Smoked Pork Chops

Moist, tasty, and deliciously tender Smoked Pork Chops quickly satisfy your cravings with glorious combinations of mouthwatering flavor. Preparing this dish takes no time at all and cooks perfectly to the core. Make this amazing meaty dish for any special occasion or just to satisfy your weeknight cravings.

This weekend, my hubby is taking my son out for a father and son hang out. That mean’s I’ll have my alone time at home which I usually spend in the kitchen. What they don’t know yet is that I’m gonna prepare their favorite smoked treat!

Luckily I have everything I need to prepare this amazing dish. It’s no-fuss hassle-free comfort food that satisfies even the most intense of dinner cravings. Today, I’ll share with you my recipe for this dish so you can surprise your family with a flavorful meal.

Today is your lucky day because I’ll share this super simple smoked pork chops recipe. I’ll also give you links to my brine recipe along with my homemade pork chop seasoning recipe. You’ll get a 3 recipes in total so you can have the fullest porkchop experience!

What Part of the Pig Are Pork Chops?

Pork chops are easily one of the most popular meat cuts out there but where does it really come from? Tasty pork chops come from the meat perpendicular to the spine usually taken from the loin.

You buy these bone-in or boneless. I personally like my pork chops bone-in especially when smoked. This helps keep the meat moist and more flavorful.

Picking the right Pork Chops

You can get Pork Chops from the shoulder end to the loin end. I suggest you should get a chop depending which cooking method you’re going to use. Here are some of my tips on how to pick out the right pork chops.

• Bone-in or Boneless: Honestly, you can use either. It all depends on your preference. I just like using bone-in because it keeps the meat moist. Also, it has a cute handle that makes it more appetizing
• Loin-end or Shoulder-end: Because I like my meat moist, I tend to get the shoulder end because it has a bit more fat. You know what we at-home chefs say: “Fat is Flavor.” The loin end is often leaner and is great for quick cooking. Smoking uses a low and slow cooking method which beautifully renders the fat to keep the meat moist.
• Center Cut: This cut will often have a piece of tenderloin attached to it.
• Rib End: A beautiful cut from the, you’ve guessed it, RIBS!! It’s great for quick cooking.

What smoker to use?

There are a lot of Smoking Methods you can use to prepare for this type of meat. Personally, I think that there’s no one specific way to perfectly smoke Pork Chops. I prefer mixing and matching different aromas and flavors to get the best taste.

So here are some of my preferred techniques for this recipe:

My Choice: Pellet Smoker

Pros

• Easily Tenderize – The long smoking period is totally worth the wait because of the tender softness of the meat.
• Flavored Wood Chips – Pellets mainly use compressed and flavored wood chips to smoke the meat in a closed chamber.
• Indirect Heat – This uses indirect heat which means that the heat source is distant from the meat.

Con

• One unit of a smoker can be too bulky – It just takes too much space

How to use a Pellet Smoker?

• Placing the Meat – You will simply need to place the meats in a rack indirect to the heat source. This will make sure that your meat will cook evenly without one side burning.
• Installing the water pan -Add a pan with half a cup of water to the smoking chamber to prevent it from drying out. This method also infuses the flavor of the wood chips in the turkey meat. (Personally, I think Hickory flavored wood is great for pork chops but feel free to mix and match.)
• Catching the heat – Close the lid to trap the flavorful smoke and the heat.

Verdict: By far, this is the easiest way to smoke. It automatically feeds the heater with pellets and fans the heat around the chamber. No need for the dirty work, just check the meat from time to time!👍

I, myself, use a Traeger Pellet Smoker because it’s one of the most versatile cookers on the market. I often get my woodchips from Traeger but Kingsford’s woodchips are also a great alternative.

Charcoal Grill

Pros

• Compact Unit – Its small size makes it truly convenient
• No Electricity – Go green with this smoker because you don’t need electricity for this method. You can enjoy your Smoked Pork Chops even when you’re in the great outdoors.
• Low Cost – It’s really budget-friendly in terms of maintenance. and it’s waaay easier to clean!

Con

• Direct heat – although technically it’s indirect. the heat source is in the same chamber as the meat. this can lead to roasting rather than smoking which burns one side of the meat.

A simple compact charcoal grill can also be used for smoking.  This is the perfect smoker for you if you don’t have much space in your back yard. I wouldn’t wear white when using this if I were you. aside from the hot coals you’re using to cook poultry, it’s also super easy to stain your shirt with soot.

This smoking method uses charcoal which cooks the meat with low but direct heat. Flavored wood can also be used for this method to infuse a smoky aroma to the center.!

Barbecuing vs Smoking: The difference between barbecuing and smoking is that smoking uses slow and indirect heat so that all sides cook perfectly.

How to use your charcoal grill as a smoker?

• Heat the charcoals – Place the hot charcoals on one extreme side of the grill.
• Catch – Add a tin catch just below the grill so you can catch any juices that drip off.
• Placement – Place the Pork Chop on the other side of the grill farthest from the coals and the water pan beside it.
• Trap the heat – Close the lid to start the smoking process

Verdict: I like using this method though because it’s the most convenient. I don’t need a bulky unit in my backyard. 👍 All I have to do is take my favorite wood flavor and use it along with charcoal.

Electric Smoker

Pros

• No direct heat – We won’t be using an open fire for this smoker. it’s woodchips and some heating rods.
• Its own thermometer – It has a built in thermometer to tell the temperature inside the smoker.

Cons

• Longer smoking time – It cooks longer and slower because of the low maximum temperature.
• Electric consumption – I think you should expect a higher electric bill when using this smoker.
• Tastes different – Without the authentic smoke from a burning woodchip, you’ll sense a light difference with the taste. Also, if you don’t preheat the smoker. you’d probably taste a bit of plastic from the manufacturing in your dish.

Electric smokers use wood chips to produce smoke via heating rods to produce the smoke. It also uses convection to heat food which gives the food a different flavor due to the lack of fire. The parts are generally similar to a bullet smoker with the wood tray substituting the fire chamber.

How to Use an Electric Smoker?

• Preheat the smoker: Pre-smoke the unit with the woodchips of your choice.
• Attach the water pan: Once it reaches the desired temperature, place the water pan inside the lowest space inside the unit.
• Perfect Placement: Place the Pork Chops in the racks and close the lid or door to start cooking it.

NOTE: If you’re a first-time user of this type of smoker, I suggest seasoning your grill with cooking oil. This prevents any residue from the manufacturing to stick to your food.

Verdict: Electric grills tend to cook at a lower temperature which means they would cook longer.

Recipe Ingredients

This recipe isn’t just your regular pork dish. I assure you that this recipe is packed with flavor and is tasty all the way through. What’s awesome about this dish is that you can use your favorite seasoning on it. Here’s everything I used for this recipe

• Pork Chops – One of the most popular pork cuts that are super tender especially when smoked.
• Seasoning – You can use your favorite seasoning for this meat cut. I’ll show you my favorites below.
• Pork chop brine – This mix flavors the meat to the core so that each slice is filled with flavors. Make your own Immaculatebites Pork Chop Brine so all those sweet and herby flavors fill every bite. Plus, it makes the pork juicier!
• Salt and Pepper – You can use this classic pair if you’re not brining your dish. 

Seasonings to Use

For obvious reasons, my first choice of seasoning for this recipe is the homemade Immaculatebites Pork Chop Seasoning.   The blend of spices perfectly complements the natural flavors of the pork. You’ll surely love the crusty golden brown finish this seasoning brings.

If you’ve seen my other recipes, you’ll probably be familiar with my homemade Creole Seasoning. Trust me, it’s an explosion of flavor that’s perfect for this dish.

Another seasoning you can try is the Sazon Seasoning. The mix of flavors makes it mouthwatering and super addictive. It’s also great when you pair it with different sauces

Another top pick for the best seasoning to use for pork chops is the simple Italian Seasoning. This mix adds an earthy and aromatic taste to the whole dish. That’s why I love it.

Tips and Tricks

• Get thicker cuts: Since we’re going to use a low and slow method, we want to cook our pork chops through but keep it moist. Thicker cuts will withstand a longer cooking time giving the smoky flavor time to penetrate the meat. I suggest getting around 1 ½ inches thick of pork chop.
• Add more Flavor: Although the meat cut has its own flavor, you can boost your dish up a notch by using a dry rub. Make your own such as this Blackened Seasoning Recipe.
• Render the fat: Fat can give you a ton of flavor benefits but you’ll have to render it perfectly. If it doesn’t cook right, it can give you an unpleasant texture.
• Sear the pork: Seal off the juices inside the pork by searing it after smoking
• Target Temperature: Take out the meat just before the smoked pork chop internal temp reaches its target degrees. It continues to cook for about 10 more minutes outside the smoker

How Long to smoke pork chops?

A common mistake all smoking newbies make is focusing on the time rather than the temperature. I made that mistake before as well. I suggest investing in a good meat thermometer to check if your pork chops are good to go.

Make sure it reaches 145 F internal temperature just to be sure that it’s perfectly cooked. take the temperature at the thickest part of the meat for a more accurate reading.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe is tasty enough as it is but a good pairing can never go wrong. I have just the right recipes that perfectly go with smoked pork chops. Here are my top picks perfect for the smoky flavors of this dish.

• A side of Rosemary Roasted Potatoes that are complementarily aromatic.
• Easy Coleslaw makes it super delectable that gives our dish a kick of freshness.
• A beautiful serving of Wedge Salad is great for both aesthetics and flavor.
• Or you can simply give an accent of flavor with a serving of Pickled Onions.

Perfect Sauces

Sides aren’t the only thing that makes this dish extra special. You can also add sauces to add a bit more soul to the dish. Check out my favorite add-ons to add to your flavorful plate of pork chops.

• You can never go wrong with Homemade Barbecue Sauce.
• Dress your smoked pork chops with a coat of Giblet Gravy
• Drizzle some White Barbecue Sauce on top of these tender pork chops for a truly southern experience.

Like This Dish? You’ll Love These Easy Pork Recipes

• Stuffed Pork Loin
• Herb Crusted Pork Loin Roast
• Pulled Pork Recipe
• Stuffed Pork Chops

How to Smoke Pork Chops

Preparing the Meat

• Preheat the smoker: Pre-smoke the smoker at 225 F
• Flavor the meat: Brine and let it rest in the fridge overnight
• Season the meat: Use your choice of seasoning, I personally prefer the Immaculatebites creole seasoning. Make sure to coat both sides. (See photos 1-2)

Smoking the Pork

• Place the pork: Place the meat inside the smoker and start the cooking process (See photo 3)
• Baste the pork: Baste the pork chops with your choice of sauce as it cooks in the smoker. (See Photo 4)
• Take out the pork: You can take it out of the smoker once the meat’s internal temperature reaches 145 F.
• Rest the meat: Rest the meat before cutting
• Serve and enjoy