The first time I ever had these smoked pork chops was when my wife and I were eating at a restaurant on our honeymoon That was easily the most delicious meal I had on the honeymoon and one of the most delicious I’ve had in my entire life. I had these pork chops almost every day for the rest of the honeymoon.
If you are a fan of pork chops, I strongly recommend giving this recipe a try. Your taste buds will be flooded with flavor.
How To Make Smoked Pork Chops
In summary, to make smoked pork chops, you start by brining the meat for several hours. Prepare pork dry rub by combining brown sugar, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Season pork chops with this spice rub. Set smoker at 250F and cook for about 1.5 hours or until meat reaches 145F. Sear pork chops on a hot grill for about 1 to 2 minutes. That’s it!
For bonus tips and exact measurements on ingredients, scroll down to the recipe section below. Check it out!
What temperature do you smoke pork chops at?
The pork chops are done when they reach 145F but when you first start off, you have to preheat the smoker to 250F. Once the meat temperature reaches 145F, you then take the meat out.
The temperature is meant to gradually lower over time to help give the meat that tender texture to it. Keeping the pork chops cooking the same high temperature will make them hard and sometimes cooked unevenly.
Now that you know what temperature pork cooks at why don’t you try all my smoked pork recipes? I encourage you to learn how to smoke a pork loin or try smoking country style ribs. Looking to cook pulled pork? Try smoking pork roast. Burnt ends is a fan favorite, check out my smoked pork belly recipe. A different recipe for pork chops? Then check out how to grill thick pork chops.
Why are my pork chops so dry?
There are a number of different reasons why your pork chops are dry. But the most common reason is cooking the pork chops for too long. Pork chops are quick to dry out so even overcooking them for a couple of minutes can dry them out.
The same thing applies when you undercook the pork chops as well. With pork chops, the timing has to be precise in order to get that juicy and tender bite.
How can you tell if pork chops are done?
If you have a meat thermometer you just have to stick it into the pork chops and see what the temperature is. If you don’t have this, feel the outside of the pork chops with either a spatula or some tongs.
They should have a firm feel to them. If they are too hard then that means you overcooked them.
Depending on the doneness you prefer, go with these pork meat internal temperatures:
Medium Rare: 145F – 150F
Medium: 150F – 155F
Medium Well: 155F – 160F
Well: 160F
What makes a good pork chops recipe?
Spreading the seasoning properly. I can’t stress enough how important the seasoning is when making food. Spreading the seasoning evenly on each side is what will make the pork chops taste the best in the end.
Having one part be bland and the other be filled with flavor can make for an off-putting experience. The goal is to make everything taste delicious, not just parts of the food. Each bite should bring just as much flavor as the previous bite. That’s what makes the pork chops so hard to put down. With the flavor coming from each bite, you just want to keep having more.
With all of that being said, it’s time to move on to the ingredients.
OTHER SMOKED RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Smoked Pork Chops
Easy smoked pork chops ready in under 2 hours!
Ingredients
- 3 pieces Double Bone In Pork Chops (About 2 Inches Thick)
Rub:
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Brine:
- 1 gallon Water
- 1 cup Salt
Instructions
Prepare the brine by combining the salt and water into a large bowl. Put the pork chops into the brine solution and let them refrigerate for 4 hours.
Preheat smoker to 250F.
Take pork chops out of the brine solution and pat each one dry.
Combine the brown sugar, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne powder in order to prepare the pork rub.
Use the spice mixture to season the pork chops. Generously season all sides of the pork chops.
Place the pork chops in the smoker and let them cook for about 1.5 hours to 2 hours or until the meat temperature reaches 145F.
This step is optional. Sear the pork chops by placing them on a high heat grill. Each side should be seared for about 1 minute.
Serve immediately.