What temperature do you cook pork chops on a pellet grill

I wanted to try out a new commercial dry rub, Alabama BB from McCormick, and decided to fire up my Z Grills pellet grill to use it to smoke some pork chops.

Don’t worry if you don’t have this dry rub on hand as this article will have links to several rubs and marinades that you can use instead.

Season the Pork Chops

I started with two bone in pork chops that were “ribeye cut”.

The chops got heavily seasoned on both sides with the Alabama BBQ rub.  This rub has a lot of garlic and buttermilk powder and tasted a whole lot like ranch dressing.

After the chops are seasoned let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to let the rub start melting into the meat.

I did not brine or marinade these chops because I wanted to focus on the flavors from this new rub.

If you want to make these chops extra delicious then I highly recommend soaking them for an hour in this pork steak marinade.

Suggested Pork Chop Marinade

• 1 cup Apple juice
• 1 cup of regular Coke
• 1 cup of regular Sprite
• 1/4 cup Salt
• 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 tbs Black Pepper

You could also use our Award Winning Rib Rub to season the chops.  The rub is just as good on chops as it is on baby backs.

Suggested Pork Chop Dry Rub

• 3/4c Paprika
• 1/2c White Sugar
• 1/4c Granulated Garlic
• 1/8c Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Chili Powder
• 2 tbsp. Salt
• 1 tbsp. Cayenne
• 1 tbsp. Cumin
• 1 tbsp. Black Pepper
• 2 tsp. Oregano
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Thyme

Fire Up your Pellet Grill

I used my Z Grills pellet grill for this cook but you can use your Traeger, Pit Boss or whatever brand is sitting on your deck.

Set the grill to 250F.  I was using Weber Cherry/Maple pellets for this cook and liked the smoke profile.  Hickory pellets would also be great for these chops.

Smoke the Pork Chops

Put the chops on your smoker and let them cook for about an hour.  You do not need to flip the meat as it cooks.

If you are using a Pit Boss, or any pellet grill with a Flame Broiler, then make sure that you have mapped out the hot spots and place the chops on a cooler part of the grill.  If you are cooking on a Weber kettle then here are instructions for How to Smoke Pork Chops on a Weber Grill.

I was going for a light smoke profile so I did not use Smoke Mode for this cook or use a pellet tube.

The chops are done when they reach an internal temperature of 145F as measured by a digital thermometer.  This will take about an hour depending upon how thick the chops are and the exact temperature in your cooker.  You probably ought to start checking after about 45 minutes.

Slice and Serve

I sliced these chops up and was delighted to find that they were super juicy even though they had not been brined.

These chops didn’t get a sauce because I just wanted to see how the new rub and pork worked together.  If you wanted to get some sauce onto these chops then our Award Winning Rib Baste would be freaking awesome!

You could serve the chops with our Sweet and Sassy Cole Slaw and grilled veggies and you would have a tasty feast on your hands!

Verdict on the Alabama BBQ Rub

I appreciate what McCormick was trying to do with this rub and the fact that they used a lot of high quality ingredients.  It was nice to work with something other than a variation on a salt/sugar blend.

I was happy, but not excited, with the flavor.  I will gladly use the rest of this bottle but probably will not buy any more.  I suggest you use our tried and true marinade and dry rub for your smoked chops.

Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 2 hrs

• Thick Cut Pork Chops
• Marinade
• 1 cup Apple juice
• 1 cup of regular Coke
• 1 cup of regular Sprite
• 1/4 cup Salt
• 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 tbs Black Pepper
• Dry Rub
• 3/4 c Paprika
• 1/2 c White Sugar
• 1/4 c Granulated Garlic
• 1/8 c Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Chili Powder
• 2 tbsp. Salt
• 1 tbsp. Cayenne
• 1 tbsp. Cumin
• 1 tbsp. Black Pepper
• 2 tsp. Oregano
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Thyme

• Prepare the marinade and let the pork chops soak in the refrigerator for one hour.

• Remove the chops from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels and season with the dry rub.

• Set your pellet smoker to 250F.

• Smoke the chops for one hour or until an internal temperature of 145F is reached.

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