in the oven. I often remember them being super chewy and sometimes dry and that’s why we’re teaching you how to get the complete opposite today!

A pork chop brine is a way to add both incredible flavor and tenderness to pork before cooking. We swear by it for pork chops because it’s such a lean cut of meat. The brine helps break down the toughness and makes helps the pork chops retain moisture.

What You Need for this Pork Chop Brine Recipe

In addition to the basic brine ingredients of water and salt, our go-to pork chop brine recipe calls for a few flavor add-ins.

  • Apple juice
  • Peppercorns
  • Orange peel
  • Bay leaf

We love that the apple juice adds a bit of sweetness to counter-balance the salt and the orange peel is 100% necessary! A little citrus goes a long way in wet brines.

What kind of pork chops should I use?

Any kind of pork chops will work for this easy pork chop brine. You’ll notice in the photos we’re using a thick-cut bone-in pork chop, but boneless pork chops work too.

brine in bowl

How long to brine pork chops?

We recommend letting your pork chops brine for around 30-45 minutes. You can let them brine right on the counter so that they’re at room temperature before cooking.

Can I brine my pork chops for too long?

We don’t recommend letting your pork chops brine for too long or the meat could get tough and mushy.

What should I brine my pork chops in?

We recommend using a deep casserole dish or a plastic gallon-size bag.

Should I season my pork chops after brining?

You are more than welcome to just cook your pork chops as is after they have sat in the brine for 30 minutes.

However, sometimes we like to add some of our homemade pork rub or any other seasoning to give them even more flavor.

cuts of pork image.

Cuts of Pork

Not sure where all the different cuts of pork come from on the pig? We made it easy. Check out more details on everything pork in our favorite pork recipes round up!

ingredients on counter

How to Cook Pork Chops After Brining

Are your pork chops brined and ready to go? Here are a few methods in how to cook pork chops once they’ve been brined!

Grilled Pork Chops: grill pork chops at 400ºF over direct heat for around 5-6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 145ºF.

Check out our Grilled Pork Chops Recipe.

Pan-Seared Pork Chops: Pan-sear pork chops over medium/high heat for around 5-6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 145ºF.

Baked Pork Chops: Bake pork chops at 400ºF for around 15 minutes. Then, broil for 1-3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145ºF.

Check out our Baked Pork Chops Recipe.

Instant Pot Pork Chops: Pressure cook pork chops on high for 10 minutes with a quick release. Make sure pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145ºF.

Check out our Instant Pot Pork Chops Recipe.

pork chops brining in bag
5 from 1 vote

Pork Chop Brine Recipe

Learn how to brine pork chops with this flavorful pork chop brine recipe. It will infuse your pork chops with so much flavor and leave them tender and juicy! 
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
email me this recipe
Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients 

  • 4 bone-in pork chops, ~2-lbs., ours were 1 ¼-inch thick
  • 4 cups water
  • ¼ cup salt
  • 1/4 cup apple juice
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns
  • Peel of a medium orange
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions 

  • Pour water and salt into a large Pyrex measuring cup or bowl with a spout. Whisk the 2 ingredients together until the salt dissolves. 
  • Add the apple juice, peppercorns, orange peel, and bay leaves to the brine and mix again. Set aside. 
    a bowl filled with orange slices and spices.
  • Prepare the pork chops by patting each pork chop with a paper towel and then score the fatty part of the pork chops a few times to avoid any bucking during the bake time. 
  • Place the pork chops into a large gallon-size plastic bag or dish and pour the brine over the pork.
    pork chops in a plastic bag with orange slices.
  • Seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes. 

Tips & Notes

  • Nutrition information does not include pork chops.

Watch It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”3hINfQPF” upload-date=”2022-01-10T21:54:50.000Z” name=”Pork Chop Brine” description=”This easy pork chop brine is a great way to add flavor to pork chops and also to help them come out juicy and tender.”]

Nutrition

Calories: 7 kcal, Carbohydrates: 2 g, Protein: 0 g, Fat: 0 g, Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 2 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

love this? leave a comment below!

Don’t forget to tag your posts on social media with the hashtag #fitfoodiefinds, we’d love to see what you’re up to!

Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.

Similar Recipes:

About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

0 0 votes
Recipe Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
Recipe Rating




Recipe Rating

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments