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These brined and smoked pork chops deliver everything I want from backyard barbecue. They are juicy and deeply seasoned on the inside with a beautifully caramelized exterior that develops a lightly crunchy bark from low and slow smoking. If you've ever struggled with dry pork chops, this recipe solves that problem while dialing up flavor with a simple apple cider brine and hardwood smoke.
If you're a fan of this recipe, checkout the entire collection of pork chop recipes, and especially the one for Southern fried pork chops or quicker cooked over high heat grilled pork chops.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The apple cider brine helps keep the pork chops juicy and flavorful.
- Smoking creates a deep wood fired flavor that penetrates every bite.
- The exterior develops a lightly crunchy bark while the interior stays tender.
- Works with bone in pork chops, thick cut chops, or center cut pork loin chops.
Beats and Eats (music to pair with smoked chops)
While these smoky pork chops slowly absorb wood smoke, cue up B.B. King and his song "Chains and Things". The song's bluesy guitar bends and soulful phrasing feel a lot like the layers of flavor happening in the smoker. The warm chords mirror the sweetness of the apple cider and brown sugar brine while the gritty guitar tone echoes the smoky bark forming on the outside of the chops.
Released during a period when King was blending traditional blues with contemporary soul influences, the track carries both depth and restraint. That balance reminds me of these pork chops. Rich but not heavy, smoky but not overpowering, and textured enough to keep every bite interesting.
What Is A Brine
Brining is essential to smoking pork chops without drying them out. A brine is a liquid solution that is used to enhance the juiciness, tenderness, and flavor of various types of meat. When it comes to making the best pork chops, a brine can make a world of difference in elevating its taste and texture. Essentially, a pork brine is a mixture of water, salt, sugar, and often additional seasonings or aromatics like herbs and spices.
Ingredient Notes For The Brine
Apple cider adds natural sweetness and subtle fruit notes that pair beautifully with smoked pork chops. I prefer unfiltered cider when available, but apple juice works as a substitute. The sugars also help encourage better browning during smoking.
Brown sugar balances the saltiness of the brine and adds caramel notes that complement hardwood smoke. Dark brown sugar provides deeper molasses flavor, though light brown sugar works well too.
Fresh thyme brings earthy herbal character that survives the smoking process. Rosemary or sage can be substituted, but thyme consistently provides the most balanced flavor profile in my testing.
Garlic infuses the brine with savory depth and rounds out the sweetness from the cider and sugar. Lightly crushing the cloves before adding them helps release more flavor.
How to cook smoked pork chops
Making low and slow pork chops is a simple affair. Don’t overthink things. Just:
- Brine
- Season
- Smoke
- Eat
Brine the Pork Chops
A good pork chop brine is the key to juicy porks regardless of how you cook them. Brines also add flavor and depending on ingredients you use, will add color as well. This apple cider brine includes brown sugar. The combination of sugars helps provide that darker color when smoking.
I brine overnight, but you should brine for at least 6 hours. After brining, pat the chops dry with a paper towel and then allow them to sit and reach room temperature.
Season the chops
Smoked pork chops don’t need a lot of seasoning for flavor. The brine and actual wood smoke provide a lot in the flavor department. For the pork chop seasoning I simply season with kosher salt, some coarse black pepper, garlic and paprika. Just make sure you evenly season pork chops. Most days it’s simply salt and pepper, but I was really pushing for dark pork chops and the red, earthy paprika provides that on top of the brine.
Smoke the chops
How you smoke the chops in terms of temperature and time will depend on your smoker and the thickness of the chops. Smokers vary in their ability to maintain consistent temperatures which produce different time results. Obviously thicker chops will take longer, so keep that in mind.
I cooked my chops in a pellet smoker which is efficient, easy to use, and it does a good job of maintaining a steady temperature. I smoke the chops on plain grill grates between 225-250 degrees. Chops are done when they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees which should take you about 45-60 minutes plus plan for another 5 minutes to let the pork chops rest.
What To Serve With These Smoked Bone-in Pork Chops
Consider these goody good side dishes that will harmonize perfectly with the rich and smoky flavors of these chops.
- Collard Greens Slaw: Crisp, refreshing, and a touch of sweetness, this slaw adds a wonderful contrast to the smokiness of the pork chops.
- Mashed Potatoes: Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes are a classic companion to pork. Infuse them with roasted garlic for an extra layer of flavor that plays beautifully off the smokiness.
- Potato Salad: Creamy potato salad, a comforting mash of tender potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and a velvety dressing that's the quintessential side for any occasion.
- Baked Beans: Sweet and smoky bbq beans are a perfect pairing.
- For more ideas checkout this cookout menu which includes desserts, drinks, and sides.
Tips and Considerations For Making Smoked Chops
- Cook time is relatively short so you have flexibility in the type of wood you use.
- After the chops are done cooking, let the chops rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Glaze later in the cooking process with mumbo sauce.
- The biggest adjustment I made during recipe testing was extending the drying time after brining. Early versions tasted great but lacked the textured exterior I wanted. Once I started air drying the pork chops in the refrigerator, the difference was immediate.
- Avoid oversmoking. Pork chops are leaner than brisket or pork shoulder and can become overpowering if exposed to heavy smoke for too long.
- Use thick cut chops whenever possible. Thin chops cook too quickly and don't spend enough time in the smoker to develop great flavor.
- Do not skip the rest period. Resting allows the juices to redistribute and helps maintain tenderness.
Make This Delicious Barbecue Pork Chops Recipe
These easy smoked pork chops offer a delicious combination of tender meat and rich smoky flavor that is sure to leave your taste buds enchanted. The slow smoking process infuses the chops with a unique aroma and tenderness that cannot be replicated through other cooking methods.
If you make these juicy smoked pork chops, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.
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Smoked Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 3 1 ½-Inch thick Bone-In Pork Chops
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground garlic
- 1 cup Apple Cider
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- 4-5 black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and smash
- Fresh Herbs thyme or oregano
Method
- Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve.
- Brine the pork chops overnight in the refrigerator.
- Remove chops from the fridge, pat dry using a paper towel, then season generously with the spice seasonings. Let chops reach room temperature.
- Prepare smoker for indirect grilling.
- Smoke pork chops at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes or slightly longer depending on smoker. Chops should be at an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Feel free to remove them at 140 degrees as they will continue to cook off the grill and reach desired temperature.
Nutrition
Notes
- Choose bone-in chops as they’re more flavorful
- The thicker the chop the better when smoking
- Cook time is relatively short so you have flexibility in the type of wood you use.
- After the chops are done cooking, let the chops rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with a side of roasted brussels sprouts with grapes or simple bell pepper salad
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