Learn how to cook perfectly smoked pork chops on a pellet grill!
Whether you are using a Traeger, Camp Chef, Pit Boss, or any other brand of pellet grill, we've got you covered.
Get ready for the juiciest, most delicious BBQ smoked pork chops you've ever cooked before, and they are super easy to cook as well!
Similar to pork tenderloin, smoked pork chops are an easy, relatively fast meat to cook on your pellet grill, especially compared to much larger cuts of meat like a pork shoulder or a full size pork loin.
When prepared properly, pork chops can be juicy and flavorful. Cook them the wrong way and you are left with dry, tough meat.
We will show you exactly how to get great smoke flavor in your pork chops using a pellet grill, then how to finish them at a higher temperature to get a nice exterior. This process involves an initial low heat smoke step, followed by a higher heat finish to caramelize the sauce and finish the cook.
Jump to:
Bone-in vs. Boneless Pork Chops
As long as you cook your pork chops to the right internal temperature, AND NO FURTHER, they should come out great, no matter if they are bone-in or boneless.
Now, some people enjoy the flavor that bone-in pork chops impart on the meat, and also claim they are less likely to "dry out" as quickly and harder to overcook.
Actually, we think this is because bone-in pork chops tend to be a little thicker than boneless ones, as they hold up better to the smoking process and retain more moisture.
But trust us, you can overcook any of them, no matter the thickness or whether they are bone-in.
All else being equal, thicker bone-in pork chops will take a little longer to cook on a pellet grill and likely retain a little more moisture.
So if you can, look for some thick cut bone-in chops.
Video
Rather Watch than Read?
Check out this video from our Youtube Channel on How to Smoke Pork Chops on a Pellet Grill!
Our Favorite BBQ Rub for Pork Chops
We love a good straightforward BBQ rub on our pork chops. One of our favorites is Blues Hog, especially their Sweet and savory rub.
It has just the right amount of sugar and salt ratio but without much heat to bother anyone who is sensitive to spice.
They make some great BBQ sauces too.
If you want a great BBQ rub with a little more HEAT, check out Three Little Pigs Kansas City Rub instead.
This is another great BBQ seasoning you can't go wrong with on pork.
Meat Church brand rubs are very popular, and we have also tried The Gospel on thick cut pork chops.
Sprinkle a fair amount of one of these rubs, or your own favorite BBQ rub.
Let the pork chops sit for about 30 minutes before putting them on pellet grill to smoke. This will let some of the salt penetrate the meat and also pull some moisture out to create a nice glaze on the exterior that the smoke LOVES to adhere to.
For an even deeper flavor into your smoked pork chops, put the rub on the night before, wrap them in plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, remove the plastic wrap, sprinkle a little extra seasoning to replace any that came off stuck to the plastic wrap and then put them on the pellet grill.
Our Favorite Wood Pellets and Smoking Wood Chunks
Pork chops pair well with any fruitwood such as apple or cherry, as well as hickory and maple if you want to use those distinctive flavors in your pellet hopper.
Mesquite can be a little strong for pork chops, save those pellets for your steaks and beef roasts, unless you want to just mix a little in with some other pellet varieties.
For our smoked pork chops, we are big fans of Bear Mountain Cherry Wood Pellets. Feel free to mix them in with some hickory or any other smoking wood pellet you want to try out.
- MILD CHERRY FLAVOR: Cherry BBQ pellets add a fruity, smoky flavor to your favorite red meat, fish, lamb, or pork dish
- ALL-NATURAL HARDWOODS: Made from 100% all-natural hardwoods with no flavorings, fillers, or additives
- USE WITH MULTIPLE GRILL TYPES: Ideal for all outdoor pellet grills, smokers, gas, charcoal, and electric grills
We like to add a smoker firebox to our pellet grills to get extra smoke flavor. Check out our video on How to Light a Firebox for complete details. We like using hickory wood chunks with the charcoal for some great smoke flavor on these pork chops.
SetUp and Start Your Pellet Grill
If you are brand new to using a pellet grill, hop on over to our Complete Guide to Understanding How a Pellet Grill Works. Depending on your brand of pellet grill, you may also want to review How to Start a Pit Boss, How to Start a Traeger, How to Start a Z Grill, or How to Start a Camp Chef.
Add your chosen hardwood pellets to the hopper, plug in and start the pellet grill.
Let the pellet grill go through its start up process and once it has come up to temperature and stopped producing the thick white "start- up" smoke.
Set the temperature to 180°F or the "Smoke" setting, and let the grill come up to temperature.
If you are using a pellet tube or a firebox for added smoke, place it toward the back of the pellet grill, not too close to where the meat will be and not near the temperature probe of the pellet grill.
Smoke the Pork Chops
The first step of this cook is to add smoke to the pork chops. To do this, we are cooking at a very low temperature.
Before beginning, oil the pellet grill grates. This is particularly important when using rubs containing sugar, as you do not want your meat sticking to the grates.
Place the pork chops directly on the grates. We like using disposable nitrile gloves with cloth liners when positioning most types of meat. The cloth liners protect from the heat and allow you to change your nitrile gloves multiple times while keeping on the same liners.
If you are using bone in pork chops, try to position the bone facing the hotter side of your grill.
For example, on a Pit Boss 1150 Pro, we notice the left side is hotter, so we place the pork chops with the bones on the left to block some of that heat from overcooking the left side of each pork chop.
At 180°F, your pork chops will take about 1 hour to reach 110°F internally, depending on how thick they are, whether they are bone-in or boneless.
Plan to flip the pork chops and rotate them about halfway through the smoking step.
In order to know when they are ready to be sauced, always use a good instant read meat thermometer like this one from Thermopro. It is affordable and convenient.
Another option is to use a leave in probe thermometer to monitor the internal temperature without having to open the lid repeatedly.
We really like this wireless thermometer from MEATER. It has a 165 ft Bluetooth range and connects to a free app on your smart phone.
You can choose the particular meat you are cooking, and the app will tell you the safe target temperature and give an estimate of a time it will reach that temperature.
- Dual temperature sensors enable you to monitor both the internal meat temperature (up to 212°F) and the ambient/external temperature (up to 527°F) at the same time.
- Dishwasher safe
After this low heat smoking step, it's time to turn up the temperature and finish cooking the pork chops.
Add the Sauce and Finish Cooking
Once the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 110°F, it's time to turn up the heat and add sauce, if desired.
Turn the heat up on the pellet grill to 300°F.
You can brush some of your favorite BBQ sauce like Blues Hog on the pork chops as they are smoking on the pellet grill. This Raspberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce is very good on pork.
Brush some on one side with a silicone basting brush, wait about 5-10 minutes, the brush some on the other side.
This will give the sauce time to caramelize and adhere to the meat, which is much better than slopping it on right out of the refrigerator once the pork chops are cooked. (Don't do this.)
You can add more rounds of sauce if you want.
You will want to cook your pork chops until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F, as measured with an instant read thermometer.
For thick cut bone in pork chops this may take around 25 minutes.
Pork chops will overcook very quickly above and beyond 145°F, so watch them carefully. You can pull them off a few degrees shy of 145°, as they will rise a few degrees while they rest.
Pro Tip: Don't stack them or cover them in aluminum foil once you remove the smoked pork chops or they will continue to overcook from their own residual heat.
Place them spaced apart on a plate and give them about 5-10 minutes to rest before serving.
Serving Suggestions
A good meat slicing knife will help cut through your pork chops if you want to serve them in slices.
Smoked pork chops go great with some Smoked Baked Beans or Smoked Baked Potatoes and even some Smoked Cornbread. Applesauce is super popular to serve with pork chops, as the apple complements the pork.
Frequently Asked Questions
For maximum smoke flavor, we prefer a two temperature cook. Start the chops cooking at 180°F (or the "Smoke" setting on some grills) until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 110°F. Then turn up the heat to 300°F and continue cooking the pork chops until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
The time it takes for a pork chop to finish cooking will depend on many factors, including whether the pork chops have a bone, are thick cut or thin cut, and other variables like how often you open the lid and whether your grill runs a little hotter or cooler. In general, bone in thick cut pork chops will take 30-60 minutes. Due to this wide range, we urge you to go by internal temperature rather than time.
Pork chops are safe to eat when they reach an internal temperature of 145°F. Using an instant read or leave in probe thermometer is critical to knowing whether your pork chops are safe to consume.
Some models of pellet grills like Pit Boss have a direct heat option. You simply open the flame broiler for direct heat from the firepot. If your grill does not have a direct heat option but you want to sear your pork chops at the end, we recommend a set of Grill Grates. We use these to get a good sear on hamburgers and steak. Make sure to measure your grill to order the correct size.
📖 Recipe
Smoked Pellet Grill Pork Chops
Equipment
- Pellet Grill
- Wood Pellets - Hickory, Cherry or Maple recommended
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer
- Grill Tongs or Spatula
Ingredients
- 4 Thick Cut Bone-in Pork Chops
- Your Favorite BBQ rub
- Your Favorite BBQ sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Apply the BBQ rub to your pork chops on both sides and let the rub "soak in" for about 30 minutes while you start up your pellet grill.
- Fill the hopper with pellets, turn on and run the pellet grill through the start up process, clearing out the white "start-up" smoke.
- Set the smoker to 180°F or keep on the "Smoke" setting for the first phase of cooking.
- If using a pellet tube or smoker box to add more smoke, set that up and place toward the back of the grill.
Smoke the Pork Chops
- Place the pork chops on the grates on the cooler side of the grill with the bone face toward the hotter side of the grill.
- Allow the pork chops to smoke until they reach a target internal temperature of 110°F, about 1 hour, flipping and rotating half way through.
Add Sauce and Finish Cooking
- Turn the heat on the pellet grill up to 300°F.
- Brush on BBQ sauce, if using. Close the lid and allow the sauce to set about 5-10 minutes before flipping the pork chops and saucing the other side.
- Repeat saucing as desired.
- Continue cooking the pork chops until they reach about 143°F, then remove them to a cutting board to rest and rise to 145°F final internal temperature.
- Let the pork chops rest for about 10 minutes before serving to let the juices distribute.
Video
Carl says
These are always a favorite. One word of advice, get the thickest pork chops you can find when smoking them on the pellet grill so they stay nice and moist. Watch that internal temperature like a hawk too!
P says
Excellent way to do thick pork chops. My first time doing them on a pellet grill. With this recipe, it won't be the last time!
Mads Martigan says
Great to hear! Thanks for commenting!