Simple brine for pork chops can be as easy as dissolving salt in water or as complicated as an overnight process of an herb-infused brine and a quick pan fry.
Gather This
These simple ingredients for a quick brine will leave you with the tastiest chops you’ve ever had!
A full list of ingredients with measurements is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Water- Water is the base for brine. Using the concepts of osmosis, it will soak into the pork. One gallon equals 16 cups.
- Coarse kosher salt– Salt is the other essential element of a brine. I highly encourage using a coarse kosher salt as opposed to a table salt, which might be too salty or have a metallic aftertaste.
- Sugar– Helps to balance flavors and promotes browning of the meat during the cooking process. Some folks like to use brown sugar for the molasses notes, either are acceptable.
- Bay leaves– A bay leaf adds pepperiness with a slight minty flavor, it brightens the brine.
- Garlic- Leaving the garlic whole allows it to leach flavor, but not be overly garlicky.
- Whole black peppercorns– Flavors the brine without leaving behind unsightly little black specks.
- Fresh herbs– We used fresh rosemary and fresh thyme, but any combination of herbs can be used, or choose just one! Tarragon, parsley, dill, cilantro, and even sage are great with pork.
- Lemon- Acidity adds brightness. Use a fresh lemon for the best flavor.
- Pork chops– Chops can be bone-in pork chops or boneless pork chops; either can be brined. We preferred bine-in for this recipe.
Let’s Get Cooking!
Brining is super easy, basically you’ll be infusing water with these flavors and then marinating the pork chops.
- Combine Ingredients. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, combine the water, Kosher salt, sugar, bay leaves, smashed garlic cloves, black peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and sliced lemons.
- Make Brine. Bring to a low simmer, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully.
- Add Pork. Add the pork chops to the cooled brine- do not add to hot water. If there is room, you can add to the stock pot, just make sure it is fully submerged in liquid. If you need to add 1-2 additional cups of water to make this happen, go for it! You can also use a brining bag.
- Brine. Cover, if you are using a pot, and refrigerate for 6-12 hours. Do not overshoot the brining process, as meat can start to turn rubbery if brined for too long.
- Dry Pork Chops. Remove pork chops from the brine and rinse with cold water. Continue with your favorite pork chop recipe. Discard the used brine.
This pork chop brine recipe can be used for virtually any pork chop recipe. Simply go through these steps and pick up at the beginning of where your recipe starts.
Brined pork chops can be finished any way you like: broiled, pan-fried, grilled, or baked. We like to pan fry them with a quick compound butter. Have a little fun with it and choose any of our flavored butters.
- Remove from Brine. Remove pork chops from the brine and give them a quick rinse with cold water to remove any leftover bits and salt from the outside. All of the deliciousness will stay locked inside.
- Make Butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter with basil, oregano, and parsley. Set aside. Season pork chops with Kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Sear. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Cook pork chops on both sides until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 145°F using a digital instant-read thermometer.
- Rest. Remove pork chops from the frying pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top each with 1 tablespoon of herb butter when plated, allowing butter to melt over pork chops.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻🍳
- Salt – Salt plays a key role in the brine, tenderizing the meat as it rests in it.
- Seasoning – We use plenty of spices to infuse flavor into the pork.
- Sauces – The brine is the sauce! And it does all of the work of building flavor and keeping the meat moist.
- Swaps – This is a basic brine solution. Feel free to add additional seasonings to customize it and make even more flavorful chops. Apples, apple juice, and apple cider vinegar are always favorites, as is using a seasoned salt or other blend of salt, paprika, chile powder, cumin, or even cayenne pepper if you want an edge.
- Senses – When you cook this up, you’ll be loving the sizzle of the meat and aromas wafting off it!
Perfect Pairings
There really isn’t anything you can’t serve them with. Perhaps a few… my favorites are Creamy Scalloped Potatoes, Herbed Potato Salad, Corn on the Cob, and Homemade Applesauce.
Storage
Pork chops are easy to store in the fridge or the freezer!
Refrigerator
Keep cooked pork chops in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or the air fryer.
Freezer
Freeze the pork chops for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
Helpful Tips & Answers
The sweet spot for brining pork chops is typically between 30 minutes and 12 hours, depending on the thickness of your chops. Thin-cut chops need just 30 minutes to 2 hours, while thicker cuts benefit from 4-12 hours in the brine. Just don’t go beyond 24 hours or you might end up with overly salty, mushy meat!
Brining works like magic by helping the meat retain moisture during cooking and seasoning it all the way through. The salt in the brine dissolves some of the proteins in the meat, allowing it to hold more water and creating a juicier, more flavorful pork chop that’s much more forgiving if you accidentally overcook it a bit.
Absolutely – over-brining is a real risk that can turn your pork chops unpleasantly salty and give them a mushy texture. Think of brining like marinating – there’s definitely a point of diminishing returns. For most pork chops, anything beyond 24 hours is too long, and thinner cuts shouldn’t go past 8 hours.
More Pork Recipes
We have even more delicious pork recipes to enjoy!
Brine Pork Chops Recipe
Ingredients
Pork Chop Brine:
- 1/2 gallon water
- 1/2 cup kosher salt*
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 dried bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and smashed
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 lemon , sliced
- 6-8 large pork chops
Pan Fried Pork Chops:
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup butter , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
Instructions
To Brine Pork Chops:
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, combine the water, Kosher salt, sugar, bay leaves, smashed garlic cloves, black peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and slices lemons.
- Bring to a low simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool fully.
- Add the pork chops to the cooled brine. If there is room, you can add to the stock pot, just make sure it is fully submerged in liquid. If you need to add 1-2 additional cups of water to make this happen, go for it! You can also use a brining bag.
- Cover, if you using a pot, and refrigerate for 6-12 hours. Do not over brine, as meat can start to turn rubbery if brined for too long. Remove the pork chops from the brine and rinse with cold water. Continue with your favorite pork chop recipe. Discard brine.
To Cook Brined Pork Chops:
- In a small bowl, combine the butter with basil, oregano and parsley. Set aside. Season the pork chops with Kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Brown the pork chops on both sides until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Remove the chops from the frying pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top each with 1 tablespoon of herb butter when plated, allowing butter to melt over pork chops. Approximately 1 tablespoons per pork chops.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Have you ever considered using a unique ingredient in your pork brine recipe to elevate the flavor profile, such as coffee or maple syrup? How do you think these unconventional additions would impact the taste of the pork chops?
Those could certianly be fun flavor additions! I think I’d change the herbs for coffee, but it’s worth a try. We do a coffee rubbed beef tenderloin that is really good.
This is the recipe I keep returning to. Brining makes all the difference if you want to avoid dry, tough pork chops. Sometimes I cheat and dissolve the brine ingredients in a cup of microwaved water. After the sugar is dissolved (my coarse kosher salt never completely dissolves) I add about three cups of cold water. I put my boneless chops in a ziplock bag and pour the brine over. After sealing it up I place it on a sheet tray and flatten it out. Then I pop it in the fridge. I rarely brine the whole 6+ hours. Even a short brine really helps,