FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

• Why This Is My Best Pork Chop Marinade Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Use It
• My Tips For Marinating
• Ways To Cook The Pork Chops
• More Marinade Recipes
• Pork Chop Marinade (5 Ingredients) Recipe card
• Recipe Reviews

If you’re looking for an easy way to make your pork chops taste amazing, my pork chop marinade is your ticket. It takes just a few minutes to whip up, and imparts a slight sweet, slightly savory flavor you’re going to love. Not to mention it makes the meat incredibly tender and juicy. I don’t say this lightly, but it really is the best marinade for pork chops. Make it with me and you’ll see!

Why This Is My Best Pork Chop Marinade Recipe

• Super juicy, tender pork with loads of flavor – I’ve marinated pork in various different ways, but this is the best pork chop marinade I’ve ever tried. My recipe has all the components a great marinade needs: oil to lock in flavor and moisture, an acidic ingredient to tenderize, salt (for so many reasons), a burst of umami, and a little something sweet. It will make your pork so tender and has just the right balance of flavors!
• 5 simple pantry staples – Plus salt and pepper. Most of you know I’m a big fan of simplicity, and this one has much fewer ingredients than most recipes.
• Versatile – You can use this easy pork chop marinade for boneless or bone-in pork chops, but I’ve also used it for other proteins, like chicken , steak , or even fish .

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my pork chop marinade recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

• Olive Oil – Adds flavor and locks in moisture. Avocado oil works, too.
• Coconut Aminos – Adds a savory, umami flavor. It’s like soy sauce, but a little sweeter. You can sub soy sauce or another soy sauce substitute , but then I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of honey (or my natural sugar-free honey ), or just a splash of Worcestershire sauce, to add a little sweetness.
• Lemon Juice – An acidic ingredient is key in my pork chop marinade, because it tenderizes the meat and balances the flavor. You can substitute apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or red or white wine vinegar for a similar affect.
• Dijon Mustard – This tenderizes a little as well, plus it adds so much flavor. Highly recommend!
• Garlic – Press it instead of mincing if you want to release more flavor and juices (and make a more garlicky punch!). You can take a shortcut with jarred garlic , too.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

How To Use It

To mix up the pork chop marinade, simply whisk all the ingredients together.

Then, you can place pork chops in a zip lock bag or a bowl, and coat in the marinade. I prefer a zip lock bag because the meat gets more evenly coated that way, plus you can massage it into the pork without any mess.

My Tips For Marinating

• If you modify the ingredients, keep the main components. Remember that a good pork chop marinade needs an oil to lock in moisture, and both salt and an acid to tenderize. Everything else is a matter of flavor!
• Marinate pork chops for at least an hour, but overnight is even better. I find an hour is the bare minimum for the marinade to have an effect, but they’ll be more juicy if you give them more time. Just don’t go over 24 hours, or they’ll turn out mushy.
• If you marinate for longer than 2 hours, place in the fridge. You don’t want it sitting out for longer than that ( source ).
• You can also freeze pork chops in marinade. Just add everything to a freezer bag, seal, and freeze flat. I’ve done this and love it for meal prep. Just thaw them overnight and cook!

Ways To Cook The Pork Chops

This pork chop marinade works for any cooking method! Here are your main options:

• Bake – My baked pork chops do involve searing before placing in the oven, but you can also just place them in a baking dish and bake for longer.
• Air Fry – My air fryer pork chops are the fastest hands-off way to cook them.
• Pan Fry – For a perfect sear, cook the pork chops in a cast iron pan . So good!
• Grill – If you’re after grill marks, use this marinade for grilled pork chops .

TIP: With any method, I recommend medium-high heat and aiming for an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees F.

A meat thermometer ( I love this one ) is the most reliable way to know they are done and still juicy. 145 degrees F is the actual target temp, but I prefer to remove them from heat when they reach 140 degrees F, because the temperature rises as they rest. (And I definitely recommend letting them rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking, to lock in the juices!)

More Marinade Recipes

I’m such a big fan of marinating meat – it’s the best way to tenderize and flavor meat at the same time. Try my other marinade recipes:

• Steak Marinade
• Salmon Marinade
• Carne Asada Marinade
• Lamb Chop Marinade
• Butter Chicken Marinade

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

Pork Chop Marinade:

• 1/3 cup Olive oil ▢
• 1/4 cup Coconut aminos ▢
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice ▢
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard ▢
• 4 cloves Garlic (pressed) ▢
• 3/4 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper ▢

Pork Chops:

• 4 8-oz Pork chops (boneless or bone-in) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all the pork chop marinade ingredients.
2. Pour the marinade into a large zip lock bag. Add the pork chops, seal the bag, and massage to coat well. (Alternatively, you can marinate in a bowl and cover in plastic wrap.)
3. Marinate for at least 1 hour , or up to 24 hours. (Longer than 24 hours will make the meat mushy.)
4. Cook pork chops in the oven like this , or see other cooking methods (grill, air fry, or pan sear) in my post above.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 pork chop

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips if you want to customize this marinade, freezing instructions, and ways to cook the pork that will keep it juicy.
• How much pork to use: My pork chop marinade recipe is enough for 2 pounds of pork. Feel free to scale it up or down if you have more or less!
• Note on nutrition info: Only 1/4 of the marinade is included in the nutrition calculation, as a lot is discarded after marinating the pork chops. It does include the pork chops themselves.

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Pork Chop Marinade

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Pork Chop Marinade (5 Ingredients)

My easy pork chop marinade takes just a few minutes, with 5 simple ingredients. It’s the best marinade for juicy pork chops every time!

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/pork-chop-marinade/

Ingredients

Pork Chop Marinade:

• 1/3 cup Olive oil
• 1/4 cup Coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 4 cloves Garlic (pressed)
• 3/4 tsp Sea salt
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper

Pork Chops:

• 4 8-oz Pork chops (boneless or bone-in)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all the pork chop marinade ingredients.
2. Pour the marinade into a large zip lock bag. Add the pork chops, seal the bag, and massage to coat well. (Alternatively, you can marinate in a bowl and cover in plastic wrap.)
3. Marinate for at least 1 hour , or up to 24 hours. (Longer than 24 hours will make the meat mushy.)
4. Cook pork chops in the oven like this , or see other cooking methods (grill, air fry, or pan sear) in my post above.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 pork chop

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips if you want to customize this marinade, freezing instructions, and ways to cook the pork that will keep it juicy.
• How much pork to use: My pork chop marinade recipe is enough for 2 pounds of pork. Feel free to scale it up or down if you have more or less!
• Note on nutrition info: Only 1/4 of the marinade is included in the nutrition calculation, as a lot is discarded after marinating the pork chops. It does include the pork chops themselves.

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)