How To Brine Pork Chops – 3 Easy Recipes

Sharing is caring!

Here are 3 delicious recipes and instructions for how to brine pork chops that your whole family will love!

All three brine pork chops overnight for perfect juicy chops every time! 

I never thought it was important to know how to brine pork chops.

Admittedly, I’m still a pork newbie, finding new and exciting ways to make it for the family.

We loved the slow cooker pineapple pork tenderloin we had for dinner a few weeks ago!

For pork chops, I figured you just bake them, grill them, or cook them in the iron skillet and call it a day. Wrong.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of the Ohio Pork Council.

When I learned how to brine chops, it changed the game for our meals and meal planning.

Here’s what I learned, and 3 of my favorite basic brines for pork chops you’re going to love.

The Secret To Brining Pork Chops

Most of us aren’t exactly sure what brining is, and why it’s important.

Basically, brining is soaking something, usually a cut of meat, in salty water. Salty is the key here.

When I shared the 3 brines I love on a Facebook Live, someone commented about the amount of salt in the brines.

You need lots of salt because you use lots of water, guys. Don’t be afraid of the salt!

Why Salt Is Important

The salt helps the liquid travel into the meat, making sure your pork chops are very juicy, even if you “accidentally” overcook them.

Ever had an overcooked pork chop? It’s a sad, sad experience. When you brine pork chops, you have a better chance of bypassing that experience.

To brine your pork chops, simply place a large amount of water (about 3 to 4 cups) in a large container.

I use the biggest tupperware container I can find in the kitchen.

{Related: Easy Apricot Pork Chops recipe}

Easy Pork Chop Brine Recipes

Here on 4 Hats and Frugal, we’re all about easy.

The easiest pork chop brine recipe is 3 cups of room temperature water mixed with 3 tablespoons of salt. That’s it. Enjoy. Just kidding!

While that’s the easiest recipe, here are 3 of my favorite recipes to use when you brine pork chops.

Also, the names reflect the measurements of the ingredients.

So, it’ll be easy to remember without having to come back to this post when you want perfect juicy pork chops.

4 Brine Recipe

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of pork chops
• 4 cups water
• 4 tablespoons kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

3 Brine Recipe

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of pork chops
• 3 cups water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons ground ginger

2-3 Brine Recipe

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of pork chops
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

Also, if you plan to brine your chops overnight, put the brine and pork chops in a large container with a lid that fits in your fridge.

You can also freeze your pork chops in the brine.

Place the pork chops and brine in a large freezer bag, tightly seal, and lay as flat as possible in your freezer.

Do you brine pork chops, or cook them right out of the package?

If you brine them, please share your favorite brine in the comments below so we can try it out!