Broiled Pork Chops

A simple salty brine will make these thick oven Broiled Pork Chops moist and juicy while the outside is golden brown and crispy.

The oven broiler cooks pork chops quickly and gives them a delicious caramelized char. For best results, choose thick-cut pork chops. If they are thinner than 1-1/2 inches thick, then they can overcook easily with this method. You can still use this method with thinner chops but keep an eye on them.

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 18

Additional Time: 1

Total Time: 1 28

Servings: to 8 servings

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Brine:

4 pork chops 1-1/2 to 2-inches thick, bone-in (see Notes)
Fresh thyme sprigs optional
3 tablespoons Kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar divided
1-½ quarts cold water

For the Pork Chops:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Thyme Butter

4 tablespoons butter softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

To make the Brine:

Lay the pork chops into a 9x13-inch dish and add the sprigs of thyme if using.
In a 2-quart pitcher, combine the Kosher, salt and 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar in 1-1/2 quarts of water, stirring until dissolved. Pour the brine over the pork chops, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the Broiled Pork Chops

Adjust the oven rack to 5 inches from the broiler element, turn the oven to broil to heat for 3-4 minutes while preparing the pork chops.
Set a wire rack inside a rimmed sheet pan.
Remove the pork chops from the refrigerator and transfer to a work area. Discard the brine. Pat the chops with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
In a small dish combine the remaining brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and paprika.
Brush both sides of the chops with olive oil, place on the wire rack and rub the exposed side with half of the spice mix. Flip the chops over and repeat with the remaining spice rub.
Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and pour 1-1/2 cups of warm water into the sheet pan.
Broil them for 6 to 8 minutes (4 minutes for thinner chops), flip them to the other side, and continue cooking until the chops are browned and register 140°F (see notes). The total cooking time for 2-inch thick chops will take 16 to 22 minutes. The total cooking time for 1-inch thick chops will only take 8 to 10 minutes.

Make the Thyme Butter

While the chops are broiling, blend the butter and thyme together with the back of a teaspoon. Reserve.
Transfer the chops to a platter and add a dollop of thyme butter to each chop. Cover the platter loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh thyme sprigs.

Notes

The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the pork chops. A meat thermometer will remove any need to guess. Use the cooking time as a guide to help you plan but use the meat thermometer as your true guide to doneness.

The USDA recommends cooking pork chops to an internal temperature of 145°F. When you remove the pork chops from the broiler's high heat, they will continue to cook from residual heat. In order to prevent overcooking the chops, we remove them when they reach an internal temperature of 140°F.

The brine is optional, but it will keep the chops juicy.

Use spices of your choice for the spice rub, some suggestions are ground fennel, cumin, and chipotle powder for a bit of a kick. We also enjoy Spiceology Cowboy Crust and their Beer Infused Rubs.

A little sugar will help to achieve a nice browning on the chops.

Be sure to add water to the sheet pan beneath the pork chops, as it creates a steamy environment that keeps the pork chops moist and tender.

To be safe, remove the chops from the rack but leave the sheet pan and rack in the oven to cool with the oven turned off. That way, hot water won't spill out of the pan.

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