Cider-Brined Smoked Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

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These easy apple cider brined smoked pork chops are tender, juicy, and delicious! A homemade apple chutney perfectly compliments the bone-in pork chops for the perfect Fall dinner on the pellet grill!

A good thick cut, bone-in pork chop is one of my all-time favorite dinners. That’s why I jumped at the chance to make this prized Kurobuta Pork Chop recipe recently. But I had never made regular smoked pork chops until now.

My preferred cooking method is usually grilling pork chops at a higher heat, but you get a fantastic tender smokiness when you cook them low and slow.

And paired with a simple homemade apple chutney, these smoked pork chops were like the perfect Sunday supper for Fall!

Cider Brined Smoked Pork Chops Video

Ingredients for Cider-Brined Pork Chops

• thick cut, bone-in pork chops – The thicker your chops, the longer they’ll be able to smoke on the grill.
• apple cider and kosher salt – These two ingredients make up a simple brine to tenderize the meat and infuse your chops with even more flavor.
• pork chop seasoning – We made a simple homemade blend with salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar, paprika, and a few other spices. You may substitute your favorite all-purpose seasoning for pork if you prefer.

For the Apple Chutney:

You should definitely try out homemade apple chutney to serve alongside your smoked pork chops! You’ll need these ingredients:

• apples – We prefer to use a firmer apple variety like Honeycrisp for this recipe.
• butter – Unsalted butter is best for this chutney.
• onion
• apple cider – Apple cider is plentiful in the grocery stores this time of year. The richer apple taste is what you need… I would recommend the real thing rather than substituting apple juice, which is much more watery.
• maple syrup
• brown sugar
• orange liqueur – We had this leftover from making another fantastic pork chop recipe – this Kurobuta pork chop.
• cinnamon
• cayenne pepper – Not a typical apple chutney ingredient, but just 1/8 of a teaspoon adds a nice pop of spice to the dish.

Brining the Pork Chops

We made a fantastic apple cider-brined smoked turkey last Fall, and since my mother-in-law had just brought back a fresh-picked apples and apple cider bounty from a recent trip to Pennsylvania, I decided to brine my pork chops with a simple cider brine.

Simply add kosher salt and apple cider to a large zip top bag with the pork chops. Zip the bag, removing as much air as possible, and brine the pork chops for 4-5 hours in the refrigerator. Be sure that the chops are completely submerged in the liquid – placing the bag in a pot is great for this.

Making the Apple Chutney

If you’re a fan of apple flavors with your pork, then I highly recommend you give our quick apple chutney a try! It’s very easy to make with a few basic ingredients, and some surprise twists that really up the flavor.

Start by sautéing diced onions in a bit of butter until slightly tender. Then add diced apples, apple cider, brown sugar, and the other chutney ingredients to the skillet. Cook everything down until the apples are tender to your liking and the sugary sauce has thickened.

After removing from the heat, the apple chutney will continue to thicken and set up, and you’ll have the perfect topping for your smoked pork chops!

How to Make Smoked Pork Chops on the Pellet Grill

Season the Pork Chops

After the pork chops have had several hours to brine in the refrigerator, remove from the liquid and pat dry with paper towels. Then, liberally season the chops with the homemade pork chop seasoning. You can also substitute your favorite all-purpose seasoning, like our own Shake That All-Purpose Seasoning, if you wish.

Smoke the Pork Chops on the Grill

Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to about 225°F with your choice of wood pellets, like apple, pecan, or cherry. *We smoked at a lower temperature to be able to keep the chops on the grill for longer, but you can cook the pork chops at about 250-275°F instead to cut down on cooking time.

Then place the seasoned pork chops directly on the grill grates and smoke until the internal temperature reaches about 142-143°F. This will allow for a few degrees of carryover cooking while the pork chops rest.

*NOTE – The USDA recommends cooking pork chops to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F, but I have cooked enough pork chops to know that 2-3 degrees of carryover cooking is normal, especially with a 10 minute resting period.

Serve the Smoked Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

Once your pork chops are smoked to perfection and they’ve rested for about 10 minutes, spoon a generous amount of the sweet apple chutney over top. Serve the cider-brined smoked pork chops warm with your favorite grilled side dishes like smoked twice baked potatoes or smoked mac and cheese.

And if you’re like my wife, you’ll want an extra side of the apple chutney to dip pieces of the smoked pork. The sweet apple sauce with a hint of cinnamon and spicy orange is perfect for the smoky pork chops! She even wants me to make this apple chutney into a smoked cinnamon apples side dish for Thanksgiving!

How long does it take to smoke pork chops on the pellet grill?

As I always say, “Cook to temperature, NOT to time.” The most important factor in determining when your pork chops are done is the internal temperature. But just so you have an idea, my thick cut pork chops took about 2 hours to smoke at 225°F. A higher grill temperature should result in a lower cook time.

Can I brine the pork chops for a longer time?

I would caution against brining the pork chops for longer than 8 hours. Because the meat is smaller than larger cuts like a whole turkey, the chops could become too salty or mushy if they’re in the brine mixture for too long.

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