Apple Cider Pork Chops

These sweet and tangy tender Grilled Apple Cider Pork Chops are the perfect way to welcome Fall! 

This easy recipe starts with a simple marinade of fresh apple cider, whole grain mustard, maple syrup, and a few other wholesome ingredients to give you one fantastic dinner!

I love to serve it with some grilled apples on the side. It's a quick and easy enough for any night of the week but will impress company too.

Do you feel like you eat a lot of chicken? Pork is a great alternative for sticking with a healthy white meat. Grilled Pork Chops with Cherry Salsa is lovely during cherry season, and Maple Mustard Pork hits the spot anytime of the year.

Often people shy away from pork because they have trouble keeping it juicy and it turns out dry. But with this marinade, your meat will be tender, juicy, and flavorful.

Ingredients

The key to a good marinade is having a balance of acidity, oil and seasonings.

• Apple Cider- Fresh cider is one of the things that MAKE this recipe.
• Apple Cider Vinegar- the acidity helps tenderize the meat.
• whole grain mustard- tangy and adds a bit of texture.
• olive oil- a great source of healthy fat.
• maple syrup- only 100% pure please! Adds a touch of sweetness and that delicious maple flavor
• minced or pressed garlic cloves
• soy sauce- I like low sodium

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients together and the marinade is ready.
2. Reserve ½ cup for basting (optional).
3. Pour the remaining mixture over the meat. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Make sure you keep it refrigerated while it's marinating.
4. Cook on a preheated grill for 5 minutes per side.

Grilling Tips

1. Heat the grill. You want it screaming hot, 400-500 degrees. This will give your meat nice grill marks, but more importantly it won't stick when you go to turn them.
2. Let the excess marinade drip off and carefully place the chops on the grill
3. Close the lid and set your timer for 5-10 minutes. The time will depend on the thickness of your pork chops, more on that below.
4. Flip the pork chops over, close the lid again, and set your timer for another 5-10 minutes.
5. If you reserved some of the marinade, you can baste the meat before and after flipping it.

What kind of pork chops are best for grilling?

Technically, center cut, bone in rib chops that are at least an inch thick are best for grilling. They are very tender with a large bone running through it. However, that being said, I still often use a boneless pork chop for a few reasons:

1. With a marinade that has enough acid, they will still be very tender.
2. With proper cooking time, you won't dry them out.
3. They're a little easier for my kids to work with because they're not trying to cut around the bone.

You can use this recipe with either a bone in or boneless pork chop. Make sure you get a rib-chop, that will be your best bet. As far as thickness, it will cook quicker if it's thinner, so keep an eye on your timer and cook accordingly. When you're in a rush, use a thinner cut and dinner is cooked in 10 minutes.

How long do you cook pork chops on the grill?

If you have a cut that's an inch or more, start at 10 minutes per side. If they are thinner, start at 5 minutes per side. The temperature should be very hot at first, around 400 degrees, after you put the meat on the grill, you can turn it down to a medium heat, around 350 or so.

If it's not great grilling weather, you can use a grill pan indoors. Or, you can bake these in the oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Suggested Sides Dishes

The meat has such great flavor that you don't want to go too crazy on the sides. So, keeping it simple is an excellent idea.

• Grilled apple slices - I used sliced Gala Apples and basted with the reserved marinade.
• Roasted Vegetables
• Wild rice
• Quinoa
• Garlic Roasted Green Beans
• Cauliflower or Broccoli
• Sweet Potatoes
• Any type of squash pairs well
• Mixed green salad with pears, nuts, and cheese

Notes

• The meat will need to marinate so allow yourself some time for that.
• Bone-in pork chops work just as well as boneless. You may need to increase cooking time.
• Thin cut chops cook nice and quick if your'e in a hurry.
• These freeze well too, place the pork in the marinade and freeze flat in a zip lock bag.

If you love grilled pork chops, check out these Balsamic Pork Chops too!

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