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Yucatán-Style Pork Chops

celebrations, Grill, holidays, Mains, parties, recipes / by

Photography and Styling by Elisha Sewell

Peak grilling season is the perfect time to make these Yucatán-Style Pork Chops. These Mexican-Southern fusion pork chops are juicy, smoky, and grilled to perfection.

Grab your friends, family, your favorite cold drinks and enjoy!

Yucatán-Style Pork Chops

  • 4-8 pork chops (bone-in or boneless) 
  • 1 Tbsp sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika 
  • 1 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder 
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder 
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp clove
  • 1/8 tsp allspice powder (or, 1 whole allspice, crushed)
  • 100 grams (1/2 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice, from about 1-2 large oranges
  • 1/4 cup (60 grams) white vinegar 

Directions:

  1. Combine everything except the pork chops in a large bowl to make a marinade. 
  2. Pat the pork chops dry and add them to the marinade. Let the pork chops marinate at least 1 hour, up to overnight in the fridge. 
  3. If using an outdoor grill, heat it to medium heat.
  4. If using a grill pan on the stovetop, add avocado oil to the grill pan and heat over medium heat. 
  5. Once the grill or grill pan is hot, sear the pork chops on each side for 4-5 minutes. (You may need to cook the pork chops in batches if cooking on the stovetop.)
  6. Reduce the heat just a little, cover the grill or grill pan, and continue cooking the pork chops for about 3-4 more minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 145F. 
  7. Remove from the heat and let rest for 3-5 minutes. 
  8. Enjoy!

Test Kitchen Notes:

The pork chops may remain a little pink in the center; that is just fine. Just like a good steak, you don’t want to overcook your pork chops or they will become dry and tough. As long as the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145F, they are completely safe to eat.

I cook these pork chops outdoors on a gas grill or indoors on the stovetop. Although the grill is my preferred method, both methods make delicious pork chops.

If you are cooking these pork chops on the stove and don’t have a grill pan, you can use a regular 10-12 inch skillet. You won’t have the char marks that a grill pan gives, but you will still have all the delicious flavor.

You can throw some fresh peaches on the grill to go with the pork chops. The sweetness and acidity of peaches complement the smoky pork chop very well.

If you don’t like pork, or don’t eat it, you can use this marinade on chicken instead.