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🏠Home » Recipes » Pork Chop and Loin Recipes

Grilled Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops

Updated: Jan 21, 2024 · Published: Jul 18, 2015 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Total Time: 28 minutes mins

These Grilled Apricot Glazed Pork Chops are moist and tender with a tangy apricot balsamic glaze you will love—a perfect easy change of pace weeknight dinner.

🐖Ingredients

Pork chops—boneless or bone-in, one inch thick
Optional Brine—water and salt
Apricot Glaze—apricot jam, balsamic vinegar. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Apricot Glazed Grilled Pork Chop with green beans.
Jump To (scroll for more)
  • 🐖Ingredients
  • 👨‍🍳How to Make Apricot Glazed Pork Chops—Step-by-Step
  • ⏰How long does it take to grill pork chops
  • Pork Chop Recipes
  • Should I brine pork chops?
  • Apricot Glaze
  • Serving
  • Storage of leftovers
  • FAQs
  • 🐖About Pork Chops
  • 📖The Recipe Card
Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

Featured Comment from Erin: "Five stares. Great and very easy glaze recipe."

I love a nice grilled pork chop. But pork can lack a little taste, so these apricot pork chops with a fruity balsamic glaze are a great change of pace.

A simple optional brine made the chops super moist and tender. Use either boneless or bone-in chops and either a gas or charcoal grill.

👨‍🍳How to Make Apricot Glazed Pork Chops—Step-by-Step

thick pork chops with apricot jam and seasonings,

1. Only a few ingredients. My wife likes garlic in the brine. It is not in the recipe, but add ½ teaspoon to the brine if you want to try it.

adding a pork chop to a bag of brine.

2. Start with a brine of two cups of cold water and one tablespoon of salt. Add pork chops and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

mixing apricot glaze in small bowl.

3. Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of 450°. Clean and oil well. Mix the glaze of two tablespoons of apricot jam, one teaspoon of good-quality balsamic vinegar, and one teaspoon of olive oil.

brusing glaze on raw pork chops on gray plate.

4. Remove pork from the brine, rinse under running water, and pat dry. Give them a light sprinkle of pepper, then brush lightly with the glaze if you skipped the brine and a bit of salt.

brushing pork chops with more glaze while on the grill.

5. Place over direct heat for five minutes, then flip. Flip again in 5 minutes and brush with glaze. Flip every 5 minutes and brush with glaze until an internal temperature of 140°-145°—about 15-20 minutes.

tenting pork chops on orange plate with foil.

6. Remove from grill, tent lightly with foil, and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.

⏰How long does it take to grill pork chops

Grilling time is mostly thickness-related. A ¾ inch thick chop may only be about 10 minutes on a grill surface of about 450°. A 1-inch thick chop takes about 12-14 minutes, and a 1 ½ inch may take up to 20 minutes.

I like to cook pork chops to 145°-150°. My wife dislikes pink pork, so I tend to go a little higher to 155°. The FDA recommends a minimum of 145 ° with a 3-minute rest.

A bone-in chop may take a bit longer than a boneless one. Also, the starting temp of the chop and the exact grill temperature will have large effects. As always,

COOK TO THE FINAL INTERNAL TEMPERATURE AND NEVER BY TIME ALONE.

piece of pork chop on a fork.

Pork Chop Recipes

While this is a great-tasting recipe, if it is not what you need on the grill, check out How to Grill Pork Chops. Or fire up the slow cooker for Crock Pot Pork Chops or Crock Pot Apple Pork Chops.

If you prefer the great taste of stovetop or baked chops, check out Pan Seared Oven Roasted Pork Chops, Fried Pork Chops with Gravy, or Baked Breaded Pork Chops. And for those 2-inch or thicker chops, use How to Cook Thick Pork Chops.

Should I brine pork chops?

Brine is used to add moisture to many types of meat. While brining is optional, it is highly recommended for grilled pork chops.

A standard pork brine is 2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of table salt. 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Most will add sugar to the brine at about the same amount as the salt. Other flavors, like garlic, can be added.

Be sure to rinse the meat under running water after the brine. Never add seasoning with more salt if the meat has been brined.

You can skip the brine for speed, but it does add some moisture and avoids that "dry pork" thing that is easy to get. But you can still get moist results if you grill carefully and don't overcook or use too high of a temperature.

Apricot Glaze

The simple apricot glaze combines apricot jam, balsamic vinegar, and some olive oil. All the ingredients must be of good quality, especially the balsamic, since poor quality in the glaze will ruin the meal.

This recipe uses apricot jam, but you can use a different flavor. Jam usually has a lot more sugar than preserves. If you use preserves, add some brown sugar to the glaze.

Serving

Serve with grilled side dishes, like Corn on the Cob, Grilled Potato Slices, Grilled Biscuits, and Grilled Mixed Vegetables.

Storage of leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 3 months.

FAQs

Should I trim the fat on pork chops?

There is usually a layer of fat on the edge of a chop. You can trim it if you want, but many think it adds some flavor and helps prevent drying.

If it is over ¼ inch, I suggest trimming it to ¼ inch thick. Also, it should be scored every inch to prevent cupping.

What grill temperature to use for grilling pork chops?

The grill should be 450°-500° surface temperature. That is usually a bit above medium on most gas grills. If you have questions about grill setup, see my guide to controlling your grill temperature.

This should work fine on a charcoal grill and a gas grill. Just get the heat down a little from the maximum.

🐖About Pork Chops

Pork chop choices can be a bit confusing. I have listed five types of chops, but only the middle three should be considered "real" chops and will all cook the same. The other two "chops," the shoulder and the sirloin chop, do not cook the same and, to me, should be avoided.

graphic for pork chop location - Image licensed May 17, 2017, from Fotolia. Copyright by foxysgraphic - Fotolia. Image modified in accordance with the license.
Image licensed from Fotolia. Copyright by foxysgraphic - Fotolia. The image was modified under the license.

Bone-in or boneless chops are both good. So people think bone-in will be moister and taste better. I don't feel there is a significant difference. But bone-in does take a bit longer to cook.

Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

Grill Recipes, Pork Chop and Loin Recipes, Pork Recipes

Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.

📖The Recipe Card

Apricot Glazed Grilled Pork Chops on blue plate

Grilled Apricot Glazed Pork Chops

4.50 from 4 votes
From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
These Grilled Apricot Glazed Pork Chops are moist and tender with a tangy apricot balsamic glaze you will love—a perfect easy change of pace weeknight dinner.
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes minutes
Servings #/Adjust if desired 2

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Ingredients

  • 2 pork chops - one inch thick

Optional Brine

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoons salt

Apricot Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons apricot jam
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • adding a pork chop to a bag of brine
    Start with a brine of 2 cups cold water and one tablespoon salt. You can add other things to the brine if you want. Add pork chops and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  • clean and oil grill crates
    Preheat the grill to a surface temperature of 450°. Just above medium, usually. Clean and oil well.
  • mixing apricot glaze in small bowl
    Mix the glaze of two tablespoons of apricot jam, one teaspoon of good-quality balsamic vinegar, and one teaspoon of olive oil.
  • brusing glaze on raw pork chops on gray plate
    Remove pork from the brine, rinse under running water, and pat dry. Give them a light sprinkle of pepper, then brush lightly with the glaze if you skipped the brine and a bit of salt.
  • brushing pork chops with more glaze while on the grill
    Place over direct heat for five minutes, then flip. Flip again in 5 minutes and brush with glaze. Continue to flip every 5 minutes and brush with glaze until an internal temperature of 140°-145°—about 15-20 minutes.
  • tenting pork chops on orange plate with foil
    Remove from grill, tent lightly with foil, and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

  1. A brine will add moisture but is optional. You can have good results without it if you don’t overcook and don’t have your grill too hot.
  2. I prefer a pork chop that is about 1-inch thick. Either bone-in or boneless is fine. Bone-in may take a few minutes more to cook.
  3. If there is a rim of fat around the chop, trim it down to about ½ inch thick and score it all the way through about every inch.
  4. Cook to 145°-150° internal temperature.
  5. If you use preserves instead of jam, you will want to add a bit of brown sugar to the glaze.

Your Own Private Notes

Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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To adjust the recipe size:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories : 281 kcal (14%)Carbohydrates : 14 g (5%)Protein : 29 g (58%)Fat : 11 g (17%)Saturated Fat : 4 g (20%)Cholesterol : 90 mg (30%)Sodium : 771 mg (32%)Potassium : 518 mg (15%)Fiber : 1 g (4%)Sugar : 9 g (10%)Vitamin A : 41 IU (1%)Vitamin C : 2 mg (2%)Calcium : 9 mg (1%)Iron : 1 mg (6%)
Serving size is my estimate of a normal size. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors.

Editor's Note: Originally Published July 18, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

Can Luke come out to play.
Can Luke come out to play

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  1. Erin J says

    June 06, 2023 at 9:36 pm

    5 stars
    Great and very easy glaze recipe. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Chris says

    July 20, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    I like how simple yet flavorful this glaze is. Way to kick up your chops!

    Reply

DrDan imageHi, I'm DrDan.
Welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy step-by-step photo instructions.
About DrDan

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