Years ago, I discovered the tastiest Best Pork Marinade for grilling made with fresh lemon juice, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard. It quickly became our go-to Pork Tenderloin Recipe for company, but it’s delicious on chops, too.

When I found some beautiful frenched pork chops, I turned to this terrific Pork Marinade Recipe to infuse delicious flavor into every morsel.

Overhead view of marinated pork chop with a salad on a white plate.

Why You Must Make

  • There’s something about this combination of flavors in this pork chop marinade that works so well. It’s a magical mixture!
  • Make sure to marinate your pork overnight for the best flavor absorption. Getting this done the night before makes it perfect for company. But getting your pork into this marinade early in the morning, then grilling that evening works well, too.
  • If you usually just salt and pepper your pork before cooking, you’ll love how moist and flavorful this marinade makes it.
Marinated Pork Chops ingredients with labels on a sheet pan.

Ingredient Notes

Let’s go through each ingredient in this flavor-packed marinade one by one:

  • Vegetable oil helps to add moisture and lessen the chance of the pork sticking to the grill.
  • Dry White WinePRO-Tip: Wine is a flavor enhancer. Like salt, alcohol boosts the taste of a dish. It will also help tenderize the pork due to its acidity. Since the pork will be grilled, almost all of the alcohol will be cooked off. I keep a bottle of dry vermouth in the fridge for when I don’t have a bottle of white wine open.
  • Dijon Mustard – Adds wonderful tangy, pungent flavor.
  • Soy Sauce – Adds salt and umami, the savory sense of taste.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice – Tenderizes plus balances the flavor.
  • Onion – Adds flavors but also contains tenderizing enzymes.
  • Celery Seed – Adds a unique, yet delicious flavor.
  • Black pepper – Provides heat along with an earthy pungency.
  • Pork Chops or Tenderloins (If your tenderloins have silverskin on them, ask your butcher to remove it as it will prevent the marinade from infusing).

How to Make

  1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag or a 9 x 13 nonreactive dish like Pyrex.
  2. Add the pork and turn so all surfaces are coated in the marinade.
  3. Refrigerate for 6 hours or up to overnight, turning occasionally to allow the marinade to infuse.
  4. Grill to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
  5. Remove from grill to a cutting board, cover with foil for about 10 minutes to allow the juices to reabsorb, then slice and serve.
Platter of grilled marinated pork chops.

Recipe Tips

As mentioned above, at first this best pork marinade recipe was primarily used for pork tenderloin and was fed to many sets of dinner guests over the years. During the summer, when the weather is ripe for grilling, we marinate and grill some sort of pork a few times a month. And nine times out of ten, it’s this marinade recipe that’s used.

  • Pork is able to take an overnight marinating time so it’s great to make this the night before.
  • Always marinate in the refrigerator to prevent food-borne illnesses.
  • Use a Ziploc bag for marinating. It makes it easy to flip over to ensure all surfaces absorb the marinade.
  • Put the bag on a sheet pan when it’s in the refrigerator in case the bag leaks.
  • Flip it at least once so that all sides of the pork are exposed to the marinade.
  • If you’re marinating in a Ziploc bag, make sure to remove any excess air when you’re sealing it.
  • This recipe is also great for pork tenderloin.
  • Many guides recommend marinating pork for just 2-4 hours, but I’ve never had a change in texture from marinating overnight. But if you forget to put this together the night before, a shorter marinating time should work fine.
  • The FDA recommends cooking pork chops and pork tenderloin to at least 145° F. It will be slightly pink, juicy, and safe to eat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does it Mean to Marinate?

To marinate is to soak food in a seasoned liquid called a marinade. Meat, chicken, seafood, and vegetables can all be marinated. The time in the marinade depends on the heartiness of the food substance, with beef taking more time and tender seafood less time. Through the process of osmosis, the flavor is absorbed plus marinades containing acid will tenderize.

What Are the Key Components of a Marinade?

Most marinades contain an acid like vinegar, citrus juice, or wine to help tenderize, along with herbs and spices, and often a bit of oil. Other flavorful liquids like soy sauce and Worcestershire Sauce can also be included.

How Long Can Meat Be Marinated?

Marinating meat too long can result in the breakdown of the muscle fibers and make the meat mushy. Use these guidelines to prevent over-marinating.
Seafood – 15-30 minutes
Boneless Skinless Chicken – 2 hours
Bone-In Chicken – Up to 12 hours
Pork – 4 hours (Overnight will help infuse more flavor into the pork chops or tenderloins)
Lamb – 4-8 hours
Beef – 24 hours

Grilled marinated pork chop on a dinner plate with fresh corn and a red handled fork.

Serving Suggestions

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Grilled marinated pork chop on a dinner plate with fresh corn and a red handled fork

The Best Pork Marinade

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Yield 6 servings

A delicious marinade that transform pork chops, pork tenderloin or a pork roast into a magnificent, flavorful entree.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons minced onion
  • ½ teaspoon celery seed
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 pork chops or 3 pork tenderloins (trimmed)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients except the pork to a gallon Ziploc bag. Seal and agitate until the mustard is incorporated.
  2. Add your pork chops, remove excess air from the bag, and seal.
  3. Refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.
  4. Grill pork chops or pork tenderloin to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
  5. Place on cutting board and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving or slicing.

Notes

Adapted from Creme de Colorado cookbook.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 chop

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 463Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 809mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 52g

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