Grilled Pork Recipes

April 13, 2009
Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez
While most cooks stick to grilling beef or chicken, pork is a great option for summertime cooking. For casual get-togethers, rely on pork chops, which are easily served as-is, on salads, or in tacos. To create a more impressive spread, pork tenderloins cook-up beautifully on the grill. Just wait to slice at the table for a stunning presentation. 
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Turmeric Pork Chops with Green Onion Rice

Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
View Recipe: Turmeric Pork Chops with Green Onion Rice

Our turmeric slathered pork chops may look polished, but don't let this quick weeknight supper fool you. It's complex flavor belies it's simple preparation. 

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Grilled Pork Adobo

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio
View Recipe: Grilled Pork Adobo

We cook the marinade down so none of the flavors go to waste.

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BBQ Pork Tenderloin with Bell Pepper Relish

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: BBQ Pork Tenderloin with Bell Pepper Relish

The bold relish, what Southerners call chowchow, offers a colorful, tangy contrast to the pork.

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Prosciutto-Wrapped Grilled Okra

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Prosciutto-Wrapped Grilled Okra

A sweet-tangy balsamic glaze makes this summertime appetizer irresistible. Using two skewers for the wrapped okra makes it easier to flip on the grill.

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Pork Chops Scottadito

Credit: Photo: Tara Donne; Styling: Alistair Turnbull
View Recipe: Pork Chops Scottadito

Inspired by the late Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan, Smillie simply flattens bone-in chops, rubs them with a pungent paste, and grills them until crispy.

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Caribbean Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Caribbean Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

We cut the tenderloin in half before grilling for a nicely charred crust and a juicy inside in half the time. Traditionally, jerk seasoning is meant to be spicy, but we found the heat to be moderate and not overwhelming in this dish. Fresno chiles look like red jalapeños, and are slightly milder than green jalapeños. The grilled pineapple salsa is a fantastic accompaniment for the pork, well balanced between sweet pineapple, tart lime, pungent onion, and fragrant cilantro. The salsa would also work well with grilled chicken or fish. Serve with ice cold Red Stripe Jamaican lager for a full-on island meal experience.

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Tuscan-Style Garlic-Herb Pork Chops

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez
View Recipe: Tuscan-Style Garlic-Herb Pork Chops

These grilled chops rest in and absorb an herb vinaigrette for a few minutes while you mix what might be the easiest side dish ever—a toss of white beans, briny green olives, and fresh spinach that matches up beautifully with the juicy pork chops.

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Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Barbecue Sauce

Credit: Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Barbecue Sauce

Bacon's savor is key to this sweet-tart sauce, which would pair equally well with chicken.

 

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Grilled Pork Tenderloin Roulade

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Grilled Pork Tenderloin Roulade

This tasty dish can easily be made on a weeknight, but is sophisticated enough to serve at a dinner party or family occasion, too.

 

 

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Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Salsa Verde

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Salsa Verde

Pork tenderloin is a tender, lean cut of meat offering about 75 percent of a day's protein needs in a prudent three-ounce serving.

 

 

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Spanish Pork with Apple-Citrus Salsa

Credit: Photo: Nina Choi
View Recipe: Spanish Pork with Apple-Citrus Salsa

Pimenton, used in the marinade, is a Spanish paprika made from peppers that have been slowly smoked and dried over oak fires. If pimenton is not available, use Spanish smoked paprika. Garnish this smoky pork with lime wedges and cilantro leaves, if desired.

 

 

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Cantonese-Style Grilled Pork

Credit: Photo: Darren Soh
View Recipe: Cantonese-Style Grilled Pork

Hoisin sauce gives this dish its salty-sweet aromatic flavor. Serve these succulent slices of pork with steamed Chinese buns, or sandwich them in a hot dog bun.

 

 

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Tacos Al Pastor with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Credit: Photo: Nina Choi
View Recipe: Tacos Al Pastor with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Grilling the pineapple brings out an unexpected tang that works amazingly with the pork. If you want to tame the spice, seed the jalapeño and chop it, or simply omit it. Serve with fresh lime wedges for a rustic presentation.

 

 

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Maple-Brined Pork

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Maple-Brined Pork

This budget-friendly meal (only $2.50 per serving) has delicious flavor thanks to an 8-hour brine. Topped with grilled fruit, this is sure to be a new favorite.

 

 

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Pork Chops with Cherry Couscous

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Pork Chops with Cherry Couscous

Sweet red cherries are a bountiful bargain, and they lend a wonderfully fresh, fruity element that pairs well with grilled pork.

 

 

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Stuffed Cuban Pork Tenderloin

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Stuffed Cuban Pork Tenderloin

All the flavors of your favorite Latin sandwich are here. While the pork is cooking, add fresh vegetables to the grill for a complete meal. This dish is impressive, but only requires 15 minutes of hands-on time.

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Brined Pork Tenderloin with Plum and Jicama Relish

Credit: Photo: Gentl & Hyers
View Recipe: Brined Pork Tenderloin with Plum and Jicama Relish

A quick brine keeps the pork moist and juicy, while the Plum and Jicama Relish provides sweet and spicy summer flavors.

 

 

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Grilled Pork Tacos with Summer Corn and Nectarine Salsa

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Grilled Pork Tacos with Summer Corn and Nectarine Salsa

We love this recipe because it is a complete hand-held meal nestled within a grilled corn tortilla—plus, it's budget-friendly. Be sure to zest your lime before you slice and juice it.

 

 

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Apricot-Glazed Pork Kebabs

Credit: Photo: Nina Choi
View Recipe: Apricot-Glazed Pork Kebabs

Cooks from the American South to Southeast Asia know that when pork hits the grill—often with a sweet or spicy sauce—something magical happens. Serve this grilled pork recipe with a summer salad of nectarines, tomatoes, and mint. Brown rice pilaf completes the meal.

 

 

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Grilled Pork Salad

Credit: Photo: Nina Choi
View Recipe: Grilled Pork Salad

Escarole, a variety of chicory, tastes less bitter than its cousins, frisée and endive. You can substitute your favorite red-skinned apple for the pear if you prefer. The grilled pork plays off all the flavors present in the salad and results in one divine meal.

 

 

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Hickory-Planked Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary-Dijon Potatoes

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Hickory-Planked Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary-Dijon Potatoes

The mustard glaze does double duty on the pork and potatoes. Jump-start the potatoes in the microwave before putting them on the grill so they’ll be done at the same time as the pork. The taste and aroma of the potatoes, pork, rosemary, and hickory blend together for an unforgettable meal.

 

 

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Pork Skewers with Guava Sauce

View Recipe: Pork Skewers with Guava Sauce

Oregano gives this pork dish great flavor. Add a tossed green salad, and you’ve got a meal. Slice the remaining guava paste, and serve it as an appetizer with queso fresco cheese and crackers.

 

 

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Adobo-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Grilled-Pineapple Salsa

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
View Recipe: Adobo-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Grilled-Pineapple Salsa

Tender, flavorful pork, complemented by the heat and grilled ingredients of the salsa, creates an outstanding combination. When preparing the tenderloin, remove the silver skin, which is the thin, shiny membrane that runs along the surface of the meat. Leaving the silver skin on can cause the tenderloin to toughen and lose shape during grilling. Stretching the membrane with one hand so it’s tight, use your other hand to slip the tip of the knife underneath the silvery skin. Slowly slice back and forth, angling the sharp edge of the blade up, rather than down, through the meat. Continue this process until all the silver skin is removed, then discard.

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Grilled Plum and Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Chops

View Recipe: Grilled Plum and Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Chops

The flavors of chopped green onion, minced garlic, and white hominy sautéed in butter create a delicious side dish for the pork chops. Boneless loin pork chops are excellent for stuffing. Use a thin-bladed knife to cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of the chop to form a pocket. Cut to, but not through, the other side of the chop. Get a head start by assembling the stuffed pork chops the night before. Placing the prosciutto wrap in the pocket overnight will allow the flavors to permeate throughout the pork chops. Sprinkle them with the fennel mixture just prior to grilling.

 

 

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Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin has a mild flavor and is best if enhanced with a spice rub, marinade, or flavorful sauce. The Jamaican jerk marinade is a perfect fit for this selection of meat. Traditionally, jerk is a dry rub, but you can mix it with liquid to form a paste or marinade as we’ve done with this recipe. Jerk seasoning is pungent―the longer the meat marinates the more flavorful and spicy it becomes.

 

 

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Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

When basting with sugar-based mixtures like the jalapeño jelly used in this recipe, it’s important to apply it at just the right time. Basting too early can ruin the flavor of great food. Rather than developing a crusty, sweet caramelized flavor, the sugar burns and chars on the meat creating a bitter, unpalatable flavor.

 

 

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Grilled Pork Chops with Rhubarb Chutney

View Recipe: Grilled Pork Chops with Rhubarb Chutney
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Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Mustard Sauce

Credit: Photo: Charles Masters
View Recipe: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Mustard Sauce

Be prepared—this pulled pork involves about 7 hours of cooktime, although hands-on time is only an hour. The pork and homemade barbecue sauce will be delicious when reheated and served between a whole-wheat hamburger bun.

 

 

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Barbecued Pork Chops

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Barbecued Pork Chops

A simple 8-ingredient marinade, made with mostly pantry staples, brings out the vibrant flavor of these chops. Pair with kimchi-style slaw for a flavorful duo and a quick-cooking dinner solution, ready in about 40 minutes (including a 25-minute marinade).

 

 

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Pan-Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Pan-Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

This elegant pork chop supper calls for just five ingredients, plus salt and pepper. The grilled pineapple salsa complements the grilled pork perfectly.

 

 

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Grilled Pork Chops with Two-Melon Salsa

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Grilled Pork Chops with Two-Melon Salsa

Cover this quick and easy grilled pork recipe with a tasty salsa that uses summer's freshest fruits and flavors to round out the meal.

 

 

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Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarines

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarines

Looking for an easy, healthy pork dinner recipe? These deliciously fruity pork chops are ready in just 30 minutes.

 

 

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Memphis Pork and Coleslaw Sandwich

Credit: Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Memphis Pork and Coleslaw Sandwich

If you've never eaten slaw on a sandwich, you're in for a treat. You'll need to start the pork and soak the wood chunks a day ahead; you can make the mustard-laced slaw a day in advance as well. If you'd rather not have sandwiches, serve the meat as is or use it to flavor baked beans.

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Grilled Peaches and Pork

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Grilled Peaches and Pork

Pairing peaches with succulent pork is the ultimate summer supper. Balsamic vinegar and turbinado sugar bring out the sweetness of the peaches, while grilling the fruit caramelizes the sugars.

 

 

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Pork Chops with Carolina Rub

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Pork Chops with Carolina Rub

Punch up the flavor of grilled pork chops with an easy spice rub. Serve with simple sides for a menu ready in less than 30 minutes.

 

 

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Tuscan Pork Kebabs

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Tuscan Pork Kebabs

Coming in at under 200 calories per serving, these colorful grilled pork kebabs are perfect for a light picnic on the patio. Sautéed chard makes a simple side.

 

 

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