Mix up your meat routine with these easy and delicious bourbon glazed pork chops.
These chops are brined to infuse flavor and moisture. We finish them off with a sticky brown sugar and bourbon sauce. This is a simple and easy recipe to pull off, especially for busy weeknights. Approved for novice cooks. We'll be eating perfectly seasoned and well cooked pork chops tonight with a delicious, sticky, brown sugar and bourbon glaze.
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How To Make Delicious And Juicy Pork Chops
There are two key components to making juicy pork cops: they need to be brined to control their moisture and they need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145˚F. I prefer thick cut boneless pork chops, but if you like a good bone-in pork chop by all means cook that. It's a personal preference and won't change the recipe at all. Thin pork chops tend to become more dry which is why I like a nice thick chop.
How To Make A Brine
A brine is a solution consisting of water and salt. Some include extras and aromatics such as herbs, peppercorn, bay leaves, and more. In this recipe, we are keeping it simple because the grilled pork chops will be seasoned with smoked paprika and finished with that brown sugar and bourbon sauce. So for this recipe, we only need water, salt, sugar, and peppercorns.
Brine ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup salt
- 1 tablespoon cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
To make a brine, place a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Combine one cup of water with the salt, sugar, and peppercorns. Bring the mixture up to a boil and stir. Turn off the heat and pour the brine mixture into 3 cups of ice water.
Once the brine has cooled completely, transfer the liquid to an airtight container and add the pork chops. I find that a shallow dish with a lid or zip top bag work best so that the pork chops are submerged in the brine with a lot of extra air space.
What Kind Of Bourbon Should I Use
Bourbon and brown sugar is the perfect combination. My best advice here is to pick a bourbon that falls on the sweeter side, but whatever you have open is a good choice. This time I'm, using TX bourbon. They have a variety of flavors, but any should do. Pick one that is good to drink, but not so expensive that its a waste to cook with it. For this recipe, we only need one half cup bourbon.
More recommendations to use: Buffalo Trace, Weller Reserve, Jack Daniels. These all have great flavor, reasonable price tag, and are easy to find in liquor stores.
Bourbon and Brown Sugar Glaze Ingredients
The other ingredients for the glaze include: soy sauce, granulated garlic or garlic powder, black pepper, and butter for finishing the sauce.
How To Make The Most Amazing Bourbon Glaze
Starting with a small saucepan over medium heat, add the bourbon and brown sugar. Bring the mixture up to a boil and cook for 2 minutes until the alcohol scent has burned off. Reduce to medium low heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook the glaze for about 10 minutes. It will reduce and become the consistency of maple syrup.
As the sauce cooks and reduces, it will tighten up and be a little sticky. Finishing the pork chops with the glaze gives them a wonderful sticky coating that won't slip off. And voila- bourbon glazed pork chop perfection.
What is the best way to cook bourbon glazed pork chops
I make these pork chops on my Traeger. Grilling pork chops on a Traeger is perfect because of the consistent heat output and mild smoky flavor.
If we were going to cook pork chops on the stove, they would still need to finish in the oven. That makes it more likely they will be overcooked. We don't want that. On the grill with the lid down is a guaranteed way to achieve moist and tender pork chops.
Cooking the pork chops on a Traeger
When you are ready to cook the pork chops, begin by preheating your grill to 375F. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat them dry with paper towels. Next, drizzle the pork chops with a little olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and granulated garlic. The smoky flavor of the paprika is perfect for the smoky flavor we get from the Traeger and the glaze. Spoon a little of the glaze over the pork chops before getting them on the grill. Make sure to get it on the sides of the chops as well.
Once the grill has reached 375F, place pork chops directly on the grill grates and close the grill lid. Cook the pork chops for 25-30 minutes total or until the internal temperature reads 140-145F on a meat thermometer.
After 6 minutes of cooking, brush the bourbon glaze all over the pork chops. Make sure to get it on all sides of the pork chops. We do this 3 times through the cooking process to build the glaze and leave the pork chops with a delicious sticky coating.
After the cooking process is complete, remove the pork chops to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Make sure to save the remaining glaze for drizzling over the pork chops after you slice them or serve with dinner as a dipping sauce.
Recipe Modifications
- Other spices you can include: chili powder, cayenne for a spicy kick
- Leave out the bourbon- you can add peach preserves or jam and make this a peach glaze instead which will be great on the pork chops
- add more fresh herbs to the brine: garlic cloves, rosemary, and thyme are all great ways to up the flavor of the brine
Great Side Dishes for this Pork Chop Recipe
A delicious main dish like this needs a hearty side dish and you'll have the perfect dinner. These are my dinner time go-to's for busy weeknights filled with school activities.
- baked sweet potatoes
- green salad with apple cider vinegar dressing
- roasted red pepper and poblano rice
- baked beans
- macaroni and cheese
- twice baked potatoes
Bourbon-Glazed Pork Chops Recipe Card
Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops
Equipment
- 1 small sauce pan
- 1 grill I use a Traeger
- 1 large food storage container with lid or ziplock bag to brine in
Ingredients
Brine
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
Pork Chop
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Bourbon Glaze
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup bourbon *see note below
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
Brining the Pork Chop
- In a medium pot, combine 1 cup of water, salt, sugar, and peppercorns. Heat on medium high until the mixture boils. Stir the brine and remove from heat to cool completely. Add the brine mixture to 3 cups of ice and set aside while you prepare the pork chops.
- Trim any excess fat from the pork chops.Pour the brine into a ziplock bag or airtight container with a lid and add pork chops.
- Refrigerate the pork chops in the brine for 2-4 hours.
Grilling the Pork Chops and Make the Bourbon Glaze
- Preheat grill to 375F.
- Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry.
- Drizzle each pork chop with vegetable oil, paprika, and granulated garlic.
- While the grill preheats, make the sauce. In a small sauce pan or pot, combine the ½ cup of bourbon and ½ cup of brown sugar. Turn the burner on to medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium and maintain a low bubble. Add the soy sauce, granulated garlic, and black pepper.
- Cook the sauce and let it reduce for 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoon of butter and remove from heat.
- Once the grill has preheated to 375F, add the pork chops and close the lid. Flip the pork chops at 12 minutes. Cook for a total of 25-30 minutes or until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 140F.
- After flipping the pork chops, spoon or brush the bourbon glaze on all sides. Do this 2-3 times while the pork chops cook for a well coated pork chop.
- Save the remaining bourbon glaze for serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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More Popular Pork Recipes
My Traeger Pork Tenderloin is one of my most popular recipes. You can get the cook times and temperatures for an easy meal whether you want it cooked low and slow or high and fast.
Marcus says
Pork can be. So dry and these are not at all. Good recipe.