This is AMAZING! It produces pork chops dripping with so much intoxicating flavor you will be obsessed. The pork chop marinade is infused with maple, orange juice and chipotle for a sweet and tangy multidimensional flavor with just the right punch of sassy heat.  It’s perfect for so you can enjoy its mesmerizing flavor rear round.  To make, simply whisk the marinade together, marinate, and then grill or bake with zero cleanup!  Serve your marinated pork chops with crock pot mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli or and drool.

Pork is always a welcome way to break up the monotony of chicken!  If you love pork, you’ll love my INSANELY popular garlic butter herb pork tenderloin, grilled pork tenderloin, carnitas and skillet pork chops with apples!

Pork chops are seriously underrated.  They are relatively inexpensive, easy to prepare and can emerge as flavorful and as juicy as a steak when marinated.  Best of all, this pork chop marinade recipe couldn’t be any easier or more delicious! The marinade does all the heavy lifting and takes less than 5 minutes to whisk together making dinner time a breeze.  You can even prep the marinade in advance or double or triple the recipe and freeze for later.

Now, let’s talk flavor. The chipotle maple pork chop marinade is slightly adapted from my Chipotle Maple Chicken because I am obsessed!  And I’m not the only one.  Recently a reader commented on that recipe: 

This reputed pork chop marinade creates melt-in-your-mouth tender, juicy pork chops with complex sweet, tangy, and spicy notes. It’s made with pure maple syrup, orange juice, apricot preserves, balsamic vinegar and splashes of soy sauce and Dijon mustard along with chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano and orange zest for a rainbow of flavor in every bite. 

If you’re worried about the spice level, you can control the heat simply by adding more or less chipotle chile pepper to make it YOUR perfect pork chop marinade.

If you don’t have much experience cooking with pork chops, it might seem overwhelming to select which pork chops to use in this pork chop marinade recipe.   Pork chops all come from the loin of the pig which runs along the back from hip, and are the most tender part of the animal but some cuts are better than others and some are just better for different cooking techniques.

I always recommend bone-in pork chops for grilling because they are juicer, cook more evenly and are slightly fattier which equates to more flavor.   are the most desirable cut.  Sometimes packages will mix pork rib chops with bone-in loin chops (like I used in this recipe) which is also a good option.  Here is a breakdown of the different cuts of pork chops:

This pork chop marinade tenderizes and flavors your protein so all you have to do is marinate and cook!  A good marinade with the proper balance of acid, fat, salt and flavor enhancers will:

Now that we know the benefits of a marinade.  How does it work? 

This pork chop marinade recipe is easy to make once you gather your ingredients.  You will need: 

This pork chop marinade recipe is a quick whisking together of pure maple syrup (not the imitation breakfast kind), apricot preserves (my favorite secret ingredient), orange juice, balsamic vinegar, splashes of soy sauce and Dijon mustard and a bevy of spices including chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano and orange zest.

Next, remove ⅓ cup to use later to baste the pork chops which amps up the flavor.  Add pork to the marinade in a freezer size bag and turn the bag over a couple times so it envelops the pork chops.   Marinate for 4-12 hours.

When it comes to marinating any protein, there are some safety rules to follow to avoid cross contamination.  Follow these simple rules to maintain sanitary conditions and food safety:

In contrast to popular belief, you should NOT poke holes in pork chops before marinating. This actually drains out the valuable juices and will result in less juicy meat.

If you can’t get to cooking your marinating pork chops within 12 hours, just pop it in the freezer – another perk of using sealable plastic bags. When it’s time to cook, just thaw and cook!

6-12 hours is the optimal time to marinate pork chops because they are a lean cut of meat and relatively thick.  After 6 hours, the pork chops will have absorbed a lot of the flavor but by 12 hours they will have become more tender. I recommend marinating your pork chops for the maximum 12 hours for optimal flavor and juiciness but you can get by with whatever you have time for because the glaze is extremely flavorful.

This pork chop marinade contains both orange juice and balsamic vinegar so it is highly acidic which means you don’t want to marinate the pork chops much longer than 12 hours because the acid in the marinade will begin to change the structure of the meat and the muscle fibers can break down and become mushy. 

This pork chop marinade recipe contains sugar in the form of maple syrup which adds great flavor but can easily burn, so it is best suited for grilling or baking and not pan frying.

For 1-inch thick pork chops, grill pork for 4-6 minutes per side over medium-high heat with the lid closed for a total of . Let pork rest before serving.

Juicy pork chops are not overcooked pork chops.  According to USDA guidelinespork chops are done when an internal thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reaches 145 degrees F – this is the sweet spot for the juiciest pork.  This temperature means the pork chops will be slightly pink inside which is OKAY.  

This 145-degrees temperature is 15 degrees less than the old standards of 160 degrees F which would mean the pork would be completely cooked through without any pink.  The research shows, however, that 145 degrees F is the same safety-wise as cooking pork to 160 degrees F AND yields much more tender pork.

Transfer pork chop marinade to an airtight container such as a sealable bag or jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Refrigerate for up to five days in the refrigerator.  Transfer to the freezer if not using before that.

You can freeze just the marinade, pork chops in the marinade or cooked pork chops.   Here’s how:

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in an airtight container up to 5 days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator WITHOUT the pork chops.

Marinated pork chops pair well with pretty much everything from potatoes to rice to salad to fruit. We love serving them with our favorite backyard barbecue foods in the summer and our favorite comfort foods in the winter.

Here are some of our favorite sides to serve with marinated pork chops:

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