These juicy grilled pork chops feature an easy, flavorful spice rub and a fresh and flavorful Mediterranean tomato salad that serves as a salsa for a quick and easy dinner.
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“What a great dinner! Quick, easy and incredibly delicious!” -Darina, FoodieCrush reader
Good News: You Don’t Have to Marinate These Pork Chops Before Grilling!
One of my favorite secrets to easy, flavorful cooking is to take a basic cooking method and dress it up with a fresh and easy recipe topper.
Have you tried my grilled balsamic chicken with olive tapenade or flank steak with Asian chimichurri sauce? They’re prime examples of easy-to-create flavor, just like this fast pork chop recipe you’ll soon be making all summer long.
I combined two super delicious, summery recipes — my juicy grilled pork chop recipe and my super simple Mediterranean tomato salad. Together they create one healthy and delicious summer dinner that can be prepped ahead or made on the fly, for a dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pork chops — I use 6-ounce boneless pork chops, which have a short cook time of just 8 to 12 minutes.
- Olive oil or canola oil — For brushing the pork chops.
- Dry rub pork seasoning — I prefer making this homemade spice blend with a little oregano thrown in for Mediterranean flair, but pretty much any pork rub works here.
- Tomatoes — I use campari tomatoes for the salad, but you could use cherry tomatoes, or heirlooms (whatever looks good).
- Parsley — For a nice herbaceousness and pop of green.
- Red onion — For savory flavor and crunch.
- Capers — For a briny pop. You could sub in olives if you’re out of capers.
- Lemon — For adding brightness and acidity to the salad.
Ingredient Swaps
- Add kalamata or green olives, avocado, red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes
- Try a dash of red wine vinegar instead of the lemon juice.
- Salty hunks of feta cheese would be a super delicious addition to this tomato salad
How to Grill Mediterranean-Style Pork Chops
- Prep the grill. Always clean your grill grates before you do anything else, and get your grill preheating to medium-hight heat (350°F to 450°F) while you work on the chops.
Heidi’s Tip: Make sure your grill grates are HOT. Hot grill grates ensure food doesn’t stick, and with lean pork chops, the sticking factor can be higher. The pork chop grill temp should be between 350° to 450°F.
- Make the tomato salad topping. This bright and refreshing Mediterranean tomato salad is the perfect accompaniment to these juicy grilled pork chops. I shared how to make this Mediterranean tomato salad in this post. Here, I’ve halved the recipe ingredients to make a smaller batch to use as a salsa rather than a whole-side salad. Feel free to make the full batch and salad it up for a potluck, BBQ, or as a simple meal prep salad throughout the week.
- Season the pork chops. The pork chops don’t require a lengthy marinade time, but I do suggest letting them rest for 5 to 10 minutes after seasoning liberally with the dry rub. This gives the seasoning time to sink into the meat and also warms the chops slightly so they don’t hit the hot grill while they’re still fridge cold.
- Grill the pork chops. Grill the pork chops over direct heat, with the lid closed, cooking until they are well-marked, for 8-12 minutes total, and turning them once. For juicy pork chops, the chops should still be barely pink in the middle and should register 140°F on a meat thermometer.
- Rest, cut, and serve. Rest the chops for 5 minutes for the juices to set into the meat before cutting, and serving.
What Temperature Pork Should Be Cooked to Eat Safely
For years, cooks have been told to cook pork until well done, resulting in a dried-out piece of meat nobody wants to eat. No more! According to recent changes in the USDA guidelines, it is safe to eat pork cooked medium rare. Cook the pork chops to an internal temperature of 140°F and still barely pink inside, then rest for about 5 minutes for the residual heat will continue to cook and raise the internal temperature.
- For thin-cut, bone-in pork chops about ¼ inch thick, cook over direct medium-high to high heat for a total of 3-5 minutes, with the lid closed, turning once.
- For 1-inch thick boneless pork chops, cook for 8-12 minutes over direct heat turning every 3-4 minutes or until well grill-marked with the lid closed. Add another 5 minutes of resting time for the juices to set in the meat.
Note: If cooked properly, the pork chops will release a bit of juice as they rest, a sign they’re still nice and juicy on the inside.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Choose the right pork chop for grilling. While lean chops are good, too lean—like sirloin chops—are not great for grilling. Instead, choose center-cut rib chops and center-cut loin chops with a bit more fat for flavor and tenderness.
Fat or thin, both chops win. Thin pork chops are great for grilling because they cook quickly with less time to dry out. Thicker pork chops can be just as tender and just as juicy as thin. Again, it comes down to the cut you choose. For a quick-cooking boneless pork chop, choose pork chops with a thin fat cap that is about 1 inch thick.
Oil your chops, not the grill. Boneless pork chops don’t have much fat and can stick to the grill if not oiled. We use canola, grape seed, or olive oil.
What to Serve with Your Pork Chops
Grilled Mediterranean Pork Chops Recipe
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 4 6-ounce boneless pork chops
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1-2 tablespoons dry rub pork seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup feta cheese
For the Tomato Salad
- 1 pound medium size tomatoes , cut in half, and then quartered (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley leaves , roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup sliced red onion
- ¼ cup capers
- 1 clove garlic , pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the grill. Clean grill grates for cooking over medium-high heat (about 350°F to 450°F).
- Season the pork chops. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and brush both sides evenly with olive oil. Generously season the pork chops with the dry rub and sprinkle the oregano evenly on each chop, patting into the meat on both sides. Rest for 5-10 minutes as the grill heats.
- Prepare the tomato salad. In a large bowl, gently toss the tomatoes, parsley, red onion, capers, and garlic. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over the tomato mixture and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Let the salad marinate for about 15 minutes for the flavors to meld.
- Grill the pork chops over direct heat, with the lid closed. You want the pork chops to be well-marked. Cook them for 8-12 minutes total, turning once. For juicy pork chops, the chops should still be barely pink in the middle and should register an internal temperature of 140°F. Rest the chops for 5 minutes for the juices to set into the meat before cutting.
- Garnish and serve. Serve the pork chops topped with the tomato salad and add chunks of feta cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
More Pork Recipes to Make Now
Craving more? Don’t miss these 50 Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes.
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Darina
What a great dinner! Quick, easy and incredibly delicious!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thank you!
Luna Regina
Thanks for sharing, Heidi. Your instructions are very easy to follow. I’m going to give this recipe a try, along with your homemade pork dry rub recipe tonight, woo hoo! :D
Sabrina
nice pork chop recipe, thank you, salad too