These Grilled Hawaiian Pork Chops are an easy recipe for a quick weeknight dinner. This mouthwatering sweet and savory dish is the perfect summer meal!
Try some other one pot pastas: Drunken Stove Top Pork Chops, Herb Grilled Pork Chops and Brown Sugar Bourbon Pork Chops.
Hawaiian-Inspired Pork Chop recipe
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I think it's super important to have some quick and delicious go-to recipes for those nights when 5 o'clock rolls around and you haven't even begun to think about dinner yet. And that's where these Hawaiian barbeque pork chops comes in. They're quick and easy to prepare but still versatile enough to to enjoy on a busy weeknight or a relaxed weekend dinner with friends.
These Hawaiian Pork Chops are sweet and savory- while not authentic-Hawaiian cuisine, they're inspired by the delicious flavors and beautiful culture of Hawaii. The little bit of char you get from the grill goes perfectly with both the meat and the sweet pineapple. These are not to be missed!
Tips for making grilled Hawaiian pork
- You can marinate these for as little as 10 minutes but for best results give them at least a few hours.
- Make sure you rest the chops for a good 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute.
- I’ve had a few people comment that this was a bit on the saltier side for their taste. While I tested this a few times and didn’t feel it was overly salty (make sure you use low sodium soy sauce!) I recognize that everyone has different palates. With that in mind, if your palate is a bit more sensitive to salt, consider replacing ¼ cup of the low sodium soy sauce with water.
Can I use boneless pork chops?
Yes- this recipe tastes great with either option!
Can you freeze this recipe?
Yes! Put the pork chops in the marinade and freeze them and then thaw when you’re ready to cook. The only thing I wouldn’t recommend freezing is the pineapple slices.
How long to cook pork chops on the grill?
Since so many grills are different (and the thickness of your pork chops also plays into this) I encourage you to determine doneness of the pork chops by temperature. The safe pork chop temperature for consumption is 145 degrees. A digital thermometer is best to assist with this. Remove the pork from the grill at 140 degrees and rest it tented in foil for 4 minutes. During that time it will keep cooking to 145 degrees and be perfectly juicy. This is not the case for ground pork, which should be cooked to 165.
What goes well with these pork chops?
A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal would be:
Leftovers and reheating:
These last 3 days covered in the refrigerator once cooked. You can reheat in a frying pan or individually in the microwave.
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Grilled Hawaiian Pork Chops
Ingredients
- ¾ cup low sodium soy sauce (you can also sub out ¼ cup of this for water if you're more sensitive to salt)
- ¼ cup water (this is in addition to the soy sauce note above)
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you want it to be spicy)
- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup
- 1 can of pineapple rings (reserve ½ cup of the juice for the marinade)
- 8 pieces thin cut pork chops bone in or boneless
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk the low sodium soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic ketchup and pineapple juice until well combined.
- Pour the marinade over the pork chops and let them sit for at least 10 minutes or overnight (you can also freeze them in the marinade and thaw them for later use).
- When you're ready to cook, spray the grill with non-stick cooking spray and preheat it to medium-high.
- Place the meat and pineapple rings on the grill and reserve the marinade to make the sauce (or dispose of it if not cooking into a sauce).
- Grill them for 3-4 minutes on each side. Rotate them a little bit midway through each side if you want a nice crosshatch grill mark (this is optional).
- Once the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees (or longer if you want them well done) remove them from the grill and rest them for 4 minutes tented in foil.
- While the meat cooks, heat remaining marinade over medium-high heat until it starts boiling. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes and then thicken with equal parts cornstarch mixed with water.
- Drizzle the meat and pineapple with sauce, sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can marinate your pineapple pork chops for as little as 10 minutes, but for best results, give them at least a few hours.
- Remember to add the nonstick cooking spray and preheat your grill before cooking. Both ensure proper searing and caramelization! Plus, you won't have to worry about the chops or the pineapple rings sticking to the grates.
- Make sure you rest the chops for a good 4-5 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute.
- I’ve had a few people comment that this was a bit on the saltier side for their taste. While I tested this a few times and didn’t feel it was overly salty (make sure you use low-sodium soy sauce and the water I added!) I recognize that everyone has different palates. With that in mind, if your palate is a bit more sensitive to salt, consider replacing ¼ cup of the low-sodium soy sauce with water in addition the the water listed in the recipe.
- Ingredients to prep ahead: You can prepare the marinade and marinate the pork chops a few hours ahead of time, or even the night before. You can also freeze them in the marinade.
- Leftovers and storage: You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. Reheat in a frying pan on the stovetop until warmed through, or use your microwave for single servings.
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